In world music ensembles such as African and African Caribbean percussion ensembles, the Gamelan ensemble, and the Latin marimba ensemble, members may sing a song, play instruments, and dance simultaneously. This practice is known as music multitasking. For musicians in Western art music traditions, music multitasking can be a challenge. This…

Widely prevalent in a variety of educational contexts around the world, rote learning practices entail repetition techniques to acquire new knowledge. These practices have long been critiqued because of the emphasis on recall rather than deep understanding. Less attention has been directed, however, at the literacy ideologies underpinning such…

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) considers education a top priority, and more emphasis has been placed on this following the 2016 announcement of Saudi Vision 2030. Since then, the country has witnessed several economic and social changes. As a result, the Kingdom has initiated a plan to invest in human capital through education to diversify its…

Classroom instruction in China and in the United States have sharp differences. Typically, constructivist learning theory shapes American classroom instruction whereas Confucian educational culture shapes Chinese classroom instruction. Furthermore, typically, Chinese classrooms adopt a direct instructional approach whereas American classrooms…

Ramanathan (2013a, 2013b) urged scholars to expand the notion of citizenship beyond its typically bounded understandings, towards conceptualizing it as "being able to participate fully" (p. 162). This view highlights the "processual" aspects of citizenship, shifting away from the more categorical meanings that underpin the term…

The traditional presumption in higher education that subject-matter knowledge is sufficient for effective teaching is breaking down. One cause of this change is the growing knowledge about how people learn, a consequence of which is a heightened focus on student-centered teaching practices. Another is the increasing diversity of students seeking…

The island of Cyprus embodies two distinct communities having their own systems of education. On the road to EU certain parallelisms need to be set as it is the goal of this study on math's education. This paper will concentrate on K1-K12 math's education. The topics to be dealt with will cover math's curriculum at all levels; weekly distribution…

Presents an experiment for teachers to determine whether rote or reason has greater influence upon the way students think about computation. Provides some observations and concerns, and discusses needed changes in thinking and practice for teaching mathematics. (ASK)

Asserts that getting students to apply their knowledge in new situations is important, noting that reaching this goal generally requires that students have a large share of knowledge of the relevant topic. Describes rote versus inflexible knowledge, explaining that inflexible knowledge is the normal foundation for expertise and discussing how…

Examines four varieties of curriculum irrelevance, including curricula that are fixed, antiseptic, trivial, and right answer-oriented. Suggests that educators need to stress curricular context and concern themselves more with process and less with products. Includes 10 references. (MLH)

This paper examines two methods to help teachers accomplish learning for all in the classroom: giving effective directions and peg memorization. The paper asserts that giving effective directions may be the most important skill that can be taught to aspiring teachers, and when teachers give effective directions, they give all students a greater…

A teaching method for enhancing rote memory ability is described. The use of a metronome was found to establish a tempo, or rhythm, which enabled children to learn multiplication tables more easily. (PHR)

New knowledge on the evolution of the brain helps to explain human behavior and learning patterns. Threat is implicit in our school system, according to the author, and this atmosphere severely inhibits full use of the New Mammalian brain. (Author/WD)

Examines the six categories that make up the cognitive process dimension of Bloom's Taxonomy Table, as well as the 19 specific cognitive processes that fit within them. After describing three learning outcomes, the paper focuses on retention versus transfer of learning and rote versus meaningful learning, discussing how teaching and assessment can…

"1984" and other works by George Orwell contain messages that are pertinent to teaching. Orwell left a teaching career for other work; his comments on teaching, rote learning, regimentation, and literature are discussed. (PP)