In this personal essay, I explain how my use of visual modelling has the capacity to broaden constructionism in five important ways. (1) It introduces new techniques for students to describe and document, in a personal way, what they are actually doing in modelling. (2) It introduces the big ideas of mathematical modelling and computational…

University students crave immersive, collaborative, interdisciplinary, applied learning contextualized to real world sustainability challenges. Liberal arts and sciences institutions are particularly well positioned to respond. Here we report on our high impact, cross-disciplinary, biomimicry-themed firstyear experience (FYE) curricula. Biomimicry…

As a dance practitioner in education, Jason Ohlberg is interested in how artistic inquiry through interdisciplinary, student-centered processes can engage dancers beyond traditional choreographic practices and offer deeper contexts for learning and growth. The research described in this article began through an inter-institutional initiative,…

This article details reflections of an interdisciplinary team of educators working with groups of health sciences students in preparing them for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The first-year common core unit discussed here is one attempt to equip future health practitioners with skills and knowledges to work adequately…

Communication is a critical skill for students to possess in preparation for college and their future careers. One way for students to communicate their ideas in all content areas is through writing. The English language arts portion of the Common Core State Standards (CCSSI 2010a) specifically states that students need to understand perspectives…

With today's emphasis on preparing students for standardized testing, it can be daunting for classroom teachers to find and justify time for the arts within the academic curriculum. Handmade books, however, offer a creative and academically enriching solution to this dilemma. In this article, the author describes how students made construction…

The purpose of the "Identity Pole" was to explore the big idea of identity. Students would confront issues of personal and cultural meaning, and draw upon interdisciplinary connections for inspiration. The author chose to present totem poles of the Northwest Coast Native Americans/First Nations of Canada, as well as school, state and national…

Sustainability is a contemporary term that calls attention to climate change and dwindling natural resources. Concerned about the urgency of sustainability and the long-range impact that non-sustainable efforts could have on the environment, and convinced that sustainable concepts could be taught to young children, the authors introduced an…

Proposes that when teachers structure the classroom around the student, differentiation starts to happen. Outlines the following suggestions in order to do so: make it meaningful; make it authentic; differentiate content; make it interdisciplinary; and practice what you preach. Concludes that if educators are willing to eliminate ineffective…

"Stonehill Writes" is an example of an in-house Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) journal that records what is being written and how it is being written by administrators, faculty, students, and alumni. Published at Stonehill College, a small liberal arts college with a student body of 1600 and a faculty of 107 full-time teachers, the…

The fourth goal in the 1989 "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is for students to learn to communicate mathematically. The call for this implies that students should be given opportunities to use all communication vehicles available. Writing journals is a…

Describes how sketch journals help students make connections in their learning across the curriculum through drawing and writing. Also called observation journals, the journals provide students with a tool for observation and a place to practice writing, respond to literature, take notes, solve problems, express themselves, and think in words and…

Describes a unit for third-grade students where they learn about the Pilgrim's experiences on the Mayflower. Explains that in order to bring history alive for the students, each student is assigned the name of a Pilgrim child who was on the Mayflower and assumes the identity of that child throughout the unit. (CMK)

This article describes and assesses "Research Circles" as a mechanism for enhancing faculty collegiality and research. Recently established on our campus, these circles, composed of three to four faculty members, have had a particularly powerful effect on the new faculty members' adjustment to their tenure track positions, especially since they…

The New Center for Learning is an experimental program at East Texas State University which offers students an alternative, interdisciplinary general education curriculum which can improve student writing more than traditional programs do. Students in the program take 36 hours of courses throughout their college careers which are offered by a…