Could you use a superhero to teach reading, writing, critical thinking, and problem solving? While seeking the answer, secondary language arts teacher Maureen Bakis discovered a powerful pedagogy that teaches those skills and more. The amazingly successful results prompted her to write this practical guide that shows middle and high school…

Teachers of elementary-grade deaf students make mistakes which can handicap communication by setting up less than optimal visual conditions. Four areas need to be considered: angle of regard, size of communication frame, rate of communication, and placement of teaching materials. (SBH)

Describes a demonstration for college-level cognitive psychology classes of Miller's "Magical Number Seven" concept of the limitation of sensory capacity for processing information. Students report on the number of pennies they observed in a box after viewing the coins for two seconds. Demonstration results consistently support Miller's…

Shows how to use Rudolf Arnheim's theory of visual thinking in technical writing classes. (RL)

Discusses the value of making students visually literate. Stresses the technique of visual rehearsal and offers suggestions for incorporating visual rehearsal activities into the classroom. (FL)

Fencers should be taught to discipline their eyes to focus on the opponent's hand. The rationale for this strategy as well as drills to develop "hand watching" skills are presented in this article. (IAH)

Describes a perceptual illusion, the Janus mask, for use in introductory psychology demonstrations. Suggests using a motor or videotaped image to rotate the mask, giving the impression that the mask is following a moving observer or oscillating. Recommends the illusion to show that perception is usefully conceptualized as hypothesis testing. (DK)

The author discusses the role of educational "crutches" that help elementary learning disabled children in tasks involving spatial orientation, visual perception, and auditory short-term memory. Teachers are cautioned to observe how children act in different situations and to allow them whatever "crutches" are effective. (CL)

The effect of background color on the perception of color by students is discussed. Explanations on why students only see certain colors when viewing colored marks on a blackboard through different color filters are provided. (KR)

Most schools teach the triadic color system, utilizing red, blue, and yellow as primary colors. Other systems, such as additive and subtractive color systems, Munsell's Color Notation System, and the Hering Opponent Color Theory, can broaden children's concepts and free them to better choose color in their own work. (IS)

In tennis as well as in other racket/paddle sports, simply watching the ball does not guarantee success in hitting the ball to the desired location. Teachers and coaches should teach players to integrate available visual, spatial, and kinesthetic information. Several drills for good ball contact are outlined. (IAH)

Problems experienced by mildly handicapped students include visual perceptual and visual motor problems, inability to use and organize time, poor notetaking and outlining skills, and deficient reading vocabulary and writing skills. What the social studies teacher can do to alleviate each of these problems is discussed. (RM)

Suggestions for a modified indoor tennis game, for activities to develop body reference in young children, and for a drill to aid students with depth and space perception difficulties are presented. (LH)

Described is a way to use knots to relate a three-dimensional object to a two-dimensional representation of the object. The results are used to produce an algorithm or rule to explain a general case. Included are examples, diagrams, procedures, and explanations. (KR)

Techniques that teachers can use to help art students to make an educated guess or to estimate an approximate solution while solving a visual problem that has no single correct answer are discussed. (RM)