The "Forty Electronic Challenges" is a "discovery learning" and socio-constructivist science activity that has become rather popular in Canada. The article recalls its emergence and development. It discusses its theoretical underpinnings and how it fits into the existing literature. It then gives educators all the guidelines…

Shortcomings in schools' efforts to serve English learners (ELs) are often both a function of the continuing scarcity of teacher education and the ability of schools to implement high-quality professional development (PD) to successfully prepare effective teachers for this marginalized student population. Scant literature addresses the processes…

In recent years, the number of refugee English language learners (ELLs) in the United States has increased exponentially (Edwards, 2016). Yet, many schools are unprepared to meet the cultural and academic needs of these learners. Recent research on this topic has indicated that a number of strategies can be used to prepare refugee ELLs in the…

Far too many school boards and administrators deny that music is one of the "basics." Few U.S. students have access to institutional or private music lessons that involve a balanced, sequential curriculum. Where music programs have been cut, economic crisis has often remained. Of all curriculum disciplines, music has the most experience with…

In most classrooms science has been presented as an inert body of knowledge to be assimilated rather than a process of inquiry and a way to make sense of our world. This traditional approach has allowed teachers to cover a great many topics but the quality of learning that it has yielded has proven disappointing. This article outlines some major…

Argues that doing and learning science are not the same thing. Suggests strategies involving active learning of a nonpractical nature which encourage discussion of science by children working in small groups. Presents examples of less familiar practical alternatives. (JRH)

In October 1992 issue of "Educational Leadership," Marian Matthews communicates several misunderstandings about cooperative learning. Interview data from 15 middle schoolers in a wealthy district are not generalizable to all cooperative-learning situations. A cooperative-learning group is neither a seating arrangement nor individualistic learning…

Marian Matthews' article in the October 1992 issue of "Educational Leadership" reports that many gifted students are resentful of cooperative learning structures. Cooperative learning is not just a teaching technique but involves learning to respect and appreciate others' differences. Much of Matthews' criticism actually addresses…

Favored explanations for the achievement gap between black and white students reflect experts' positions on the ideological spectrum, while overlooking fundamental problems with the educational delivery system. The situation of black students is not hopeless, thanks to new research that abandons whites' academic performance as the norm and…

Presents examples of chemical education research that illustrate changes in focus, method, and direction over the past 50 years. Contains more than 50 references. (WRM)

This document contains hands-on, open-ended laboratory activities that can be done in the classroom on a shoestring budget. They are aimed at increasing students' excitement and curiosity about science and enabling them to develop a better understanding of the nature of science, take an active role in their own learning process, and develop…

This booklet contains 51 abstracts of papers presented at the 1992 conference for the Research Council for Diagnostic and Prescriptive Mathematics (RCDPM). Topics covered include: the use of expressive writing to enhance metacognition, adult assessment, cooperative learning assessment, visualization in problem solving, deaf students' beliefs about…

The 10th Triennial World Conference of the World Council for Curriculum and Instruction (WCCI) was held September 10-15, 2001 in Madrid, Spain. The theme of the conference was "Cultures of Peace." Thirty-four papers and presentations are divided into nine sections. Part I, Tributes to the Founders of WCCI, includes: (1) Tribute to Alice…

The Proceedings of PME-XVI has been published in three volumes because of the large number of papers presented at the conference. Volume 1 contains: (1) brief reports from each of the 11 standing Working Groups on their respective roles in organizing PME-XVI; (2) brief reports from 6 Discussion Groups; and (3) 35 research reports covering authors…