This book is designed to provide teachers with numerous ideas about how to infuse mathematics and writing into their classroom in creative and challenging ways and to encourage students to visualize, speak, and write about math. The activities described here can help students communicate mathematically and realize that there is more to math than…

Adjunct professors are used widely to teach the great number of elementary composition courses for freshmen. Too often, they are underpaid, overworked, and undertrained. One sad result of this is that the experience for students in these classes varies from class to class as novice teachers cast about for a way of handling a writing curriculum…

This activity book serves as a primer on population dynamics and environmental impacts. It is designed to show young students their connections to other people, all living things, and the environment that surrounds them. While the kit is designed for use with students in grades 1-6, many of the activities are more appropriate for upper elementary…

A study compared the effectiveness of collaborative teaching and the more traditional skills based approach to remedial reading instruction. The Descriptive Test of Language Skills (DTLS) was used as a placement/exit test and a pre/posttest instrument. Two instructors taught a total of 50 subjects (who were good decoders but poor comprehenders) in…

The institutional goals of improving academic achievement and increasing persistence warrant consideration of the college classroom environment, with specific attention to the factors associated with actively involving students in the learning experience. This study sought to determine the effects of a cooperative learning environment on academic…

Graduate students studying personnel evaluation were each assigned to interview three professionals regarding their experiences with personnel evaluation. Five interview questions, common across the 12 class members, were supplied. In class, students were formed into groups, a chairperson and recorder were selected for each group, and an agenda…

This book presents a logical problem-solving process and contains many tools and techniques to help groups identify, analyze, and solve problems successfully. It is meant to be used by anyone engaged in this activity whether they be facilitators, leaders, or members of problem-solving groups, or managers who have an interest in the problem-solving…

This study examined the effects of two variations of the Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) on university students. STAD is a system of cooperative learning which features small heterogeneous teams of 4-6 members who tutor each other on the material in the course and prepare each other for weekly quizzes. Students take the quizzes…

In carrying out a successful writing workshop, careful attention must be given to the proper role and function of the teacher. Research indicates the power of extended peer response to writing and the benefits of writers talking with their peers about their writing. To construct more specific guidelines for the function of teachers in writing…

Collaborative work fits the cognitive learning style of most college students, and provides opportunities for students to learn how to become responsible and valuable members of groups. A collaborative research paper was used in an undergraduate survey course called Introduction to Drama. In groups of four, students wrote a paper discussing a play…

Noting that poetry reading and writing can be arduous or self-fulfilling for children, this paper presents guidelines, activities, and a list of suggested books for enhancing poetry appreciation. Guidelines presented in the paper for poetry reading include: read poetry aloud every day to help children understand the rhythm and music of the form;…

This action research project involved the implementation and evaluation of a program to increase use of appropriate social skills among third-grade students. The problem of inadequate social skills was documented by means of teacher observations and notice of misbehavior forms. Probable causes for students' lack of social skills were concluded to…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an experiential form of learning centered around the collaborative investigation and resolution of "messy, real-world" problems. This book offers opportunities to learn about problem-based learning from the perspectives of teachers, students, parents, administrators, and curriculum developers. Chapter 1 tells…

This paper reports on the Curry CONNECT project at the University of Virginia, a Web-based discussion group that links preservice teachers with graduate inservice teachers and apprenticing administrators. Using content, survey, and interview data collected from the discussion postings and student feedback, a qualitative analysis is presented,…

This project paper described a program for increasing reading comprehension. The targeted population consisted of sixth grade students at River Bend Elementary School in a middle class community located in western Illinois. The problem of a steady decline in reading comprehension was documented by the Illinois Goals Assessment Program, Iowa Tests…