Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe SPARK, an innovative elementary school that highlights the possibilities for elementary education as COVID-19 continues to unfold. Design/methodology/approach: The authors' analysis is based on a research synthesis of the main features of the SPARK model, as it was operating when schools in Arizona…

This article presents elements from the research journey pursued by the author in the area of interdisciplinarity in education, and more specifically in elementary education, which he has been studying for 30 years. The text begins by presenting the reasons that led to undertaking doctoral studies on this issue. It then addresses the foundations…

In the age of standardized testing, science and social studies are not given the same priority as mathematics and reading in the curriculum of United States schools. High stakes testing is viewed as having heavily biased schools toward teaching tested subjects and away from less frequently tested subjects. This paper is premised on the notion that…

One strategy used by Project CREATES to enhance the fusion of social studies with the arts was to provide various forms of professional development to artists and teachers (Montgomery, Otto, & Hull, 2007), including seminars, book clubs, and on-site Arts Resource Coaches. The purpose of this study was to describe the role of the coaches as…

The existence of two distinct cultures within our society, the arts and the sciences, was introduced by physicist C. P. Snow in his 1959 Reed Lecture at Cambridge University and was further illuminated by Snow in "The Two Cultures, a Second Look" (1964). Lamenting the existence of the cultural chasm while also fearing a widening of the…

This study was conducted in a large urban school district. Fifty-nine elementary schools, designated as Fine Arts Schools by the district, were organized as a Fine Arts School Network. The school district partnered with an external arts organization to deliver research-based, consistent and collaborative professional development to art, music,…

Reviews previous reform efforts in the history of mathematics education. Argues for a rethinking of the "one teacher, one classroom" model of education and favors two teachers, one with science/mathematics and the other with humanities/language arts training, for a group of 40-50 students working cooperatively. (Author/MM)

A focus on school reform within the field of elementary education has brought an arts-integrated approach to teaching and learning to the forefront. This is not a new approach, as integrating what many call "hands-on activities" in the classroom is quite common. The difference lies in the quality and depth of the approach to teaching and learning,…

This case study of East School, a central Vermont K-2 school with 125 students, describes the early stages of changing instruction and learning in a school with established district-wide standards. Changes in teaching at the local level were led by example, modeled by a dynamic principal as she encouraged the teachers to move towards a more…

Recent calls for educational reform focus on the need for curricula emphasizing conceptual learning that is integrated across traditional subject areas. In response to this, the major national subject-matter organizations (including the National Council of Teachers of English) met to discuss and develop guidelines for integrating the curriculum…

Illustrates the benefits and challenges of team-teaching in a multi-age classroom by describing one school's efforts at implementing language arts instruction within an interdisciplinary approach. Discusses initiating multi-age grouping and the advantages and challenges of multi-age classrooms. Offers recommendations. (SR)

This book describes the Maryland Collaborative for Teacher Preparation (MCTP) program which develops and implements interdisciplinary programs for teacher education to develop enthusiastic teachers who continue to be an active learners. Contents include: (1) Foreword (Katherine Denniston); (2) Impact of MCTP on the State of Maryland (Jack Taylor);…

Humanities can be simplistically defined as a program, as a set of related or unrelated activities, or as human and humane interaction. The following assumptions are important in establishing humanities programs in the elementary school: programs must be reality oriented; there should be an emphasis on direct participation for the student;…

Teacher action research is a powerful tool for change that begins with teachers conducting research in their own schools and classrooms in order to discover how to do something in a better way. This book contains a collection of action research reports written by seven elementary teachers (K-4) who were in their first year of implementation of…

Discusses science education reform based on constructivism. Explains that some educators view constructivism as a basis for a unifying theme for science education. (PR)