Suggests that general education programs should recognize the demographics and goals of community college students, rather than strictly targeting degree-seeking students. Underscores the need to move away from the mere learning of information toward the development of analytical and synthetic reasoning skills. (PAA)

Criticizes primacy of the Eurocentric world view in social studies education. Argues that demographic realities demand that students understand and respect disparate, pluralistic values. Recommends curricular emphases and classroom methods for fostering analysis, clarification, and integration of differing ideologies. Contends that social studies…

Presents a collection of 100 creative teaching ideas from educators nationwide. The suggestions cover across-the-curriculum teaching tips for language arts, math, science, and social studies; tips on classroom management, cooperative learning, computers, thinking skills, and self-esteem. A bonus page for students is included. (SM)

To test whether gains in cognitive development can be accelerated, an intervention model was used to give pupils special lessons in science, using ideas of cognitive conflict, metacognition, and bridging in the context of formal operations. Found that intervention led to substantial and long-lasting increased achievement in science, mathematics,…

Vertical connections, constructed using inquiry, give students the skills to reach new heights in both their academic and local communities. In this article, the authors present inquiry projects, developed by middle level teachers, to ensure that students use higher-level thinking skills to improve the community. Each project is connected to the…

Much has been written about the power of media to influence the public through instruments of advertising and a variety of venues (Considine & Haley, 1999; Cortes, 2000; Kilbourne, 1999). In this chapter, the author has chosen to use a singular media focus--news--to support the critical importance of teaching media literacy skills to students. She…

This study investigated the effects of learning communities on the educational development of first-year college students at a large, urban, highly selective, research university. These communities, known as "clusters," comprised a year long sequence of theme-oriented courses that were team taught and that included interdisciplinary lectures and…

There is growing concern in the United States about the education of the students regarded as least likely to succeed in school. Indeed, a major thrust of U.S. President Bush's No Child Left Behind legislation is designed to meet the educational needs of those students who traditionally have struggled the most in school. Variously labeled as…

This paper reports on an investigation into the quality of the learning experiences for 4-5-year-old children in Northern Ireland schools in the context of the debate about play-based and formal approaches to learning and teaching. Detailed observations were carried out in 70 Year 1 classes: 38 in traditional Year 1 classes where the Northern…

The purpose of this study was to develop a program to help cultivate divergent thinking in mathematics based on open-ended problems and to investigate its effect. The participants were 398 seventh grade students attending middle schools in Seoul. A method of pre- and post-testing was used to measure mainly divergent thinking skills through…

This report focuses on a family of interventions that includes all "Direct Instruction" products ("DISTAR" and "Language for Learning"). "Direct Instruction" was used to refer to this family of interventions, as well as to all versions past and present. "Direct Instruction" includes teaching…

On today's college campuses, says the author, there is no such thing as a "typical" student or "typical" teacher. Diversity abounds among both students and faculty across generations, racial/ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic status. This book is intended as a guide for understanding today's diverse college student population and demonstrating…

Presented at the Advanced Placement Annual Conference (APAC) in Las Vegas, July 2007. This presentation explores the demographic and course-taking patterns that have been identified behind what students take AP exams and how to best reach the population of students that are not currently taking AP exams.

As educators endeavor to engage an increasingly diverse student population, the curricular inclusion of elements of popular culture has been found to represent a particularly meaningful and successful approach. Research has consistently documented how utilizing issues of interest to students enhances affective links to the classroom and engenders…

The study sought to find out the views of pupils, teachers and parents on the usefulness of the educational curriculum (i.e. organization, content and methodology) and co-curricular activities in the preparation of pupils for future employment. Questionnaires and focus group discussions were used in collecting data for the study across the length…