Asserts that whether students engage in creative and critical thinking depends on how teachers structure the learning situation. Contends that using "academic controversy" among students provides a basis for deliberate discourse and creative problem solving. Presents a five-step instructional model to guide students. (CFR)

Offers the perspective of a university professor who taught a third-grade class while on a year-long leave. Discusses how the teacher immersed students in print, provided students with regular demonstrations of how print is used, and offered frequent opportunities for students to read. Offers insights on diversity in the classroom and inclusive…

Reports of 36 studies using the constant time delay procedure with discrete behaviors of special needs students were analyzed. Results are described in terms of demographic variables (e.g., type of subjects, settings, behaviors, instructors, and instructional arrangements), the procedural parameters of the strategy, strategy effectiveness, and…

Reports on study of teacher decision making regarding instruction about Gulf War. Finds teachers were influenced by student grade level, number of students in class from another culture, and their own knowledge of Middle Eastern history and geography. Concludes that local and state curriculum officials should provide more flexibility so teachers…

Recommends an approach to the teaching of ethics from the perspective of the philosophy of virtue that begins with the work of the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Offers guidance on how to prepare and teach such a course based on the author's and other teachers' experiences in the classroom. (JB)

Reports on a study of 110 secondary social studies teachers and the variables that affect the use of learner-centered teaching strategies. Found that methods used in the preservice social studies methods courses had a significant impact on methods used by teachers. Concluded that teacher educators should increase the use of learner-centered…

This study examined the effectiveness of peer collaboration in assisting 48 special education and 43 regular classroom teachers in developing and implementing alternative interventions for students with mild learning and behavior problems. Teachers using peer collaboration were found to have increased tolerance for the range of students' cognitive…

Discusses the merits of the whole language approach in the context of teaching Canadian Native children to read and write in English. Ways of adapting and supplementing the whole language approach for their specific needs are suggested. (six references) (Author/LB)

This paper presents a decision-making model for comparing, choosing, and implementing social skills curricula that would be appropriate for specific students and settings. The model is structured around three curriculum areas (background, assessment, and instruction) and uses a cost-benefit analysis to assist in making modification decisions.…

Describes an in-depth approach to infusing the fundamental dimension of human dignity into the social studies curriculum. States that students' awareness of individual dignity results from three main school program influences: (1) planned instruction, (2) teacher-child interaction, and (3) school responses to unacceptable behavior. (DB)

Reviews literature related to learning styles and gender differences. Determines that abstract and reflection are associated traditionally with mind or masculine, whereas concrete experience and active experimentation are associated with the body or female. Calls for additional experiential activities to provide a more gender-balanced approach to…

Describes various forms of block scheduling at the high school level and offers guidelines for scheduling special-education courses. Stresses the importance of special and regular teacher communication and collaboration, the use of different instructional strategies during the longer blocks, and positive effects of block scheduling on student…

Describes a study that sought to identify the attributes of high-quality science teachers at the junior high school level from the point of view of recent ex-students. Students described their best science teachers as presenting interesting and well-integrated hands-on activities, using a range of strategies to make lessons fun and interesting for…

A study examined the effects of combining naturalistic teaching and peer-mediated tactics to address the developmental skills of 10 preschoolers with autism. Compared to naturalistic tactics only, the involvement of typical peers resulted in a substantial increase in the duration and rate of skills addressed during each teaching episode.…

A review of 20 research studies on the use of constant time delay in teaching chained tasks is analyzed in regard to demographic variables (participants, settings), procedural variables (probe format, delay sessions), outcome measures (effectiveness, generalization), and methodological adequacy (dependent and independent variable reliability). (DB)