In the Least Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs), School Based Teacher Development (SBTD) is sometimes advocated as a potential mechanism for improving the classroom practices experienced by millions of children in a complete school system, as quickly as possible. Robust evidence is required for approaches to be implemented with some…

Using the story of a fight between an African American male student and a white male student in a high school classroom, I trace not only the raced and classed actors involved, but also the story of my sense making as a practicing teacher and researcher. Drawing on the concept of intersectionality, I show how a story that seems as simple as a…

This paper is a response to "Challenges and Opportunities: Using a science-based video game in secondary school settings" by Rachel Muehrer, Jennifer Jenson, Jeremy Friedberg, and Nicole Husain. The article highlights two critical areas that I argue require more research in the studies of video games in education. The first area focuses on the…

Contemporary commentary notes that students are frequently ahead of their teachers in their ability to manipulate and be creative with the internet, digital programs, and mobile technology. In this context it is important to ask, "What knowledge do teachers need to teach in the contemporary context where texts are elaborately multimodal,…

Current curriculum initiatives in mathematics call for the development of classroom communities that take communication about mathematics as a central focus. In these proposals, mathematical discourse involving explanation, argumentation, and defense of mathematical ideas becomes a defining feature of a quality classroom experience. In this…

The goals of this paper were two-fold. The first goal was to examine the emotional and social developmental value of play in the early childhood classroom. This issue is important because of the recent impetus for a more academic focus in early childhood classrooms, and questions about the developmental benefits of play. The second goal was to…

This paper describes a case study in which two teachers attempted to bring peace education to their classrooms. To date, the most prevalent approaches to peace education center on a curriculum or a program. The two teachers rejected such curricula and programs in favor of an approach that emphasized the importance of the environment in developing…

This book presents an account of literacy learning based on what effective teachers and learners actually do. It demonstrates how literacy develops in social and communicative exchanges. It contends that learning to be literate--like all learning--involves negotiating meanings with others, through whom learners clarify, confirm, and expand their…

One of the hottest literacy topics currently is "balanced literacy"--the centrist position of experts in the teaching and learning of literacy. Balanced literacy programs utilize both explicit skill instruction and authentic text. A study documented and discovered the enacted practices of an exemplary first grade teacher (with 24…

In a study of 75 Southern California classrooms, it was found that both the demographic context and internal organization of the school had strong influences on the perceived classroom leadership styles of the teachers in it. (Author)

This article addresses issues in successful classroom research, especially single-subject research, including selecting the research topic, choosing a research design, maintaining a sufficient number of participants, management and logistical problems, creating classroom conditions favorable to research, and scheduling time for research. (DB)

Reports on a study that investigated the quantity, quality, and distribution of talk generated by the use of a computer program when working with a class of six and seven-year-old children. Outlines practical implications for the teacher when using computers to generate talk in the classroom. (ARH)

Describes a study of turn-taking behavior in two kindergarten classes. Results indicated that when children were left on their own, they cooperated with turn-taking, whereas, when the teacher was present, he or she tended to dominate the turn-taking. (HTH)

Notes the many levels of complexity inherent in successful classrooms. Describes a set of common physical attributes and paraphernalia in the classroom settings observed. Examines discourse features that were a function of the learning contexts that teachers deliberately and consciously established, looking at specific language use, and at…

A study, part of a 5-year investigation (1991-1995) of patterns of implementation of literature-based instruction in schools serving large numbers of children from low-income families, recounts children's literacy experiences as observed in a third-grade classroom in an urban school in upstate New York. The primary goal was to understand the…