Gravemeijer's (1999, 2004) construct of a "local instruction theory" suggests a means of offering teachers a framework of reference for designing and engaging students in a set of sequenced, exemplary instructional activities that support students' mathematical development for a focused concept. In this paper we offer a local instruction theory to…

The topic of selection interviewing lends itself well to experience-based teaching methods. Instructors often teach this topic by using a two-step process. The first step consists of lecturing students on the basic principles of effective interviewing. During the second step, students apply these principles by role-playing mock interviews with…

This activity is designed to help build a bridge between the practical and the theoretical and lay the groundwork for students to assess and evaluate both communication theory and popular press titles. This activity is very effective in demonstrating that communication theory can be practical and applicable to real-life advice about work, home,…

When learning about a phenomenon, one must directly experience it in order to fully understand it (Kolb, 1984). So how may an instructor of introductory organizational communication ensure that students "directly experience the phenomenon" of organizing? The author describes an activity he developed to enable students to share a direct experience…

This article describes an exercise that involves providing students with a basic understanding and demonstration of audience adaptation and then asking them to practice and evaluate the skill. In this exercise the instructor begins by providing students with background on analyzing and adapting to audiences. Then the instructor collects several…

Today's communication and information environments create an immense amount of clutter for consumers, but a well crafted advertising campaign can differentiate an organization from its competitors. Persuasion in Advertising is a critical assignment where students apply Aristotle's and Cicero's persuasive techniques to a specific advertising…

Students just starting out in communication, or those who have been studying it for a while, often have difficulty understanding the various ways to view "communication." One way to help students make sense of the field is to look at it from the various traditions in the discipline. Craig (1999) identified the similarities and differences among…

One of the frustrations with the basic public-speaking course is that there is an inevitable tendency to teach the old sender-message-context-receiver model of communication. Many of the basic texts use it, and the typical assignments--one speaker in front of an audience--certainly reinforce it. Feminists have envisioned an alternative way of…

This teaching model for grades 3-8, a guided comprehension model, is a step-by-step teaching framework that encourages students to become active, strategic readers by providing direct strategy instruction, numerous opportunities for engagement, and a variety of texts and instructional settings. The model was developed in response to the disparity…

Encourages use of the newspaper for adults to improve their reading skills and to practice applying academic skills to problem solving. (NKA)

Maintains that young children view the world holistically, and thus the social studies curriculum should emphasize the concept of integration. Provides two sample lessons on soup in which students explore geographic concepts, history, economics, and the sociology of soup consumption and production. Includes teaching strategies and learning goals.…

This teaching model, involving character analysis in literature, illustrates effective instruction that engages students in an interpretive problem, helps them make complex interpretations, and enables them to transform their conclusions into effective literary analysis. The introductory activity in the model is a discussion of a student…

This exploration of the essential knowledge offered by research on teacher planning is divided into four parts. The first part deals with the kinds of knowledge derived from research on teaching. It is noted that teacher effectiveness researchers have been primarily concerned with producing knowledge about the observable behavior of effective…

Describes the programs of the Archaeological Resource Centre (Toronto), the first such center in any public education system. Programs offered are based on a cognitive skills development model, and are designed as experiential learning classes. Explains how basic archaeological skills are linked to the curriculum. (LS)

Describes an activity that demonstrates a teaching-learning model in which students ask yes or no questions to determine an unknown number on a number line. Provides a sequence of five steps to carry out the activity and suggestions for extending and expanding the activity for different grade levels. (MDH)