Observation of 200 children ages 4 to 19 attending a Massachusetts nongraded alternative school disclosed substantial age mixing. Younger children used older children to develop skills and acquire knowledge. Age mixing encouraged opportunities for creativity, helped match abilities, and fostered older children's sense of responsibility for younger…

Considers how teachers can help students become literate, critical, creative thinkers by aligning curricula, teaching strategies, and instructional resources. Promotes literacy, higher-level thinking, and writing skills through the interdisciplinary approach of combining language and art. Suggests that creating a comic strip stimulates and…

Discussion of combating stereotypes of Native Americans in literature and educational resources focuses on the need to promote information literacy in order to develop students' critical thinking skills that will help with problem solving, decision-making, and creative thinking. Highlights include integrating critical thinking; resources for…

Distinguishes between curiosity, which is seen as a motive to do exploration within definite and generally accepted frames, and wonder, where doubt about the frames themselves is the underlying factor. Argues that educational institutions need to build on both notions, and that wonder often finds expression in philosophical pursuits. (Contains 16…

This article discusses how the World Wide Web can empower students to think creatively, especially the gifted. It profiles 3 Web sites that discuss techniques, games, and strategies for enhancing creative thinking and 13 Web sites that contain information on inventors and inventions to stimulate gifted students. (Contains one reference.) (CR)

There is a childhood saying about a confused dog who thinks he sees a possum in a tree. The problem is that the possum is actually in a different tree so the dog barks up the wrong tree. American education is constantly playing both dog and possum. Sometimes they are the prey, and sometimes they are just confused about what and where the prey is.…

The study of metaphor involves numerous fields in recent history from cognitive neuroscience to linguistics. Visual metaphor research occupies an underrepresented area of inquiry. With the development of the cognitive sciences, a cognitive view of metaphoric thinking is emerging. This calls for a reconsideration of visual metaphor in the…

An important outcome of Singapore's education system is the development of creative thinking skills. This project investigates the impact of a creative dance unit on a class of Primary One (seven-year-old) children's usage of bodily kinaesthetic intelligence to solve problems. One key objective was for the researchers to observe something new,…

Although film and video archives are abundant and inexpensive and contain stories of leaders from a variety of occupations and historical periods, teachers of graduate-level educational administration courses rarely use them in their classrooms. This paper describes the advantages of using film/video as a teaching tool; in particular, its…

A response-based pedagogy encourages the exploration of multiple perspectives regarding literary works and student construction of defensible interpretations of the same, with the quality of students' critical and creative thinking being the focus of assessment. The National Center for Research on Literature Teaching and Learning's ongoing…

Customer service is a vital part of library service. The reference interview remains a key element in assisting library patrons with information needs. This book shows librarians how to combine creativity with professional expertise in reference interviews, to provide quality customer service and satisfy patrons. The book is divided into 11…

This guide encourages a learning environment that allows for creativity. Creative theory, assessment, and talent identification information is given. Student activities are presented to encourage creative problem solving, dispel myths and misunderstandings about creativity, provide exercises in brainstorming, creative thinking, and making cross…

This book consists of creative drama activities that introduce, review, and reinforce content material across the curriculum. Step-by-step procedural outlines and actual scripts are included. Chapter 1, "An Overview," presents a definition of creative drama, describes the benefits of using it in the classroom, and outlines suggestions and…

This book presents a research-based, three-sided, educational framework for incorporating picture books into the classroom. The triad integrates creative arts, cognitive skills, and learning styles. The purpose of the book is to provide a format that invites and encourages intermediate and middle school teachers and students to explore the rich…

Instruction should be designed to incorporate learning theories that explain how intellectual skills are developed. Through these appropriate learning theories, students learn to think conceptually, critically, and creatively when analyzing situations, developing solutions to problems, and learning from their experiences. Several critical issues…