This study addresses the inability of eleventh-grade students to critically analyze and evaluate literature used in the classroom. The study was conducted in a medium-sized rural community in northern Illinois. Sixteen teachers and 24 students participated in the study. Surveys, analysis of standardized test scores, past performance in English…

The study presents teaching techniques for use with elementary learning disabled students which utilize right brain simultaneous (as opposed to sequential or left brain) learning processes. It also describes a 15-week classroom project utilizing selected techniques with 11 learning disabled children in grades 2 through 6. The literature review and…

A kindergarten teacher implemented and evaluated a practicum intervention designed to develop positive attitudes among 122 parents concerning their children's learning through play in developmental kindergarten and pre-first grade programs. Teachers reported that parents did not appreciate the benefits of learning through play, and preferred…

This investigation was designed to determine the effect of a specific instructional approach upon the attitude of content area teachers toward teaching students to learn from text. The hypothesis tested was that a significant proportion of teachers receiving training in critical curriculum procedures would demonstrate an improvement in attitude.…

A practicum was developed which used improvisation and mapping strategies in the teaching of Shakespearean drama to increase comprehension and to develop a more positive attitude toward Shakespeare and drama in general. Subjects were a target group of 15 students enrolled in a ninth grade English class at a preparatory institution. Subjects, who…

A practicum was designed to improve reading comprehension of 10 basic skills college students by providing training using 5 specific strategies and techniques. Five specific strategies based on a review of the literature were selected: (1) metacognitive awareness; (2) discussion; (3) self-monitoring charts; (4) use of pictures as an introduction…

A practicum was developed to create a high school television production that would develop and improve the broadcast journalism students' critical thinking skills. A 5-minute daily newscast (written, produced, and telecast by the students) was initiated during a 10-week period. Students had the opportunity to become involved in a variety of the…

A practicum project emphasizing critical thinking skills was undertaken in an eighth grade history class to make students aware of the nature and seriousness of plagiarism. The 10-week unit was preceded by a reading comprehension test and an essay assignment on a major Civil War battle. Plagiarized portions of the essays were highlighted and the…

To improve students' self-concept and vocabulary scores, a practicum unit based in Graeco/Latin derivatives studies in varied learning styles strategies was developed for use in an eleventh grade English class (18 students). After the language analysis and preferred modalities of the target class were identified, students were assigned a target…

For this practicum, a program of multimedia peer dramatic presentations was developed to improve the vocabulary skills of middle school students. Each week for 10 weeks a target group of 18 randomly selected students viewed 5 short video skits (produced by broadcast arts students) which were designed to introduce and define new vocabulary terms;…

This qualitative and quantitative study focused on two groups of preschoolers (ages 4-6) enrolled in rural special education classes. The study specifically examined children's planful behaviors and the relationship of planfulness to learning as exhibited through play. Also examined were children's planning levels when planning was explicitly…