Finds the presentation assignment to be an effective method of providing students with the opportunity to apply the literacy skills they are learning in ways that are personally meaningful. Describes the presentation assignment framework and provides an example of an assignment that required students to analyze and interpret works of literature…

Examines the effect of group size in problem-based learning on the problem-solving skill, self-directedness, and technical knowledge of 72 students in a dental education program. Discusses results of pretests and posttests, students' reactions, and implications for instructional design. (Contains 34 references.) (Author/LRW)

Reflects on teaching Shakespeare in secondary school. Finds it is possible to see in a set of classroom practices an alternative model of reading, a notion of collaborative, negotiated making of meaning. Gives student responses as to why they would be studying Shakespeare. Reflects on their comments. (PA)

Reports on the construction and application of an innovative technique, the School Apperception Story Procedure (SASP). In this task, children select three school-thematic pictures and tell how these show ideal and worst types of school. Evaluates the SASP with data collected from a study of perceptions of school among children with and without…

Encourages students to slow down and to reflect upon what they had read. Focuses on the visual arts, particularly for their capacity to help move students from the concrete to the abstract. Notes that Lowry's (1993) novel "The Giver" particularly lent itself to this approach because its powerful visual imagery encourages readers to return to and…

To determine the effects of a service-learning experience, first year pharmacy students were surveyed on their perceptions regarding: (1) cultural diversity, the elderly, the poor, and the disabled; (2) community service and social support; and (3) their service learning assignment. The experience positively impacted their perceptions regarding…

Discusses the importance of aesthetic education in middle schools. Imagines a school as an aesthetic environment. Describes how several content area teachers have enhanced the learning of traditional content through aesthetic projects and activities. Notes students' enthusiastic response. Outlines a five-step approach to incorporate aesthetics…

Focuses on Likert-type questionnaires with "agree" or "approve" rating scales, and uses data from a think-aloud study involving nine university students to explore reactions to items involving incongruity. (Author/VWL)

Explores the kinds of literary understandings that become evident in African American second graders' unprompted oral and physical responses to "Malcolm X" and the cultural resources that children draw as they demonstrate these literary understandings. Concludes that discussion of multicultural literature can prompt the construction of…

This article discusses how fictional works can give a purposeful context and an appropriate venue for developing essential social studies concepts in middle-school students. The author uses the example of a National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) notable book, "Jason's Gold" that blends history with story to become historical…

The first days of any teacher's career leave indelible memories of trials and errors, successes and failures, and efforts to get to know one's students. No matter how many years one teaches, those first students in those first classes stand apart in a teacher's mind. In this article, the author shares his insights and realizations regarding his…

We developed a computerized game designed around principles shown to improve classroom performance and experience: multimedia, practice testing, vivid instructional techniques, and in-class participation. Students compete as 2 teams, and the game plays like Jeopardy meets Hollywood Squares with learning outcomes. Our evaluation indicated that the…

The research on students-as-responders in high school writing classes alters the teachers' responsibility to define for students and themselves just what they mean by response and urges them to look closely at what they have to do to prepare students to become good responders. The responses made by high school students during peer reviewing are…

In many elementary calculus textbooks in use today, the definition of a "smooth curve" is slightly ambiguous from the students' perspective. Even when smoothness is defined carefully, there is a shortage of relevant exercises that would serve to elaborate on related subtle points which many students may find confusing. In this article, the authors…

Counselor educators and supervisors can enhance the group supervision process by intentionally selecting expressive arts activities designed to help supervisees develop personal awareness. Expressive arts activities also can serve to increase group understanding and cohesion. The authors provide a rationale for using expressive arts in…