Presents five cross-curricular activities involving student snapshots that are designed to keep students motivated. Activities include creating a class book with teacher and student photographs, making photo magnets using frozen juice can tops, developing a first-week word wall with students' names and photographs, and creating a post office with…

It is widely assumed that the theatre, particularly theatre for children, can and should teach. It is also widely assumed that the theatre can and does do harm, real harm, especially to children. And it is universally assumed that even if the theatre does not teach, it should do no harm. This author believes that these assumptions are true: that…

Asking children to use a dictionary without discussion to expand their vocabularies is uninteresting, unnatural and unwarranted. This type of assignment requests that the student teach him or herself. Directing students with words without showing them what to do is quite difficult. Asking them to do it independently without observing a model is…

The usage of poetry for learning mathematics is discussed. Formula poetry involves repetition instead of rhyme and is thus useful in understanding mathematical concepts.

Teaching has often been thought of as a creative performance. Although comparisons with performance were originally intended to emphasize teacher creativity, they have become associated instead with contemporary reform efforts toward scripted instruction that deny the creativity of teachers. Scripted instruction is opposed to constructivist,…

The purpose of this book is to make the teaching and learning of history a powerful and enjoyable experience in the classroom, changing the often-cited boring image of history for students and offering teachers an opportunity to go beyond the regular textbook. The book focuses on: (1) Varied active teaching ideas; (2) Ideas on how to get students…

Students' and lecturers' perceptions of own effectiveness and creativity as teachers are compared, using a survey questionnaire with a sample of 854 students and 254 lecturers of a higher education institution, together with interviews and class observations of lecturers who were selected as examples of creative teaching. Results indicate that…

Using life-affirming values as a starting point, authors conducted action research to investigate ways of enabling pupils to experience freedom of choice, and to participate creatively in class activities, thus allowing them to begin to enjoy the subject of agriculture. The research problem was: How to encourage pupils to independently and freely…

It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them. Educators are very serious about education in CES schools. However, in their earnest attempts to engage students in meaningful and thought-provoking work or dialogue, is it possible…

Using the "Boxed Voices" project as one way to connect traditional and non-traditional literacies, the author examines her work with preservice and inservice teachers (university students) as they develop and sustain collaborative, literate learning communities. In her multiliteracy process, the author takes the reader from theory to practice as…

It was the perfect Halloween project. Each class would construct a three-dimensional "monster" out of common classroom materials (construction paper, cardboard boxes, tape, markers, glue, string, etc.), then write down instructions for building the monster and send them off to another class in the district, or in some other district, or even some…

Most teachers' classroom experiences likely confirm that "fractions have always represented a considerable challenge for students, even into the middle grades" (Van de Walle 2004, p. 242). Because both movement and music enhance learning and retention of academic content (Jenson 2000), we developed a series of lessons that integrated kinesthetic…

This article describes a take-home literacy project in which kindergartners took home books, a stuffed animal, a camera, and a shared writing activity to complete with their families. The children later shared their writing and experiences in school. The resulting written responses and photographs depicted a level of involvement with the families…

SOME CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS OF THE TAPE RECORDER ARE DISCUSSED, WITH SECTIONS ON THE CARE, USE, AND SELECTION OF TAPE RECORDING EQUIPMENT ACCESSORIES. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FROM WOLLENSAK-3M COMPANY ATTENTION--CREATIVE TEACHING WITH TAPE, 2501 HUDSON ROAD, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 55119. (MS)