This study presents a student-centered teaching model based on concept mapping and problem-solving. The concept map is used as a tool to develop curriculum and evaluate teaching performance. Case-based teaching was implemented on the course of building energy conservation. The results of this study, which include teaching plans, evaluation tools,…

Joyce VanTassel-Baska is the Executive Director of the Center for Gifted Education and the Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Education at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. For the past 20 years, the Integrated Curriculum Model, based on research of what works with gifted learners, has been the foundation of curriculum…

This article proposes that teaching gifted students elegant problem solving in the arts and sciences requires curriculum that includes philosophical inquiry. Discussion focuses on a rationale for philosophical inquiry, philosophy within the humanities, philosophy as curriculum, and the need for theoretical models that are easily understood and…

Reviews studies on the cognitive mechanisms underlying creative thought and proposes a general model. This model holds that creative thought involves interactions among a number of distinct cognitive components. Some of the implications of this model for the design of effective educational programs are discussed. (Author/CR)

This article summarizes the important ideas and research findings of DISCOVER, an on-going program of research and development concerning the problem solving abilities of children and youth. It identifies five problem types and reviews the DISCOVER assessment model, including research on its reliability and validity and the DISCOVER curriculum…

This article describes "Thinking Actively in a Social Context," a multiphase model to assist in the development of problem-solving courses based on student needs and experiences. An example of such an interdisciplinary course (simulating a new settlement on another planet) for high ability children in grades five, six, and seven is detailed. (DB)

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a federally funded project designed to enable teachers of young children (ages 5-8) with mental retardation, cognitive disabilities and other developmental disabilities to teach problem solving and self-determination related skills in multiple districts across Texas and Kansas. The project…

This book about using the Big6 information problem solving process model in elementary schools is organized into two parts. Providing an overview of the Big6 approach, Part 1 includes the following chapters: "Introduction: The Need," including the information problem, the Big6 and other process models, and teaching/learning the Big6;…

Indicates the importance of preparing prospective teachers who will be elementary science teachers with different methods. Presents the theoretical and practical rationale for developing a constructivist-based elementary science methods course. Discusses the impact student knowledge and understanding of science and student attitudes has on…

This third in a series of three papers on the Associated Staff Training Program of the Foreign Language Innovative Curriculum Study discusses the training of Instructional Systems Consultants, describing in detail the skills necessary for proper handling of an innovative problem-solving routine. The six major skill areas, which correspond to the…

Discusses recommendations from the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science for defining, developing, and promoting library media programs that teach information finding and using skills. Areas covered include helping students develop thinking skills, theoretical implications of current research on how children process information,…

This book provides a comprehensive review of teaching-learning models used in the development and implementation of a curriculum for gifted students. The models described were selected for their demonstrated or potential success with gifted children and their widespread use. For each model, the following types of information are provided:…

This is a step-by-step guide to designing problem-based learning across the curriculum. Contents show teachers how to develop student-centered, problem-based curriculum, manage student projects across a range of subjects and disciplines, assess projects using portfolios, and involve community members as project mentors. Numerous examples are…

A conflict resolution curriculum is suggested as a pilot program in a classroom for students with behavior disorders, as these students have more referrals for detention and suspension and more encounters with law enforcement agencies than do other students. Using a modeling approach, all students would subsequently benefit, as the program expands…

This book is based on the idea that curriculum development projects focused on integrated or interdisciplinary teaching within the context of real-world problem solving creates dynamics and meaningful learning experiences for students. The real-world, problem-solving units presented in this book were created by four intern teachers, their mentor…