Today's schools are responding to the pressing need for positive student-teacher relationships that promote successful learning and prevent dropouts and violence. To meet this challenge, many secondary schools are reorganizing around smaller schools or "houses" and structuring longer blocks of learning time. Authors Elliot Y. Merenbloom and…

This booklet contains 28 fact sheets on communication written primarily for parents and families with a child who is deaf-blind. They attempt to address fundamental but complex issues related to the communication needs of children with vision and hearing impairments. Each fact sheet targets a specific area, including: (1) communication; (2)…

This study examined the effects of level of instructional scaffolding on students' use of Geometer's Sketchpad and other software tools in a technology-integrated geometry curriculum. In order to revitalize education at the secondary level and in particular in the mathematics curriculum, educational reformers have advocated the incorporation of…

The major purpose of this book is to rejuvenate the focus on thinking throughout the curriculum. This collection of 85 essays is intended to help educational leaders--teachers, administrators, curriculum workers, staff developers, and teacher educators--infuse curriculum, instruction, and school organization with practices that more fully develop…

Effective instructional practices are crucial to addressing the educational crisis facing many Hispanic students in the United States. The number of Hispanic students attending public schools has increased dramatically in recent decades, yet Hispanic students as a group have the lowest levels of education and the highest dropout rate of any…

This paper reports on a study of mathematics teachers' thinking in the teaching of contextual or word problems [WP] with particular focus on teachers' conceptions of WP and the relationship to teaching. The 20 participants included Grades 1-12 preservice and inservice teachers. Data consisted of interviews and classroom observations. The findings…

This booklet is designed to be used with a video of the classroom of second-grade teacher Victoria Bill. The 40-minute video shows the teacher using a variety of manipulations, facilitating both large- and small-group discussions, and applying a problem-solving approach to math. The text in the booklet is based on spoken comments made by observers…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards puts great stress on the mathematical processes of problem solving, communication, reasoning, and making connections. NCTM standards also emphasize new and emerging content areas for middle school students such as algebra, data analysis, and probability.…

Comparisons were conducted to assess the impact of levels of communication apprehension (CA) on students in a traditional hybrid basic course against students placed in freshmen interest group (FIG) settings. This investigation assessed the impact of the FIG classroom at an open admissions 4-year college on reduction of communication apprehension…

A middle school language arts teacher relates how she used the Internet to "scaffold" students' learning. She notes teachers have begun the shift from assigning rote homework to assigning independent work that gives the student the opportunity to test the information on his or her own, and that children need time to make the shift from…

Rich educational environments encourage students to construct their own knowledge, to solve problems collaboratively, and to heighten their interest and motivation to continue to learn. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study that investigated the formation of collaborative problem solving through social interaction during a…

This paper is a report on an ongoing project at the University of Lethbridge (Alberta, Canada) to implement and evaluate prototype online delivery systems for graduate and undergraduate courses. In the hands of instructors who are good teachers, with course designs that are effective and adapted to course material and learners, and with adequate…

The purpose of this bulletin is to present a selected working bibliography of practical usefulness to students and others interested in the education of native and minority groups. The field is a relatively new one in American education, and so far as information is available, this is the first effort to formulate a bibliography concerned with it.…

Describes the organizational, managerial and instructional characteristics of an urban school that worked effectively with problem students. Examined and discussed are the specific practices, procedures, programs, and behavioral patterns implemented by the school as well as results. (Author/JLF)

Presents a problem-posing curriculum integrating a class-generated theme with pronunciation acquisition. The curriculum outlines six steps needed to generate, develop, and critically analyze a problem relevant to the group. Notes that student reaction to the curriculum suggests the effectiveness of this approach. (17 references) (Author/CK)