Discusses the need to motivate students to make information literacy programs successful and demonstrates how a middle school library media specialist used Small and Arnone's Motivation Overlay for Information Skills Instruction to build a set of customized toolkits to improve student research that includes the Big6[TM] approach to library and…

Addresses the importance of social context when students are learning music and how social context may affect learning styles. Focuses on how teachers should respect students' different learning styles, presenting Harvard Project Zero as a program in which the learner is central to the educational process. (CMK)

The Applications in Biology/Chemistry (ABC) curriculum is a real-world approach designed for the middle 50% of secondary students who may not learn in a predominantly abstract way. Stressing contextual and cooperative learning, ABC features 10 laboratory exercises and other hands-on, problem-solving activities involving visits to job sites and…

Describes the development of a computer-supported cooperative problem-solving environment designed to help librarians and remote access users work together in performing an online search. Results of a study of graduate students indicate that groups using the computer demonstrated more effective skills than those performing the same tasks face to…

A teacher developed a program to help primary students who were easily frustrated and acted out in a disruptive fashion. She established a six-week program to help them learn anger management skills. Students were guided by the teacher and peer facilitators who were capable of demonstrating peaceful solutions to problems. (Author/SM)

Describes an elementary school counselor, a "major player" who helped transform her school into a problem-solving culture. If school counselors have a driving vision, secure identity, solid counseling capabilities, and believe themselves to be educational leaders, they can help equally courageous principals transform learning…

Let's Get Real, a competitive program in its 5th year, challenges teams of secondary students (in public, private, and home schools) to solve actual problems posed by corporate co- sponsors. Proposed solutions are presented at corporate headquarters and judged by corporate executives, scientists, and engineers. (MLH)

Presents an interactive, case-based online network (ICON) that provides a learning environment that integrates student thinking across different concentration tracks and allows students to get away from interpreting vast amounts of available information, move toward selecting useful information, recognize discriminating findings, and build a…

Describes an exchange teacher program intended to develop more active learning communities with students and existing faculty. Observes that dialogue between teachers in the lounge and after school began to change. Notes that students engaged in more active learning and began to view themselves in a different light, taking ownership of their…

Describes the social studies curriculum at Oceanside School District in Long Island (New York) that focuses on the concept of essential questions. Explains that the teachers wanted the questions to reflect an awareness of current world problems that students could identify, discuss, and debate in a creative and age appropriate manner. (CMK)

Focuses on how conceptual themes can assist students in problem solving by acting as organizing elements and guides for thinking. States that students can learn how to use important ideas to drive key questions, discern the relationships among concepts that reflect the operation of principles, and visualize a problem to clarify essential issues.…

The Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky is 1 of 34 Challenger Center sites for space science education nationally and the only one in a rural area. Since the center's opening in March 1999, some 5,500 sixth-graders have "flown" space missions that involved using teamwork and math and science skills to solve problems and complete the…

A model of expert tutors' knowledge of applied statistics was used to create a web-based computer coach that emulates human tutoring. Cognitive assessments are obtained from records of students' actions as, with the computer tutor's help, they learn to apply components of procedural knowledge required to solve problems. Learning is evaluated by…

Discusses teaching grade 1-8 students programming and complex problem-solving skills using MicroWorlds, a variation of LOGO. Discusses game programming and provides a MicroWorlds "Cat and Mouse" game-planning sheet. Argues that programming instruction fosters creativity, innovation, and patience. (PEN)

Describes searching and sharing of knowledge on virtual networks, based on experiences gained when hosting virtual knowledge networks at Tampere University of Technology in Finland. Discusses information and knowledge management studies; role of information technology in knowledge searching and sharing; implementation and experiences of the…