Presents ways to incorporate discussion of the lives of famous scientists into the classroom. Suggests a monthly focus on a different scientist with students researching each subject and using the information in a poster or timeline project toward the end of the year. (DDR)

Students who received higher grades in videotaped agriculture courses (of a total population of 143) spent less time studying, more time viewing tapes, were more field independent, and viewed tapes as they were received instead of as time permitted. (SK)

Metaphors are guiding images that influence one's approach to problem solving. Experiential learning is a process of metaphor change; the task of educators is to facilitate development of new metaphors that generate new potential when old metaphors don't work. Discusses stages of metaphor development, creating an open learning space, and…

Studies a teacher's role and actions in a science learning community. Interprets two teaching episodes that illustrate how the teacher helps a group of students transform their understanding of electrical circuits. Contains 26 references. (DDR)

Examines the problem solving characteristics, strategy selection and use, and verification actions of African-American eighth-grade students (N=24). Indicates that students displayed approaches attributed to African-American learners, specifically the regular use of holistic reasoning. Concludes that success was correlated highly with strategy…

Outlines a class project in which students explore characteristics of paper towels and paper towel advertising. Students design a variety of experiments related to paper towels and their claims. Provides four activities. (DDR)

Describes a procedure based on the assumption that during the rated lifetime of a light bulb roughly half of the radius of the filament evaporates. Explains how the filament's operating temperature can be deduced. (DDR)

Effective adventure programming is explained in terms of the "significant learning" experience, involving periods of tension, questioning, and transfer during personal and social learning. Adventure programming that is supportive, adaptive, and properly sequenced maximizes the potential of significant learning. Trust- and…

Reports the findings of a study investigating the learning preferences of two cohorts: the Baby Boomers and the Generation Xers. Finds that the differences in learning between the two groups profoundly impact the tasks of educators, and asserts that teachers need to be trained regarding the different learning styles and teaching strategies. (NB)

Examines and describes first-grade children's development of strategic processes for detecting and correcting errors, problem solving difficult or novel words, and confirming responses in order to be successful as they participated in Reading Recovery instruction, as opposed to simply increasing "item" knowledge (i.e., identifying more…

Proposes a framework for thinking about how metacognition research might apply to design activities. Examines two basic approaches to supporting metacognition: strategy training, and creation of a supportive social environment for metacognition. Identifies two kinds of content that are taught using these two approaches: knowledge about a specific…

Describes a course on the use of technologies for learning that studies the World Wide Web, multimedia, communication and collaboration software, tutoring systems, virtual reality, and other new digital technologies. Explores what educators are beginning to learn from this investigation of the past and future of learning technologies through use…

Describes the use of technology audits to help schools investigate, document, and communicate the results, benefits, and effectiveness of technology in preparing learners for the future. Discusses a continuum of technology utilization, partnerships in audit services, and focusing on the results of and accountability for the use of technology. (LRW)

Discusses the need to understand the interplay between children's developing mathematical conceptions and mathematical structures in order to understand what it means to teach differently and create opportunities for children to learn a different mathematics, focusing on reform in mathematics education, social situations and shared meanings,…

Describes a strategy to help students learn how to make detailed observations. Emphasizes making productive observations using complete, detailed, accurate statements or pictures. (SAH)