Stresses importance of making the social studies curriculum challenging for gifted students. Recommends differentiating between content and process, and discusses a variety of approaches and techniques relevant to a variety of classroom situations. Emphasis is placed on developing higher-level thinking skills in the gifted classroom. (BR)

Provides educators with a problem-solving process that can be used in K-12 classrooms. Defines, in particular, a solution-focused problem-solving strategy that emphasizes goal identification and implementation. States that this technique helps make positive behavioral changes in students' lives by focusing on future solutions instead of past…

With the increase in violence over the past few decades, academic and human development practitioners have tried to better understand the dynamics of conflict and develop effective intervention and prevention strategies. There is an ever-deepening appreciation for the mediation process. The mediation process is a powerful problem-solving and…

States that recent research suggests that an education in theater beginning in kindergarten and continuing throughout the educational process can teach students valuable skills that will serve them well in the professional world, including problem solving, team work, and decision making. Discusses the program at Jefferson High School and its…

One challenge in today's society is to teach students how to solve problems and use the general education they acquire to arrive at realistic solutions. Techniques that cut across the curriculum and can be used by any university teacher to provide realistic experiences for students are discussed. Students need the same acquired skills in…

Proposes that a primary objective for educators should be to foster student ability to gain knowledge independently and pursue areas of interest in an educational setting with limited teacher assistance. Lists seven suggestions that may be used to encourage independent thinking and problem solving. (JD)

Friedrich Froebel, an early advocate of the use of play in kindergarten teaching, argued that the ultimate goal of education was developing the creative person. According to Froebel, teachers could promote creativity through play by using gifts, occupations, and mother play songs. By contrast, Johann Herbart called for a subject centered…

Discusses the benefits for students and communities of service-learning experiences. Briefly describes student efforts to formulate and solve community problems as part of the Expeditionary Learning project (Massachusetts), which calls on adults and students to embark on experiential learning "expeditions" to renew themselves as…

College and university instructors need to utilize selected principles of learning from the psychology of education. These principles of learning when implemented in the classroom should assist each student to achieve goals more optimally. The five principles of learning recommended to facilitate student progress in the higher education curriculum…

The function of the university is shown to be not only to train people but to educate them. The importance of creativity, longevity, and humor are discussed. Short conversations with Charles A. Beard, Albert Schweitzer, Nehru, and Krushchev reveal the essence of "What I've Learned." (MLW)

Suggests that educational reform efforts, such as the back-to-basics movement, leave art educators wondering whether visual arts instruction will survive the reforms. Argues that the three Rs are insufficient for a balanced education. Asserts that the arts foster both affective and cognitive development. (KM)

Asserts that elementary students should know the basic vocabulary of economics, in particular, the "Significant Six": (1) goods and services; (2) productive resources; (3) scarcity; (4) opportunity cost; (5) specialization; and (6) exchange. Provides a lesson called "Benny's Pennies" that focuses on goods and services that…

The role of values clarification and self-concept development, which are important issues in liberal and humane education, are identified, and it is suggested that the use of film in a class can emphasize values processing and clarification. Film is a medium that can clearly illustrate conflicts and problems in human relationships and the complex…

Recent state reforms that embrace the effective schools movement may actually be counterproductive. These mandates encourage the persistence of outmoded, teacher centered, pedagogical practices and current school organizational structures, inhibiting the development of students' independent reasoning and problem-solving skills, as well as the…

The "componential" theory of intelligence explains intelligence in terms of three types of component processes that make up intelligent performance. The first of these, "metacomponents," are the higher-order or executive processes that one uses to plan what one is going to do, monitor what one is doing, and evaluate what one…