Aim: Initially, this paper delves into the connection between Irish society and Project-Based Learning (PBL) and curriculum, exploring how this connection has influenced the evolution of Digital Spaces (DS). It positions the origins of the Transition Year Program (TYP) in Ireland within the context of societal and political changes that are…

Engaging students in science education while tapping into their innate curiosity is a crucial aim for educators. This article presents a collaborative program between a botanical garden and public high school, aimed at engaging students in botany through authentic research experiences. Beginning in 10th grade and continuing through their…

Interested in exploring a form of learner agency that moves beyond a focus on using it to get better results? This article explores what happened when Year 11 students in a cross-curricular course were granted full control of their learning, and offers three strategies for starting out on a creative-agency path.

This article describes the use of project-based instruction in activities and labs intended to develop higher-order thinking skills with high school students and pre-service teachers through the use of soap making.

This Framework is built upon the foundation of the 2003 and 1997 "Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Frameworks." Based in research on effective practice, it represents the contributions of members of the History and Social Science Curriculum Framework Review Panel, scholars who served as Content Advisors, and the more…

Would You Rather (WYR), with a Sexual Health Twist! teaching technique uses two youth games, "Would you rather…" and Twister®, to actively engage students in developing decision-making skills regarding human sexuality. Utilizing the "Would you rather" choices, the teacher provides a short scenario with two difficult choices.…

This paper discusses a K-12/university collaboration in which students participated in a four-day scenario-based summer STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) camp aimed at making difficult scientific concepts salient. This scenario, Jumpstart STEM-CSI: Chocolate Science Investigation (JSCSI), used open- and guided-inquiry…

Mathematics is a discipline that has significantly advanced through the use of digital technologies with improved computational, graphical, and symbolic capabilities. Digital videos can be used to present challenging mathematical questions for students. Video clips offer instructional possibilities for moving students from a passive mode of…

In this article, the author describes the first lesson for his Chicago History Workshop, a course designed to take students beyond the Gradgrind memorization of facts approach and to introduce them, through a series of critical reading exercises, to the ways that historians actually work. In this lesson, the students begin to see that history is…

Instructional strategies make a difference in whether students are engaged in learning and are profiting from their time in class. High schools, technology centers and middle grades schools are encouraging teachers to adopt new teaching techniques and are providing opportunities for teachers to work together to improve their instructional skills…