A college instructional module uses the film "JFK" and related reading materials to convince even the less motivated students that reasoning abilities can be of significant personal and public value. Small groups are assigned presentations based on research and readings. Student response has been enthusiastic and the technique has been…

Describes physical and motor development characteristics of children from early childhood to adolescence, and discusses theories of motor skill development with practical applications for parents and teachers. The final section discusses declining fitness levels in children and ways to improve fitness in school-age children. (SLD)

Describes a project about narrative in art that combines a study of art history with art reproductions. Explains that the students create before and after pictures on postcards for famous works of art. States that students were asked to choose an artist such as Norman Rockwell, Edward Gorey, or Jonathan Green. (CMK)

Describes an art lesson used with children in the third grade to help them learn about symmetry, as well as encouraging them to draw larger than usual. Explains that students learn about the belief called "Horror Vacui" of the Northwest American Indian tribes and create their interpretation of this belief. (CMK)

Examines the global digital divide, with tables of data that document the wide disparity between the world's information-rich and information-deprived. Highlights include how it affects educational opportunity; cost issues; causes of the divide; and strategies for successful educational technology use, including appropriate project design,…

Examined how peer tutors' skill levels affected novice learners' swimming achievement motivation and performance. Data on French high school seniors indicated that skilled tutors yielded the best skills for boys, whereas skilled and intermediate tutors yielded the best skills for girls. Skilled tutors led to higher self-efficacy for improvement…

Discusses the genesis of the Rembrandt Teaching Project, a discipline-based arts curriculum focusing on art history, art production, art criticism, and aesthetics. Developed for a group of New York City middle school students, the goal of the curriculum focuses on critical thinking skills. (DAJ)

Presents the results of three experiments in which high school students constructed their own analogous problems. Focuses on utilizing instructional strategies to encourage analogous transfer using word problems in basic probability. Discusses the skills the students who used the analogical strategy could perform. Includes references. (CMK)

The constructivist educational theory of instructional scaffolding, where a teacher provides support to students on an as-needed basis and decreases support as the student's competence grows, is evaluated. Scaffolding is seen as being only one part of effective instruction for students with learning or other disabilities. Limitations to the…

Cognitive abilities that predicted growth in response to a 12-week training program in phonological awareness were investigated in 100 kindergarten children. Findings suggested that growth in analytic awareness was predicted by invented spelling and general verbal ability, while growth in synthetic awareness was predicted by a combination of…

Discusses the development of informal mathematics in young children, the problems with formal mathematics instruction, how the traditional approach fails to address mathematics learning disabilities, and how a developmental perspective can assist in the identification and treatment of students with mathematics learning disabilities. (CR)

Reports the results of an information literacy research study in which focus group methodology was used. A small focus group of undergraduates discussed the concept of information literacy and the role of the undergraduate library in developing information literacy skills. Information needs, information seeking, and further research are also…

Discusses concepts of leadership and the need for identifying and developing leadership abilities in gifted students. Explores definitions of leadership and different leadership theories. Reviews various types of instruments for screening and identifying leadership qualities in students and describes a program for developing leadership skills. (CR)

Describes the classroom environment and activities of a class of eight students (ages 3-12) with hearing loss and at least one other disability. The importance of positioning and the skills the students learn through toys (stimulation and learning), dressing (self-help skills), and lunch (making decisions) are discussed. (CR)

A survey involving 53 parents of children (mean age 5.3) with mental disabilities asked parents to rate various aspects of special education and related services. Results found parents were more concerned about development of skills in key areas than holistic skills development and were satisfied with current student placement. (CR)