Vocabulary acquisition is a critical component of academic language. This aspect of the school curriculum seems to be more difficult for language learners to acquire. This study therefore examines the language arts conceptual framework and the instructional activities for vocabulary development in a second grade mixed classroom with a view to…

Most early years practitioners heed this advice--"Well planned play, both indoors and outdoors, is a key way in which young children learn with enjoyment and challenge (DFEE/QCA, 2000, P. 25)--and provide environments in which children can play. Sefton LEA wanted staff to provide opportunities for children to construct "places to…

Sociologists agree that the sociological imagination fosters students' critical thinking skills (Eckstein, Schoenike, and Delaney 1995; Haddad and Lieberman 2002; Logan 1976; Mayer 1986; Misra 2000). The challenge lies in motivating students to develop their sociological imaginations. Convincing them of its importance and practical value takes…

This article is concerned with how learning communities are transformed as they evolve from traditional learning epistemologies towards constructivist orientations and pedagogies. Adopting activity theory as a framework, the article discusses how transformations take place through a two-way process of appropriation (learning from one another as a…

One teaching strategy successfully being implemented in the high-tech environment of online education is that of electronic journaling, or e-journaling. It enhances traditional face-to-face classrooms and courses offered at a distance to multiple sites using video technology. E-journaling provides an opportunity for learners to express opinions,…

This study considers the teaching of probabilities and statistics to a group of preschool children using traditional classroom activities and Internet games. It was clear from this study that children can show a high level of understanding of probabilities and statistics, and demonstrate high performance in probability games. The use of Internet…

This study investigated students' conceptions of constructivist learning activities in a problem-based learning (PBL) and a traditional curriculum. We examined whether students who have chosen for a problem-based curriculum have different conceptions of constructivist assumptions compared to students who have chosen to be enrolled in a…

This paper examines the classroom practices of three teachers teaching mathematics at the 5th grade level in three Singapore schools. Using a video-coding scheme, a series of lessons was coded into relevant phases comprising problem solving, teaching concepts/skills, going over assigned work, and student activities. It explores the teachers'…

This article describes an approach for introducing the unit concept in a mathematics content course designed for preservice elementary mathematics teachers. Classroom activities presented in the article emphasize the awareness, flexibility, and importance of the unit concept. Dialogue with selected preservice teachers is included and reveals some…

School library media specialists have four primary responsibilities: teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator. As instructional partners, school library media specialists collaborate in designing instruction and learning activities that "reflect the best in current research and practice." Researchers at the…

In this article, the author discusses her views on philosophies and theories by Lev Semenovich Vygotsky and Howard Gardner. Here, she argues that Vygotsky's ideas should be viewed through the prism of Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences, and that the combination of these concepts can shed new light on education--on teaching and learning.…

The SunWise Program is designed to help meteorologists raise sun safety awareness by addressing the science of the sun, the risk of overexposure to its ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and what students and their families can do to protect themselves from overexposure. This Tool Kit has been designed for use all over the United States and its…

This article summarizes teacher action research for the teaching of subjective culture in the foreign language classroom. It begins with a literature review, followed by a description of Milton J. Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, 1993), the theoretical paradigm upon which classroom activities and experiments…

To promote student success, both in school and beyond, teachers must not only address academic skill development but also help their students become self-determined individuals. The importance of self-determination is implicit in special education legislation. Findings from postschool outcome studies also support the inclusion of…

In this article, the author describes how he created an approach that he terms "Mathematics as a Second Language" (MSL) for teaching ELL students mathematics. The main components of MSL are vocabulary activities, journals, group work, and projects. He used MSL to teach prealgebra to ELL students, as well as to native English speakers, for two…