Analyzes ways in which an experienced physics teacher uses questioning to guide student thinking during a benchmark discussion on measurement. Proposes that teachers may shift toward more reflective discourse by asking questions that help students clarify their meanings, consider various points of view, and monitor their own thinking. (Author/DKM)

Describes a first-year college composition course and the daily preparatory writing assignments, "inquiry response papers," that form its core. Describes how these assignments, in which students respond to their homework reading, have led to a collaborative, dialogic classroom where students realize and express their own voices, and have fostered…

Investigates the scope and nature of tasks demanding students' application of higher order thinking skills while studying biology in junior and senior high schools in Israel. Contains 29 references. (DDR)

Explains why high-level verbal interaction is the key to learning in collaborative groups. Discusses influences on high-level verbal interaction in collaborative groups, including prior achievement, friendships, and status and expectations. Notes ways that teachers can train students in high-level verbal interactions. (SR)

Offers a case study of three 11th-grade students who viewed tapes of their class discussions and commented on their own involvement. Argues that students are silent for wide-ranging reasons; that students who are quiet may be learning; and that teachers should consider multiple means to spur students' thinking. Lists ways to help students speak…

Analyzes talk among students on videotaped recordings from a teaching sequence on the particle model. Emphasizes the role of two types of discourse and epistemological and ontological obstacles in the construction of scientific meanings in the classroom. Contains 41 references. (DDR)

Provides information about Alexander Cameron Rutherford, a provincial politician. Includes a letter written by Rutherford in 1912 that provides insights into his responsibilities to the general public, information about Rutherford himself, the economic conditions of Alberta, Canada in 1912, and information about the individual to whom it was…

Discusses bibliotherapy and suggests supportive knowledge as a better term for use in school libraries. Describes experiments in two Israeli schools that developed a self-help section in the libraries and showed an increase in reading, open discussion among students and librarians, and collaboration between school administrators, teachers, and…

This article describes a new technique for improving the reading comprehension of elementary students. The Coop-Dis-Q technique combines cooperative learning, discussion, and questioning strategies to create a synergistic instructional effect. The specific steps of the technique and successful use of the technique in a fifth-grade classroom are…

'Structured Controversy' (SC) is a cooperative learning activity where students, working in small groups, argue one side of an issue and then another side of the same issue in two Rounds. Discussion includes: organizing the activity; evaluation; and positive results. Students reported a high degree of satisfaction with the SC activity and were…

Discusses the value of cooperative learning in higher education and presents a case study of how Towson University used computer technology to develop a Web-based project that allowed students to collaborate across disciplines. Describes the use of online discussion groups, multimedia, and hypertext to facilitate cooperative learning and…

Recounts a teacher's experience at the week-long IFTE (International Federation of Teachers of English) conference at New York University, which attempted to help educators respond to conservative criticism of educational pedagogical approaches and trends. Describes a small group experience. (TB)

At Mount Royal College (Alberta), the perceptions of enrolled college students are seen as an important part of academic program review, but identification of appropriate scheduling of meetings may be difficult. The solution found was to obtain faculty assistance in selecting students and to schedule focus groups as breakfast meetings, which…

Posttraumatic stress is an occupational hazard for certain high-risk groups such as personnel in emergency services, public safety, and disaster response. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) represents a structured group intervention designed for the mitigation of posttraumatic stress. Provides an introduction to and an overview of the CISD…

Playing make believe (metaphoric play) with elementary students can promote very real conversations about art. The paper explains how metaphoric play can help teach art. After collecting familiar art (posters, storybook art, etc.), the teacher creates reality-based scenarios to promote talk, then encourages students on to more far-fetched…