Most teachers try to avoid having students experience uncertainty in their schoolwork. But if we want to prepare students to tackle complex problems (and the uncertainty that accompanies such problems), we must give them learning experiences that involve feeling unsure and sometimes even confused. Beghetto presents five strategies that help…

"In many ways, images are the vehicle of comprehension, thought, and action. We integrate parts of images, we remember images, we manipulate images." This quote from James E. Zull clarifies the rationale for a discussion protocol called Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), in which teachers focus students' attention on an image and ask…

Learning progressions detail the incremental steps that students take as they learn to master a skill. These progressions are based on developmental research about how students learn and how their thinking develops as a result of instruction. A typical progression not only describes the stages that students must master, but it also shows what…

Math education consultant Marilyn Burns finds that teachers ask her the same three questions so often she's named them "The Big Three": What can I do with students who finish their math work more quickly?, How can I free up time to work with kids who need extra help?, and How can I differentiate math learning experiences? Burns, who…

"Whether your state has adopted the Next Generation Science Standards or will soon revise its own science standards, one thing is clear," writes noted science educator Jeff Marshall. "Change is underway--in what is learned, in how we teach, and in how we assess." This article offers five realizations that point to the potential…

What happens when teachers, neuroscientists, and students combine their perspectives in a three-way dialogue about why selected classroom lessons were highly motivating? They discover that the factors that teachers and students believe important to student motivation are solidly aligned with insights from neuroscience. Author Kathleen Cushman…

A teacher is doing something right when his high school students--kids with limited English, no less--form groups and begin discussing a lesson on quadratic equations at the start of class, without any teacher direction. Bondie, Gaughran, and Zusho describe "discussion routines" that teachers at International Community High School in the…

Students who struggle with reading comprehension in middle school often lack the academic vocabulary the need to understand grade-level textbooks and other instructional materials. Research shows that to learn a new word well, students need to encounter and use it multiple times in different contexts. The authors describe Word Generation, a…

The project based learning by using Campus Calgary/Open Minds programs encourages schools and teachers to participate in a variety of learning methods. The use of on-site learning techniques makes it an integral part of planning and implementing variety of projects, which in turn encourages huge participation from students.

The summary writer must decide what to include and exclude, how to reword or reorganize information, and how to remain true to the original's meaning. This article discusses simple precepts teachers can use to help students learn to select important ideas and condense text. Includes 19 references. (MLH)

Responds to Robert Slavin's unfavorable evaluation of mastery learning by advocating a wide variety of learning methods and strategies. Mentions a recent paper discussing the need for mastery learning improvements, initial prerequisites, a supportive home environment, reading automaticity, and teaching higher mental processes. (MLH)

Reviews learning strategies articles appearing in the same "Educational Leadership" issue. Most authors do not argue for teaching learning strategies apart from regular course content and present techniques (summary writing, elaboration, and graphic representation) that can be used in many different applications. In contrast, the Hunter model is…

Responds to Robert Slavin's criticism of the Hunter model by listing recent research projects validating this teaching strategy. Defends the Hunter model as an effort to change teaching decisions based on tradition and folklore to theory based on judgments and wisdom. (MLH)

Students can learn from writing, regardless of subject area, by keeping a learning log or journal. Several types of questions and topics are suggested for the teacher to guide students in making their entries. (DCS)

Students can benefit from being aware of the processes they use in learning. Teachers can tell students the names of the strategies and the rationale for each and can allow students time to formulate their own questions. Using the Taba method to teach about India is shown as an example. (MLF)