Comprehending texts in content areas can be challenging for students with learning disabilities (LD) because they may lack the necessary background and vocabulary knowledge needed to construct meaning from text. As more students with LD are educated in the general education classroom, it is necessary for teachers to implement strategies to…

This Eurydice report focuses on the topic of equity and inclusion in higher education in Europe. It analyses the current level of alignment of European higher education systems with the ten 'Principles and Guidelines agreed by all EHEA countries' as a blueprint to take forward the commitment of improving the social dimension. There are ten…

Inspired by "The History Manifesto," Suzanne Powell describes in this article her rationale for expanding her students' horizons by asking them to think about change, similarity and difference on a grand scale. She sets 'big history' into its curricular context, and shows the way in which her students could, and could be encouraged to,…

In this article, veteran educator Otis Kriegel provides eight questions that teachers can ask themselves as they create or tweak lesson plans. With practical, straightforward advice, Kriegel suggests that teachers be mindful of who their audience is, how much students already know, and what materials they'll need. He also urges teachers to…

We propose a theory of education curricula as horizontally differentiated by their paces. The pace of a curriculum and the preparedness of a student jointly determine the match quality of the curriculum for this student, so different students derive different benefits from learning under the same curriculum. Furthermore, a change in the curricular…

The social and educational status of black male youth in the United States has been receiving increasing attention. In February 2014, President Barack Obama announced a new national initiative--My Brother's Keeper--for helping black boys and male youth or, to speak more generally, boys and young men of color, to "stay on track; providing the…

Public education in the United States is sequenced in such a manner that a skill learned at one level is then transferred to a more complex skill at yet a higher level. In addition, the individual concepts or grade-level-expectations based on state Standards are designed this way. Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (1999) stated, "Educators hope…

Many approaches to instruction focus on helping people learn to recognize "the old in the new"--to turn what would otherwise be novel problems into familiar patterns that can be solved efficiently through the reuse of prior learning. Instruction that leads to efficient transfer is important, but it can also promote what we call "overzealous"…

More New Yorkers than ever are enrolling in universities and community colleges, driven by seismic changes in the economy that have made postsecondary credentials nearly indispensable for today's workforce. On college campuses across the state, the makeup of the student body has changed. College is no longer just for "traditional"…

It's one of those assumptions of the English teaching game that students must learn and store up vocabulary as a precondition of tackling literature or history or any of those fields that feature big words. How, some ask, could a child read a challenging passage if he or she didn't understand those key, usually multisyllabic, words often sprinkled…

Students enter the middle grades with varying amounts of background knowledge. Teachers must assess student background knowledge for gaps or misconceptions and then provide instruction to build on that base. This article discusses effective strategies for assessing and developing students' background knowledge so they can become independent…

This article presents 10 research-based principles of instruction, along with suggestions for classroom practice. The principles come from (a) research in cognitive science, (b) research on master teachers, and (c) research on cognitive supports. The instructional principles are: (1) Begin a lesson with a short review of previous learning to…

This paper argues that all learners need teachers who are not only professionally qualified but also culturally competent. This is particularly so with teachers of indigenous students, who face the conflicting expectations of schools and those of their home cultures. References to Pacific students will be used to illustrate some of the conflicts…

Too often, teachers scratch their heads and ask, "What were my students thinking?" then answer, "I don't want to know." But teachers should want to know, and students should question their own thinking, as well. Critical thinking involves not just problem solving, creativity, analysis, and synthesis but also self-awareness of learning and learning…

Nationally known literacy expert Socorro Herrera provides a practical guide for teachers serving culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) populations. Teachers will learn how to plan and implement more successful culturally responsive instruction using student biographies as the point of departure. The author provides tools for tapping into the…