National Energy Education Development (NEED) is concerned with the dissemination of energy education information, the way children learn best, and the type of citizens students will become. Cooperative learning, where students take responsibility for their own learning and that of others in their group, class, school, and their community, is…

The effects of cooperative learning on students' perceptions of themselves and their roles in academic settings are explored. A group of 28 students from seven intermediate classrooms in an urban school system were selected to be videotaped while participating in a cooperative problem-solving lesson and were subsequently interviewed. The students…

This book aims to help educators improve their understanding of minority students within the American social context. It contains seven chapters, each written by different authors. The introductory chapter, "The Education of Language Minority Students: A Contextual Interaction Model" by C. Cortes, provides an overview of a theory for how the many…

The role of Design and Technology in schools in England is changing. These changes were heralded by the Government Green Paper "14-19: Extending Opportunities, Raising Standards" (Department for Education and Skills [DfES], 2002), which proposed that education and training of 14-19-year-olds should be delivered by a more flexible…

This paper reports on developments in teaching and learning for first year employment relations students at the University of Wollongong based on creating conditions of learning informed by Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development" theory. Essentially, this meant emphasising collaborative learning (group work) in the lecture theatre and…

Describes a strategy to motivate adult basic education students to comprehend text in a manner that draws on their background knowledge and is based on peer interaction. (RS)

"Too Good for Drugs"[TM] is designed to promote life skills, character values, resistance skills to negative peer influence, and resistance to the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. The program, which targets elementary and middle school students, is based on classroom discussions and structured activities that center on…

This symposium on conflict management and decision making is comprised of three papers. "Two Approaches to Conflict Management in Teams: A Case Study" (Mychal Coleman, Gary N. McLean) describes a study that provided conflict management training to two employee teams using the traditional lecture method and cooperative learning (CL).…

In this social studies and language arts interdisciplinary unit for 8th or 11th grade, students are required to take on the persona of a Populist or a Progressive. The unit is designed to create a dialogue between two similar movements in late 19th and early 20th century U.S. history. Students work in small groups to research and present their…

This paper argues that progressive pedagogy is a viable alternative to more limited basic skill approaches to school reform. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data collected during the fourth year of a 7-year multi-site school reform initiative in a besieged urban district, the paper documents ways in which teachers have dramatically altered…

CES EssentialVisions is releasing three DVDs over the course of fall 2005, 2006, and 2007. Each DVD will capture how the Common Principles have been implemented, illustrating how students engage in their own education and how teachers develop as professionals. Focused segments provide unique perspectives on the benefits and challenges of each…

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to examine the effects of constructivist pedagogy when addressing the issues associated with below proficiency scores in basic skills in mathematics on the state exit exam. Scores of thirty-four 11th and 12th grade students who did not perform at the state-mandated levels of proficiency in basic skills…

The Reconstruction Era in U.S. history is an important time because the nation was trying to put itself back together after the tragic and devastating Civil War. Families had been ripped apart, and the Confederate States that had seceded needed to be brought back into the United States. Hard feelings, distrust, and hatred were the dominant…

This paper reports on a case study of a U.S. high school literature class during an e-mail exchange with a high school literature class in Moscow (Russia). During this project, the students in both classrooms read short stories by Anton Chekhov and O'Henry. By using the stories as a catalyst, the students' goal was to help their distant partner to…

This study examined whether utilizing technology in a cooperative learning environment would enhance the academic achievement of Hispanic students who had English as a second language (ESL). Surveys were administered to 30 elementary school teachers. The surveys examined the importance of using technology in the classroom, how the teachers have…