The purpose of this dictionary and thesaurus of contemporary figurative language and metaphor is to identify all the words and phrases used figuratively and metaphorically in everyday contemporary English and to categorize each word or phrase not only by meaning but also by what cognitive linguists and others have described variously as figure and…

The purpose of this dictionary and thesaurus of contemporary figurative language and metaphor is to identify all the words and phrases used figuratively and metaphorically in everyday English and to categorize each word or phrase not only by meaning but also by what cognitive linguists and others have described variously as figure and ground,…

When seeking a more nuanced understanding of sexuality, participants can benefit from hands-on activities that provide experience with the limitation of descriptors and social shaping of definitions. In many sexuality education contexts, participants enter the learning environment with a narrow definition of sexuality. The following game provides…

Since 2006, the details of bodies making up our solar system have been revised. This was largely as a result of new discoveries of a number of planet-like objects beyond the orbit of Pluto. The International Astronomical Union redefined what constituted a planet and established two new classifications--dwarf planets and plutoids. As a result, the…

I use Ian Hacking's views to explore ways of classifying people, exploiting his distinction between indifferent kinds and interactive kinds, and his accounts of how we "make up" people. The natural kind/essentialist approach to indifferent kinds is explored in some depth. I relate this to debates in psychiatry about the existence of mental…

This article briefly defines phonological core deficits in cases of dyslexia; considers student classification based on federal and state learning disability placement guidelines; and suggests 10 interventions such as teaching metacognitive strategies, providing direct instruction in language analysis and the alphabetic code, and teaching reading…

A review of learning disabilities in gifted children provides definitions of "learning disabilities" and "giftedness", a classification of gifted students with learning disabilities, the importance of a multidimensional approach to identifying students with gifts/learning disabilities, characteristics, programming guidelines, teaching strategies,…

The purpose of this study is to contribute to an understanding of how errors could be employed in mathematics instruction so that the students use them constructively in support of their learning of mathematics. A teaching experiment was designed to create an ideal context in which the pedagogical approach to errors as springboards could be…

Multiple sources of influence impact the decisions about what and how teacher educators are expected to operate, including the innovations that are adopted. Some of those sources of influence (such as teacher certification boards) can demand that certain curricula be adopted, specific instructional procedures be utilized, and delineate the…

This article discusses various definitions of teaching, arguing that teaching takes many forms and is conducted at numerous levels. It outlines a continuum of nine forms, with the teacher as disseminator/transmitter, lecturer/dramatist, inducer/persuader, inquirer/catalyst, dialogist, facilitator/guide, witness/abiding presence, learner, or…

Presents the hierarchical structure of quadrilaterals as an illustration of learning a geometric concept by moving from the levels of visualization and analysis to the level of formal deduction. The development discusses the classification of quadrilaterals, the inheritance of properties within the hierarchy, connections between algebra and…

This methods textbook includes interventions that beginning teachers need to understand to address the many problems they will encounter in classrooms with children who have emotional or behavioral disorders. Chapters discuss: definitions of emotional or behavioral disorders and ways in which children with these problems are classified; Individual…

Presents a teacher-initiated model for reaching class consensus on the meaning of confusing or interchangeable concepts in social studies classrooms. Illustrates the model by delineating terrorism. Shows procedural steps that involve students in self and small group interviews where definitions are clarified until consensus is reached. Suggests…