Describes grade-appropriate weekly activities designed to appeal directly to students by giving them open-ended questions. Activities may be worked on individually, in pairs, or in small groups. This particular set of activities focuses on stories from literature involving measurement, earning money, marketing a product, and setting up a…

Examined is the situation in which pupils invent mathematics on their own and teachers' reactions to this situation. The assimilation of students' original ideas into correct mathematical concepts is discussed. (CW)

Discusses the importance of creative thinking in the geography classroom. Suggests that such thinking can be achieved through the integration of content and creative problem solving. Describes a seventh grade world geography class activity which illustrates this integration. Steps for applying the activity are given and student efforts are…

Examines the issues surrounding the implementation of thinking skills programs in public school curricula. Seeks to classify thinking skills, to provide options for selection of an instructional framework, and to suggest guidelines for teacher training in thinking skills curricula. (SR)

Offers strategies which preschool teachers can use to facilitate children's problem-solving skills through play in the context of the Play and Problem-Solving Model. Discusses the clues children give teachers when they need help and what kind of help children need to solve problems. (BB)

Prior studies indicate that, given time to develop their own algorithms, primary students will process multidigit addition or subtraction problems from left to right. Gives evidence to support that idea, describes methods of getting students to invent their own algorithms, and discusses advantages of child-invented procedures. (21 references) (MDH)

This article describes a new curriculum for reversing self-defeating tendencies in secondary level youth with disabilities by building skills in areas such as communication, self-understanding, creative thinking, and problem solving. The curriculum, Self Determination: The Road to Personal Freedom, focuses on development of eight skills. (DB)

Discusses difficulties faced by left-handed children in everyday schoolwork. Highlights include right-handed bias of toys, clothing, and tools; the need for guidance in handwriting; problem areas including domestic science, arts and crafts, and metal and woodwork; left-hand advantages in sports and creative arts; and the European Left-Handers Club…

Among 150 eleventh grade American Indian students, those attending urban high schools were significantly more creative than reservation students on 5 of 7 variables of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, Figural Form B. There was no significant difference between groups in academic achievement. Contains approximately 100 references. (SV)

Gifted elementary students at the Center for Gifted Education in Columbia, Missouri, participated in a seminar designed to teach them the fundamentals of chess and other strategy board games. Students learned that beginning chess is accessible to everyone, learned problem solving and concentration, and created their own strategy board games. (JDD)

Presents the study of feminist utopian literature as a means to achieving three goals of feminist education: valuing self-disclosure and personal knowledge; encouraging innovative thinking transcending the traditional world view; and fostering critical awareness and community learning. Provides a selected bibliography of women's utopian fiction.…

Problem-solving strategies which use reflective thinking and inference in mathematics are discussed. Examples are provided with discussions of the learning process. The advantages of this approach are stressed. (CW)

Although increased attention to testing has resulted in improved guidelines for measuring skills and interpreting test results, educators are confused about certain testing problems and appropriate ameliorative strategies. Changing from multiple-choice formats to authentic performances will not reform education. Highly valuable outcomes such as…

The article suggests a method for organizing the research on teaching thinking and provides examples of indicators of teacher performance within various domains (hypothesis testing, argument assessment, problem solving, probabilistic thinking, and flexibility). Examples of empirical evidence supporting each indicator are included. (SM)

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…