In world music ensembles such as African and African Caribbean percussion ensembles, the Gamelan ensemble, and the Latin marimba ensemble, members may sing a song, play instruments, and dance simultaneously. This practice is known as music multitasking. For musicians in Western art music traditions, music multitasking can be a challenge. This…

Traditional approaches to English language learning, which focused on grammar rules, vocabulary memorization, and rote learning, must be replaced with innovative methods of teaching. This study explored the integration of board games as an alternative English language teaching method. By making use of mixed method research design, the study…

Widely prevalent in a variety of educational contexts around the world, rote learning practices entail repetition techniques to acquire new knowledge. These practices have long been critiqued because of the emphasis on recall rather than deep understanding. Less attention has been directed, however, at the literacy ideologies underpinning such…

Classroom instruction in China and in the United States have sharp differences. Typically, constructivist learning theory shapes American classroom instruction whereas Confucian educational culture shapes Chinese classroom instruction. Furthermore, typically, Chinese classrooms adopt a direct instructional approach whereas American classrooms…

The traditional presumption in higher education that subject-matter knowledge is sufficient for effective teaching is breaking down. One cause of this change is the growing knowledge about how people learn, a consequence of which is a heightened focus on student-centered teaching practices. Another is the increasing diversity of students seeking…

This paper examines two methods to help teachers accomplish learning for all in the classroom: giving effective directions and peg memorization. The paper asserts that giving effective directions may be the most important skill that can be taught to aspiring teachers, and when teachers give effective directions, they give all students a greater…

A teaching method for enhancing rote memory ability is described. The use of a metronome was found to establish a tempo, or rhythm, which enabled children to learn multiplication tables more easily. (PHR)

The two opposing reading instruction philosophies are analyzed and placed in historical perspective. The author shows the importance of clarifying the debate and distinguishing between manifest and actual issues. (MD)

The teacher as a "sage on the stage" is being eclipsed by the learning facilitator, or "guide on the side." While there is room for constructivist methodologies, the rage against expertise and repetitive or rote learning practices is misguided. Students deserve a chance to learn from real experts. (MLH)

The author argues that efficient learning of mathematics requires both understanding and rote learning. (SD)

The federal journey into public education has followed a long and winding road. Most educators know that the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is simply the latest version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which dates all the way back to 1965. In the years since its initial passage, the ESEA road has taken a number of…

The aims of the article are: (1) to outline the general tenets of the "back to basics" movements; (2) to indicate how these tenets go counter to emerging research on hemispheric specialization; and (3) to suggest methods which are brain-compatible and likely to produce competent creative problem solvers. (Author/TG)

Proposes that although the past 30 years have seen increasing efforts to make mathematics more relevant and useful, schools continue to fail. Argues that forced rote learning is the direct cause of this failure and that improved teaching methods must be developed. Urges that shifts in methodology be phased in gradually. (TW)

Attempts to distinguish between the lecture method and the constructivist approach, in general, and by citing classroom scenarios. The author cautions those whose writing seems to unintentionally endorse traditional lecture and drill and practice methods. (MKR)

Describes the nineteenth-century object teaching revolution as a case study of educational change that occurred because of teacher education. Ideas of Pestalozzi were successfully introduced in America when Sheldon utilized inservice and preservice teacher education and education of teacher educators to spread the method. Object teaching shifted…