Volunteers play a pivotal role in enhancing the effectiveness of the 4-H program. Research demonstrates that offering professional development opportunities to volunteers contributes to retention. The Volunteer Research Knowledge Competency Taxonomy (VRKC) is a framework that pinpoints essential competencies for proficiently delivering 4-H youth…

In this paper we deal with a geometric machine that has gone somewhat unnoticed in mathematics education: the Perfect Compass. It allows conics to be drawn using a special two aperture compass, based on Apollonius' conic sections. Proposed in the 10th century, it seems that it was never built in medieval times--at least no archaeological remains…

This article conveys one practitioner's career-long journey related to teaching reading. The author gained valuable information from relevant research reports regarding the keys to effective reading instruction and has learned even more while implementing a systematic approach to teaching reading as a volunteer tutor.

Looking for something for students to enjoy in the jazz category? The life of Ella Fitzgerald and her music are an inspiration to all. Everyone loved her incredible voice, amazing range, and ability to imitate any instrument. Ella sang in numerous musical styles, from Broadway show tunes to popular songs to jazz. Her abilities earned her the…

Biology is perhaps the most complex of the sciences, given the incredible variety of chemical species that are interconnected in spatial and temporal pathways that are daunting to understand. Their interconnections lead to emergent properties such as memory, consciousness, and recognition of self and non-self. To understand how these…

In recent years, the commercial catalogues of businesses that produce teaching aids -- which, prompted by the spread of a pedagogical vision linked to activism, first appeared in the second half of the nineteenth century in parallel with the first production of school objects -- have acquired increasing importance as a research source in the field…

Young people tell us that afterschool programs have a direct positive impact on their lives. A new national online survey of 1,116 afterschool program providers--conducted by Edge Research, October 31-December 5, 2023--reinforces this view, finding that programs are keeping young people connected, engaged, and inspired. The survey, which…

The benefits of open educational practices that invite students to collaborate and interactively create knowledge are well known. Despite this, it remains underutilized for teaching in research methods classrooms. This article presents a framework for using open pedagogy in undergraduate research methods courses. Drawing upon the knowledge authors…

In undergraduate life sciences education, open educational resources (OERs) increase accessibility and retention for students, reduce costs, and save instructors time and effort. Despite increasing awareness and utilization of these resources, OERs are not centrally located, and many undergraduate instructors describe challenges in locating…

Documentary films created by children and youth have the power to facilitate discussions in classrooms and at family dinner tables, and to promote global competency, empathy, and action. Through the medium of documentary film, young people are able to speak across experiences and lines of class, race, and nationality. Rather than being talked down…

We created a list of more than 140 tools that can be used to create tutoring systems, from complete tutoring systems to low-level tools for preparing instructional materials. Based on this list, we present a preliminary ontology of system dimensions that can serve as a base for a comprehensive review or in building systems. We also note that: (a)…

This brief provides some framing of action-oriented learning as well as examples and resources for engaging in this approach to climate change learning.

Humanities scholars can today engage in research inquiry using data from a range of varied collections which are often characterised by poor subject access, often resulting in systems that underperform and even effectively prevent access to data, information and knowledge. In spite of the availability of professional standards and guidelines to…

Biographies are one of our best tools for diversifying the curriculum. In this article, we describe The Biography Clearinghouse, a free resource designed to inspire teachers to use high-quality biographies in their classrooms. We then elaborate on curricular possibilities in K-8 classrooms. We end with a discussion of the Investigate, Explore, and…

Written heritage preservation is a complex field that requires a holistic approach reflected in the model of comprehensive written heritage preservation management. Model encompasses key issues through five key aspects, namely strategic and theoretical, economic and legal, educational, technical and operational and cultural and social aspect.…