Suggests methods of teaching about the voyages of Columbus to develop students' knowledge and cognitive skills. Presents five keys to accuracy and balance in teaching about Columbus: emphasize biological and cultural exchange; apply the major geographic themes; examine events in their historical context; present multiple viewpoints; and use…

Describes the use of DIALOG and Classmate by students at McDowell High School (Texas). Requirements for accessing DIALOG are explained; methods of teaching using DIALOG are described, including planning search strategy and the use of small groups; and problems are reviewed, including supervision time, cost, and limited accessibility. (three…

Studies how an urban school, the George A. Lewis Middle School, of the Roxbury section of Boston (Massachusetts) is changing its reputation. Under the process of controlled choice, the school is an example of how teacher professionalization can be a force for overall school improvement. (SLD)

Responds to a college student's criticism of a professor's grading policies and teaching methods, considering political correctness and the meaning of grades. An underlying concern is the issue of the teacher's homosexuality. Argues that the student's letter is symptomatic of the college's attempt to suppress oppositional pedagogy. (SLD)

Describes Thinking Mathematics, a research-based approach to teaching mathematics. Value is placed on thinking and communicating mathematically and using what is known to find the unknown. The program requires teachers to rethink their beliefs and assumptions about teaching and learning mathematics. Examples of program implementation are given.…

Compares two groups of high school social studies teachers to determine how their attitudes and beliefs about instruction inform their practice in promoting higher order thinking among students. Measures teacher performance across 10 dimensions of classroom thoughtfulness based on Fred Newmann's work. Finds an important link between teachers'…

Describes a year-long elective film course in modern U.S. history for twelfth grade students. Explains course methodology and objectives. Analyzes selected films to illustrate how the course elucidates the consensus-conflict theme in U.S. history since the 1930s and enhances student understanding of Hollywood's perspective on gender, race, and…

Reports on a controlled experiment that tested the effectiveness of a multimedia method of instruction using a hypermedia-based program and interactive video against two alternative methods--traditional instruction and regular computer-assisted instruction--in a political science course at Northwestern University. Evaluation of the experiment and…

The use of strategies is an important part of mathematical thinking. Presented are several games that help develop the reasoning strategies of hypothesis making and testing, proving and disproving, looking for patterns, and simplifying a difficult task. (MDH)

Provides excerpts from videotaped dialogue between two third grade students and their interactions with their teacher while solving a counting problem to describe student thinking and communication during the task. Discusses the teachers' role in the dialogue and implications for classroom practice. (MDH)

The factorial validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the equivalence of factorial measurements and structure across groups were studied for 163 intermediate-grade teachers, 162 secondary school teachers, and 218 university teachers in Canada. Reasons why the MBI may not be appropriate for university educators are discussed. (SLD)

This study determined whether experts in special education transition services perceived a need for a common theoretical model and core set of outcome variables for follow-along research at the state level, evaluated a model for use in follow-along studies, and suggested research questions to be measured in a common format across statewide…

Presents integrated activities for mathematics and biology appropriate for various levels from grades five through eight. Explores interesting aspects of human fingernails and hair growth and their mathematical relationship to time. Provides suggestions to integrate the activities with technology. (MDH)

Study investigated the effectiveness of four instructional strategies on secondary students' argumentative writing, noting how different essay qualities influenced holistic scoring. Researchers found no significant differences in instructional strategy effectiveness or use of holistic scoring. Students' prior knowledge affected their ability to…

The old era of educational assessment and reasons for its demise are described. The new era will be different and will present four challenges to the assessment community: (1) new assessment targets; (2) technical challenges of alternative assessments; (3) demystifying assessment and evaluation; and (4) reexamining assessment priorities. (SLD)