Instruction that engages students and gets them to use their minds well is referred to in this document as "authentic instruction." To assist in the articulation of a vision, the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools has proposed criteria for authentic instruction, which consists of the following five dimensions: higher order…

Issues pertaining to thinking skills are discussed in an attempt to clarify what thinking skills are and their components, how they function and how they can be developed in the teaching-learning environment. Chapter 1 reviews the definitions of thinking skills. These definitions are selected from the current literature on education and…

This theme issue reviews and confirms the connection between thinking skills and art education. Articles offer possible teaching approaches and specific lesson plans dealing with thinking skills. The issue includes: (1) "Editor's View" (Sharon McCoubrey); (2) "Critical and Creative Thinking and Making Art" (Carol Fineberg); (3)…

The papers in this volume begin with an editorial by Patricia L. Stuhr, "The Changing Faces of the Arts and Learning Research SIG and Its Journal". It is followed by 11 articles: (1) "Novice-Expert Differences in Understanding and Misunderstanding Art and Their Implications for Student Assessment in Art Education" (Judith Smith…

This newsletter reports on the activities of Equipped for the Future (EFF), which is a National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) initiative that develops content standards to ensure that every adult can gain the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill real-world responsibilities as workers, parents, and citizens. A message from the NIFL…