How do service learning and self-directed learning connect and what are the implications for early adolescent students? The authors explore both the service learning and self-directed learning literature and research to discover the connections between the two approaches and concepts. This essay reviews existing frameworks for self-directed…

This is a story of becoming. In this creative non-fiction essay, I share a case study of an informal science program for high school aged youth that took place over 5-weeks one summer in an urban park in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. I conducted observations, interviews, and artifact analysis to explore how youth environmental interest and identity…

In this article, the author will demonstrate how gestures--often used in combination with offloading information on scratch paper--can be used to help students with difficulties in mathematics succeed with secondary level algebra. The authors will provide key examples from three studies of the algebra learning of students with mathematics…

As Texas schools become increasingly diverse, educators are presented with opportunities to build on students' linguistic strengths and engage in transformative literacy teaching. Culturally sustaining early literacy instruction provides an avenue for teachers to support multilingual learners by leveraging their linguistic and cultural experiences…

In a successful middle school, school counselors support young adolescents' academic progress and personal wellbeing through a variety of methods. Classroom instruction, or classroom guidance, offers one method of providing such support and features the benefit of allowing middle grades school counselors to reach all students in their schools.…

Helping students to become more resilient to online misinformation is widely recognised as an essential task for education in a rapidly digitalising world. Students need both scientific knowledge and epistemic insight to navigate online spaces containing sensationalised reports of scientific and technological developments. Epistemic insight…

In this article, the authors describe the two interpretations of mathematical expressions, as a process and as a product. They begin with an initial discussion of Tall's (2013) interpretations of expressions and connect this to state standards. Next, they describe the different interpretations of algebraic expressions based on their work with…

This paper introduces a model built upon the Method of Varying Inquiry, offering a didactical approach to problem posing and solving activities that stimulates inquiry-based learning in mathematics classrooms. The model combines the inquiry-based framework with the variation theory and with specific didactical and theoretical elements (the…

Vectors have important applications both within and outside mathematics, but the concept of vectors is often taught to students in a less-than-engaging way, leading to students feeling inadequate and frustrated. This article describes the use of a mathematical microworld, "Driving with Vectors," to explore vectors using equitable…

It is critical to develop students' science communication skills as they progress through their education. One way this goal can be accomplished is by integrating Flip into educational programs. Through Flip educators create prompts that students respond to in video form, which leads to deeper discussion on various topics. This brief will share an…

While research supports development of a growth mindset in middle level classrooms, it has not uncovered a single solution to developing such mindsets. This article presents a model supporting teachers on their journey to empower students to develop a growth mindset. Grounded in research on teaching and learning and coupled with best practices of…

The mathematics classroom is particularly vulnerable to these judgments of perfectionism, with endless evidence of students and teachers believing that mathematics is based on an ultimate truth or a single, objective, unique answer. School mathematics still favors students' participation in rote procedures, memorization, and using only a few…

The international bestseller "How Do We Learn?" decodes years of cognitive science research into actionable strategies for K-12 teachers, curricula designers, and administrators. You'll discover how classic and emerging findings can transform pedagogy by pointing at practices that take advantage of the innate structures of the human…

Across nearly 20 years working as a secondary mathematics teacher, the author noticed two overarching goals that most teachers of mathematics consider to be important in their practice: (1) students knowing and understanding the content; and (2) students engaging with the learning and enjoying their time in class. However, in practice, attaining…

Student-directed projects are a promising approach to supporting powerful learning, yet uncertainty about how to assess these projects presents a barrier to widespread incorporation in K-12 classrooms. Drawing on interviews with computer science teachers and an interdisciplinary literature review, Karen Brennan, Sarah Blum-Smith, and Paulina…