Notes that at the school level and in the classroom, English educators can lead the way in open discussion, particularly discussion about books such as the Harry Potter series. Offers a seven-step framework as a way to begin an open discussion. Concludes that the framework acknowledges those concerns and provides a voice for them while also…

Uses a relational approach to teach about race showing how it effects whites as well as people of color. Reveals differences in attitudes and feelings on race and age. Uses answers from nine questions submitted by each student as a basis for lecture and guided classroom discussion. (DAJ)

Discussion of reflective teaching to bridge the gap between theory and practice focuses on incorporating reflective teaching in online teacher education classes for inservice teachers. Highlights include discussion roles; longitudinal reflection papers; instructor self-storying reflections; tandem learning reflections; critical incident…

Examines and identifies students' mental models of an abstract mathematical concept regarding intuition. Observes how students think reflectively on their mental models in a whole-class discussion in terms of logical thinking. (DDR)

Reviews the growth of literature study as an open-ended enterprise for student growth and discussion. Critiques new directions in literature study among children. Explains basic ideas behind the authors' recommendation for literature study. (TB)

A teacher of middle school deaf students describes the use of literature study circles to encourage reading. The study circles encourage self-selection of reading materials, build a sense of community, help students to learn open-ended group discussion techniques, and foster thinking skills. (DB)

Discusses the dominant paradigm for analyzing interactions, Conversation Analysis (CA), pointing out that the paradigm does not include participant intention in its analysis. Notes that CA practitioners focus on empirical investigations of what the participants are doing and how they are doing it and that the understanding of an utterance is…

Presents historical background about the path to universal suffrage and voting rights for all U.S. citizens. Addresses reasons citizens do not use their right to vote. Asserts the importance of democracy and discusses this ideal. Includes questions for discussion. (CMK)

Features of a web-based learning environment for physicians included the following: balance between content richness and bandwidth; shared knowledge and interaction using actual cases; constructivist approach to develop basic cases into advanced cases for reflection and interaction. Evaluation of the program showed comparable participation rates…

Examines the performance and construction of subjectivities of four early adolescent, sixth-grade girls as they read and discussed a novel about two adolescent Mexican children seeking a new life in America. Suggests they engaged in ongoing construction of their subjectivities as they interacted with the text and each other. Notes the girls…

Notes that adolescent readers view characters in young adult novels as living and wrestling with real problems close to their own life experiences as teens. Reviews recent studies related to teaching literature and adolescent identity construction. Offers a framework teachers can use to initiate discussions based on critical literacy in their own…

Examines how students construct shared understanding by exploring what interactive and discursive tools students use in their collaboration. Presents observations made during a series of innovative mathematics lessons in an eighth grade Dutch primary school classroom. (CMK)

This article discusses ways that educators can encourage critical thinking in their students, including gifted children. Strategies include: questioning students to encourage critical thinking; developing and prizing creative thinking as a partner to critical thinking; and realizing that if students can learn critical thinking skills, so can they.…

Examines the relationship between online professional development, knowledge management, and electronic learning based on an online discussion in a graduate course in instructional technology. Discusses changing definitions of professional development and how it is now being evaluated through measures of school and student improvement. (LRW)

Studies the importance of both debate discussion and general political discussion in predicting political cognition. Finds that political conversations with others leads to much learning, controlling for effects of education, gender, political interest and media use. (MG)