Helping students connect abstract concepts to concrete situations is often a challenge. Students who are unable to make the basic connections are at risk of spending the semester and beyond misunderstanding key points and their application. In this article, we provide a framework that includes debriefing, bridge building, and assimilation to help…

Overwhelmed special educators: Reduce your stress and support student success with this practical toolkit for whole-classroom organization. A lifesaver for special educators in any K-12 setting, this book-and-CD set will help teachers expertly manage everything, from schedules and paperwork to student supports and behavior plans. Cindy Golden, a…

Fishbone diagrams, also known as Ishikawa diagrams or cause-and-effect diagrams, are one of the many problem-solving tools created by Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa, a University of Tokyo professor. Part of the brilliance of Ishikawa's idea resides in the simplicity and practicality of the diagram's basic model--a fish's skeleton. This article describes how…

One of the most important ways to increase the quality of classroom management is to look objectively and carefully at one's organizational skills. By streamlining one's ability to organize, one can work smarter and not just harder, thus saving time for more important things. This article offers some strategies for organization in art. Paying…

Instructors are under pressure to integrate technology into their traditional or online instruction, but often they aren't sure what to do or why they should do it. The "Technology Toolbelt for Teaching" offers instructors a down-to-earth guide to common technologies, explains the pedagogical purposes they serve, and shows how they can be used…

An important goal for all students is the ability to function independently throughout the school day--moving from one location to the next, organizing required materials, completing necessary tasks, and applying skills learned in one setting to other settings when appropriate. Although this goal is a priority for all students, it is even more…

Accessible and practical, this book helps teachers incorporate executive function processes--such as planning, organizing, prioritizing, and self-checking--into the classroom curriculum. Chapters provide effective strategies for optimizing what K-12 students learn by improving how they learn. Noted authority Lynn Meltzer and her research…

This article presents a case story of how an occupational therapist worked with Joe, a junior high student with Asperger's Syndrome, to develop better organizational skills. Self-regulated learning strategies were used to teach Joe how to keep track of his assignments as well as his grades. In addition, the case story provides a clear example of…

Students with strong executive function skills hold the keys to school and social success--from attention and impulse control to time management and organization. Now K-12 teachers have a practical, highly readable guide to enhancing these critical skills for "all" students, with and without learning disabilities. Through the author's memorable…

In this article, the author examines organizational skills from a developmental perspective and provides middle school teachers with strategies to help students manage academic tasks. An underlying assumption in middle school is that students are old enough to juggle multiple assignments, plan and organize projects, and regulate their time and…

Differentiated instruction engages students of all abilities as active learners, decision-makers, and problem solvers--making educational experiences more meaningful for all. This one-of-a-kind book proves that designing differentiated instruction can be simple and fun! Packed with creative adaptation ideas like fidget bags, doodle notes, and…

The documents enclosed in this report provide a comprehensive and systematic review of the progress made in developing a network organization capable of supporting nanoscience education for the public on a national scale. There is a logic to the studies that were done and to the reports that are included in this notebook. The following are the…

Professors can improve their chances of earning tenure by paying attention to organizing certain areas of their professional lives. Evidence of teaching effectiveness, professional and community service, research and other creative activities needs to be gathered and presented in a clear manner at faculty review proceedings. Good organizational…

Semantic mapping is offered as a prewriting strategy to help students (of all ages) with hearing impairments organize and structure their writing. Semantic mapping can offer these students a visual access to the writing process. (DB)

According to this report, since the 1960s many of the gains of post-Sputnik reform have been allowed to slip away and, as reports of the early 1980s have emphasized, elementary and secondary education has been neglected. The shock of technological and economic losses to other countries has once again alerted the United States to its educational…