The children's taunt "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers" gives new credence to the information search process at the elementary school level. Children keep what they find, claim it as their own, and accept information without discernment or critique. This study examines the effectiveness of teaching information literacy skills through…

Some high achievers are not as easy to engage. Sometimes motivating high achievers is "a matter of being more sensitive to what they are interested in," says Don Ambrose, a professor of education at Rider University in New Jersey. But too often classrooms are not set up for that kind of sensitivity. Research shows that schools are…

Describes a middle school program in Wisconsin that has a curriculum based on basic skills and provides exposure to special areas such as art, business, education, foreign language, music, home economics, physical education, and industrial education. (MD)

Systematic curricular accommodations reduced the problem behaviors of four elementary students with behavioral disorders. Assessments identified student interests and curricular assignments associated with high levels of problem behavior. Curricular modification was then implemented. Results support adaptations that incorporate student interests…

Recognizes how lack of time, support, and resources can hamper the development of an effective integrated curriculum. Describes classroom and preservice teachers' collaboration to create an effective curriculum based on the story "Flat Stanley." Concludes that preservice teachers gained important insights about designing effective integrated…

Notes that it is not unusual for students with autism to follow a different curriculum than the one offered to their classmates. Suggests the following strategies for designing lessons that are appropriate, appealing, and challenging for every learner in an inclusive classroom: recognize all literacies; capitalize on students' interests; use a…

Discusses the benefits of using literature in classroom instruction and describes its inclusion in California's new English-Language Arts Framework as well as in the new History-Social Science Framework. Lists several works appropriate for use in K-6 instruction. (GEA)

Describes the value of administering an interest inventory to elementary and junior high school students and of developing an educational program that is geared to student interests and that utilizes a variety of school and community resources. (JG)

Students in grades K-10 listed three questions that they wished to have answered in school. Graduate students who conducted the survey interpreted the results in separate statements that summarize observations, state hypotheses, and make recommendations for a change in school curricular content. Their interpretations are based on the…

Reports on the K-6 civic education curriculum being implemented in the public schools of Brighton, Colorado. The curriculum enhances logical thinking and decision making skills through application of psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg's theories of the stages of moral reasoning. (DB)

Compares teacher predictions with student-use data for nine teacher-selected activities during field testing of the Human Sciences Program (HSP). The comparison reveals that in six of the nine activities, a large discrepancy exists between teacher predictions and actual student-use data. (HM)

A transactive curriculum development system is described which comprehensively identifies characteristics of a learning environment and suggests curriculum content that takes into account both external demands and students' interests. The curriculum encourages students to be independent learners without sacrificing basic skills or alienating…

Challenges teachers to question their teaching practices and views regarding children's learning. Discusses issues related to curriculum design to ensure a wide range of open-ended activities; to manage and organize the environment to meet individual interests and needs; and to assess, record, and report on real-life contexts and their learning…

For the thirty-sixth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Anaheim, California. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…

Maintains that the wide-ranging children's literature of Jane Yolen created a rainbow of effective instructional materials for elementary social studies. Recommends instructional strategies for teachers using Yolen's books. Presents a bibliographic essay describing 12 Yolen books. (CFR)