Richmond (Vermont) Elementary School offers a workshop in elementary-school mathematics for parents. By refreshing their math skills, parents are better able to help their children at home. Many parents who learned math through rote memorization do not understand current approaches to problem solving, such as drawing pictures, making charts,…

Presents the views of different members of "The Creativity Group" at Teachers College, Columbia University, on the importance of creative thinking and how teachers can provide conditions for continuous encouragement of the creative process. The importance of creative thinking, planning, and implementation for good teaching is emphasized.…

Introduces a role playing activity that actively engages students in the learning process of mitosis. Students play either chromosomes carrying information, or cells in the cell membrane. (Contains 11 references.) (Author/YDS)

This paper answers several frequently asked questions about constructivism, including how to define it, how to plan the curriculum, how to assess student understanding, what to do with the information, where to begin, how students work in a constructivist classroom, and why constructivism is important. (SM)

This article offers guidelines and suggestions for adapting mathematics instruction when teaching students with learning disabilities in the general classroom. Techniques for teaching computational skills, solving algorithms, and problem solving are offered. General techniques include increasing instructional time, varying group size, and using…

Describes the Evening Science program, a science enrichment program for K-6 students and their parents where students and parents engage in problem-solving activities that encourage science learning for the whole family. (JRH)

Discusses an alternate path to teaching introductory stoichiometry based on research findings. The recommendation is to use problems that can be solved easily by rapid mental calculation as well as by pure logic. (AIM)

This article describes a video- and computer-based program used to motivate and develop mathematics skills in middle school students with disabilities. The program emphasizes real-life problems such as building a cage for a pet, a skate boarding ramp, and a "hovercraft" frame. Case studies illustrate the program's effectiveness with individual…

Describes a group work approach to the teaching of ethical issues in biotechnology and evaluates its impact on the acquisition of the key skills of working together, communication, and problem solving. Uses the Key Skills Confidence Scale (KSCS) to evaluate post-16 students' self confidence. (Contains 30 references.) (Author/YDS)

Investigates teacher education methods for teacher development as constructivist science instructors. Explains a typical day in a classroom using the traditional teaching approach and makes recommendations for promoting scientific thinking and problem solving. (YDS)

Investigates the effects of web-based instructional materials on students' understanding of chemical concepts. Uses interviews with students, concept mapping, and a free-response survey for the study. (YDS)

Theory suggests that studying worked examples and engaging in self-explanation will improve learning and problem solving. A growing body of evidence supports the use of web-based assessments for improving undergraduate performance in traditional large enrollment courses. This article describes a study designed to investigate these techniques in a…

To effectively integrate computers into teaching, students' thinking skills must be a priority. The goal is to align thinking processes appropriately with the software's function. By categorizing software by genre and matching it to the desired thinking skills, teachers can plan lesson activities that teach discrete skills as well as complex…

This article describes the nutrition component of a Home and Career Skills curriculum at Hommocks Middle School (Larchmont, NY) that includes the Breakfast Cafe Webquest, which encourages 7th graders to increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables in their diets as well as reduce serving sizes. Using this Webquest, students "help the Breakfast…

Social studies educators advocate discussion as an influential instructional method to encourage students to apply knowledge and develop higher-order thinking and understanding. The classroom reality, however, is that teachers only use the discussion method sparingly. Instead, teachers predominantly use a quasi-discussion form called recitation to…