Teaching design to middle and high school students can be challenging. One of the first procedures in teaching design is to help students gather information that will be useful in the design phase. An early stage of engineering design as described by Lewis (2005), calls for the designer to establish the state of the art of the problem. During this…

This article, the second of a two-part series, features 11 teaching innovations presented at the 2014 Association for Business Communication annual conference. These 11 assignments included leadership and other-focused communication--detecting communication style, adaptive communication, personality type, delivering feedback, problem solving, and…

It is believed that the possibilities of integrating environmental issues into the formal and nonformal education programs depend on the capacity of teachers who put such programs into effect. A pilot project, aimed at building the capacity of schools in Ethiopia to address key environmental issues, was initiated in 2004. Among the major…

Naturalistic teaching methods are often used to facilitate explicit child-directed instruction within early childhood environments. They are designed to promote opportunities for instruction within the context of daily routines. The teacher's role is to design the environment and select materials, activities, and routines that will promote…

It has been said that children are smarter than we sometimes acknowledge them to be. Knowledge can be, at times, hidden from view. It is a teacher's job to get to know his or her students very well and find ways to make sure they give them due credit for what they know. But can one know one's students solely upon the grades given on quizzes,…

Learning to read and write music should be as natural as learning to read and write the English language. Similar instructional models can be used for both. This was the premise for the investigation of 5-year-old Joel's musical development. Joel was the youngest of a four-member musical family. He was surrounded by musical literature and role…

The final result of this inquiry study will be the compilation of a Literacy Portfolio on a targeted reader. The data included within the portfolio will come from strategies and tools teachers were introduced to in Year One of the Reading Initiative and for which teachers gathered data both on themselves and on younger learners. The study revisits…

Explores opportunities for enriching science instruction outside school building. Discusses various nature trails for sensory awareness, observation, problem-solving, and nature identification. Explores possibilities for science study using school yards, parks, community sites, museums, nature centers, and libraries. Briefly examines television…

Describes research and writing activities introduced to a third grade class in Edgecombe (Maine). Students learned to take brief notes without copying, locate information in the library beyond encyclopedias, make logs of observations, interview experts, and present information in several formats, including acrostics, timelines, and dioramas. (DM)

This article details the rationale and purposes of an ecology-travel course-trip made available to preservice education majors at a small liberal arts city college between 1975 and 1987. Included are the course objectives, pretrip planning and procedures, posttrip debriefing, and statistics on destination, participation, duration, and expenses for…

In a world where science has become too confined to books and too reliant on technology, and science fairs have been taken over by parents, this paper offers suggestions to help young people have actual hands-on experience with nature. Topics include soil formation; ants; earthworms; temperature; weather predictions; rain acidity; physical science…

Every school, no matter how urbanized, has an outdoor locale that can be used to expand and enrich classroom learning. It may be the school yard, the surrounding grounds, or the managed and landscaped lawns or garden. Or perhaps a park or overgrown vacant lot is within walking distance. This guide will help elementary and junior high school…

An integral part of the curriculum in introductory biology courses is the study of Mendelian genetics. Results from genetics learning studies and needs assessments demonstrated the need for additional intensive research in biology education and genetics learning. There exists a lack of detailed information describing reasoning patterns and…

Conducts an ethnographic study, collecting life stories from people with mental retardation living at London's L' Arche community (a center of group homes with disabled and nondisabled residents). Uses Robert Cole's methodology of interpretive narrative, and explains the procedure. Argues that these life stories provide insight that can help…

Discusses benefits, costs, locales, class recruitment, field supplies, timing, and testing methods. Provides a listing of Caribbean marine field stations routinely available to college classes. (MVL)