In the current state of social studies education, field trips are being cut from many schools' curriculum. While not a true substitution, today's technologies provide some opportunities through virtual field trips (VFTs) to simulate these experiences, engage students in knowledge production and disciplined inquiry, and have interactions with the…

This paper describes the design of an educational module which aims to raise awareness and change the attitudes of elementary school students about focal endangered species in protected areas. The proposed design builds on, and extends the General Teaching Model. The educational module which was developed through this approach was pilot-tested in…

This article presents an interdisciplinary approach to course redesign that enhanced student learning across all six categories in Dee Fink's taxonomy. A meta-analysis of the results provides evidence that integrated course design produces significant learning. In this article, the authors tell four connected stories: (1) how Fink's book,…

In this article, the author describes how she used integrated course design to design a course that would help special education teachers satisfy the "Highly Qualified Teacher" (HQT) requirement established by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in the area of English/language arts. The approach she chose was based on principles advanced by Fink…

I investigated the instructional pattern for the teaching of language at the elementary school level in Chile. The data were obtained from analyzing videos filmed for a teaching assessment system implemented by the Chilean Government. The system identified four levels of teacher competence. I treated these levels of competence as an independent…

Objective: The authors argue that adopting evidence-based psychiatry will require a paradigm shift in the training of psychiatry residents, and offer some suggestions for how this transformation might be achieved. Methods: The authors review the growing literature that addresses how best to teach evidence-based medicine and highlight several…

Outlines an approach for introducing students to Community Social Work by use of clear, engaging stated objectives. Approach is called the Learning Circle and was devised as a tool to enhance student participation and to stimulate networking, dialogue and conversation about social work commitment to community intervention and community-based…

The paper describes a teaching model of the atomic force microscope (AFM), which proved to be successful in the role of an introduction to nanoscience in high school. The model can demonstrate the two modes of operation of the AFM (contact mode and oscillating mode) as well as some basic principles that limit the resolution of the method. It can…

Shulman (1986, 1987) coined the term "pedagogical content knowledge" (PCK) to address what at that time had become increasingly evident--that content knowledge itself was not sufficient for teachers to be successful. Throughout the past two decades, researchers within the field of mathematics teacher education have been expanding the notion of PCK…

We investigated the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of nine experienced chemistry teachers. The teachers took part in a teacher training course on students' difficulties and the use of models in teaching acid-base chemistry, electrochemistry, and redox reactions. Two years after the course, the teachers were interviewed about their PCK of (1)…

This author discusses the relationship between the use of presentation software and the maintenance of student interest in university lectures. The evidence of surveyed university students suggests that PowerPoint, used as a presentation tool in university lectures, is pedagogically effective only while it provides variety and stimulates interest…

Filled with down-to-earth ideas, suggestions, strategies, and techniques, "The Co-Teaching Book of Lists" provides educators with a hands-on resource for making the co-teaching experience a success. Written by educator and popular teacher trainer Kathy Perez, this book gives educators a classroom-tested and user-friendly reference for the…

Traditional teaching styles practiced at universities do not generally suit all students' learning styles. For a variety of reasons, students do not always engage in learning in the courses in which they are enrolled. New methods to create and deliver educational material are available, but these do not always improve learning outcomes.…

The most effective pedagogies are those that foster students' metacognition and their learning effectiveness. This paper presents a new model of activity-based learning in which students construct knowledge using practices that include constructs of engagement, motivation, and affect that drive deeper processing and higher levels of metacognitive…

The vision for transforming the education of the nation's nearly four million teacher workforce presented in this report comes not from any one group but from a diverse group representing a broad range of perspectives. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and Partnerships for…