Some bad ideas never seem to die, despite research showing they do not actually work. It can be hard to spot them at first. Those dispelled education theories that research shot down long ago. They creep up in studies, shuffling around mumbling in the reference lists, or moan loudly in blog posts. The author often stumbles across these…

Most district and school leaders understand that recruiting group members who have differing backgrounds, perspectives, talents, and personalities makes for good decision-making. Unfortunately, simply assembling a variety of top-notch individuals does not necessarily mean their talents and perspectives will be fully considered. Beth Strathman…

A lot of people talk about the value of formative assessment, but Carol Ann Tomlinson points out that, too often, it is reduced to a mechanism for raising end-of-year-test scores when it should be an ongoing exchange between a teacher and his or her students designed to help students grow. When aligned with current content goals, it can help…

Although students vary in their abilities and interests, "hyper-individualizing" the curriculum in an attempt to accommodate these differences is not the best way to help each student excel, write Willingham and Daniel. Drawing on educational research, the authors give examples of several cognitive must haves (things that the cognitive system…

Describes a Massachusetts language arts teacher's experiences with diagnosing seventh and eighth graders' learning styles and designing activity stations geared to a particular type. Students progress from one station to another, trying to figure out which activity goes with each style by experiencing each one individually. (MLH)

There are many effective styles of instruction; and every teacher should be skilled in at least one, and preferably in several. (Author/MLF)

Acton (Massachusetts) Public Schools' open enrollment experience shows that a system can develop a common curriculum while allowing individual schools and teachers considerable instructional latitude. Confronting open enrollment pitfalls such as intensified competition, pressures for curriculum standards, and enrollment dilemmas helped this…

The 4MAT System honors the distinctive style that each student brings to the classroom, while helping all students grow by mastering the entire cycle of learning styles. The learner makes meaning by moving through a natural cycle--from feeling to reflecting to thinking and, finally, to acting. Teachers need not label learners by style; instead,…

People do not know instinctively how to interact effectively with others. For cooperation to succeed, students must get to know and trust one another, communicate accurately and unambiguously, accept and support one another, and resolve conflicts constructively. A seven-step recommended procedure is outlined. Includes nine references. (MLH)

4MAT is an eight-step instructional cycle that capitalizes on individual learning styles and brain dominance processing preferences. The four major learners (imaginative, analytic, common sense, and dynamic) can use 4MAT to engage their whole brain. Learners use their most comfortable style while being challenged to function in less comfortable…

In a Virginia school grounded in Gardner's multiple-intelligences theory, K-12 students flock to the think tank, a hands-on discovery room, to explore their varied abilities. This well-equipped room synthesizes many ideas and theories, such as Socratic questioning and John Dewey's discovery-learning ideas. Because multiple ways of smartness are…

A 1992-95 survey of over 1,000 Long Island, New York, students attending eight middle, junior, and high schools found that most peer harassment focused on verbal assaults. Although there was more harassment by boys, both sexes harassed their peers, mostly by name calling. The main targets were unattractive or unstylish girls, physically mature…

The Interactive Learning Model illustrates how we process information (cognition), perform learning tasks (conation), and develop a self when performing difficult learning tasks (affectation). Individuals approach learning tasks with varying degrees of sequence, precision, technical reasoning, and confluence. These ingredients are embedded in the…

Educational Testing Service completed a four-year study that analyzed results from over 400 different assessments and 1,500 data sets involving millions of students. By comparing statistic Ds (standard mean difference) across assessments, researchers found that gender differences among subject areas are smaller than one might expect but grow by…