Contextual teaching and learning (CTL), which is still being designed and implemented, is a conception of teaching and learning that helps teachers relate subject matter content to real-world situation, and motivates students to make connections between knowledge and its applications to their lives as family members, citizens, and workers.…

When young children can solve problems in a nonthreatening classroom environment, they feel emotionally safe and can focus their efforts on learning. This book describes the use of class meetings in which early childhood teachers provide guidance in solving a problem or resolving a conflict to help children reach a solution that all can accept.…

This bulletin is one of a series that tells how teachers, pupils, parents, and other citizens have worked together to improve the quality of education for the children of their communities. "How Children Use the Community for Learning" describes the work of a city school of 450 pupils with no regular supervision, the Garfield School of…

Teachers can capitalize on young children's natural curiosity about the world around them by including science learning in the preschool curriculum. Science activities provide a rich knowledge base and foster skills in receptive and expressive language, skills in self-regulation, and skills in problem identification, analysis, and solution. (TJQ)

Provides examples of using real time data sources from the Internet and the World Wide Web to enable students to collect the data that leads scientists to scientific paradigms, expand the scope of instruction to regional and global perspectives, and integrate science with other curriculum areas. (DDR)

Described is a student-produced bulletin board that illustrates that mathematics is a universal language and that mathematics is being created around the world. Presented are two approaches for resolving a problem involving three equations and three unknowns. (KR)

Outlines an issue-centered approach to teaching aesthetics, where students identify and analyze possible solutions before learning an aesthetician's viewpoint. Suggests that teachers acquire basic aesthetic knowledge but also be willing to accept planned uncertainty as an educational principle. Presents a fictional art forgery scenario to…

Presents a two-day lesson from the Alberta (Canada) Education Curriculum for upper elementary or middle school students designed to explore ethical decisions when confronted with value conflicts. Outlines goals, materials, and procedures. Indicates instructional objectives are analysis of conflicts in terms of moral and ethical values; and…

Discusses cooperative problem solving among Open University physics and math students and describes three studies that investigated how to design effective computer-based support for collaborative learning in distance education. The value of peer interaction for learning and problem solving is discussed, and students' attitudes to group work are…

This article discusses how current theories of learning and memory can guide the application of integrated media (IM) to embellish a standard curriculum; considers theoretical reasons for "breaking the mold"; and offers examples of IM-based alternatives to curricula in the areas of adult literacy, language arts, social studies, language skills,…

Presents six strategies to develop appropriate mathematical applications for middle school children: (1) change the name; (2) make problems appealing; (3) encourage group work; (4) let students generate story problems; (5) encourage a positive attitude; and (6) keep students motivated. Illustrates strategies with three examples involving…

Presents an activity through which students develop mathematical concepts connected to area and perimeter in a rich, real-life setting and use tables, graphs, diagrams, and spreadsheets to explore the problem, see relationships, and make and test conjectures about those relationships. Encourages algebraic thinking. (SYB)

Presents the science demonstration assessment as an authentic- assessment technique to assess whether students understand basic science concepts and can use them to solve problems. Uses rubrics to prepare students for the assessment and to assign final grades. Provides examples of science demonstration assessments and the scoring of rubrics in the…

Presented are assessment techniques to help improve instruction. Included are the formative assessment techniques observation and questioning, diagnostic interviews, and problem-solving-based investigations and the summative assessment technique of performance-based tasks. Examples of these methods are provided together with at-home activities…

Presents five activities focusing on mental computation and estimation for the K-3, 3-5, 4-6, and 6-8 grade levels that require the student, acting as a judge, to review solutions to problems and to pronounce and justify a verdict. Provides suggested materials, questions, possible extensions, answers, and worksheets for each activity. (MDH)