This paper describes how a fourth grade class at a Canadian laboratory school used an approach to knowledge building that had students participating as intentional learners as they specialized in interest groups for their study of light. It examines how, later in the year, the goal of building collective knowledge became the focus for this group…

This paper analyzes the study of the impact of recent changes in the curriculum and enrollment policies on the academic achievement of ninth graders at Hartford Public High School (HPHS), Connecticut. The most notable recent changes include establishment of the Academy for Excellence and Career Exploration for ninth graders and the…

This study examines the preliminary results of a 5-year national study on creating communities of learners, provides findings from teachers and principals at 20 schools, analyzes characteristics of high- and low-readiness schools, and discusses the interaction of leadership, vision, values, and the conditions required for professional learning…

This study described the effects of a course on cooperative learning (CL) for student teachers. The course was conducted at two teacher education colleges in The Netherlands. Data collection included observation of the desired CL teaching behaviors and elementary students' engagement rates during cooperative activities; surveys of preservice…

This paper describes cooperative learning strategies to increase high school and middle school students' motivation for doing well in school. The targeted population consisted of middle school students in a physical education and science classes, and high school students in science, technology, and special education classes. Both schools are…

This collection of eight lesson plans is designed to assist teachers in providing mathematics instruction to elementary and secondary education students with different types of disabilities. The lessons use tactics for teaching mathematics content derived from Lovitt (1995), who summarized techniques found to be effective in increasing the…

This paper provides an overview of the Voyager Expanded Learning programs. Initially begun with hands-on, activity-based learning experiences centered around academic themes designed to pique children's interest and motivate them to learn, Voyager has expanded from elementary after- and summer-school programs to include K-8 programs designed for…

In learning a second language, an important threshold has been crossed when authentic, extended communication with native speakers becomes possible. At that point, the learner is able to take a proactive role in interactions, gaining at least some real control over the topic, course, and purpose of a conversation. Training in attending skills set…

A study examined the participation of K-12 teachers from an urban school district in ongoing reform efforts, initiated under Massachusetts' 1993 Education Reform Act. The study's purpose was to identify the initial factors underlying changes in teacher attitudes, factors encouraging use of a new educational model, and the impact of reforms on…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to speaking to an audience or interact with a group. It begins with reference…

This report intends to describe a program designed to enhance reading comprehension. Reading comprehension relies on skills that enable students to remember facts, draw out main ideas, make inferences, and relate reading to personal experiences. The focus group consisted of middle and high school students in a metropolitan area in northern…

This paper addresses the question of how to qualify a knowledge building dialogue in Web-based collaborative learning. It investigates the idea of qualifying the dialogue through grading requirements and through providing students with meta-awareness around their dialogue. The paper investigates and analyzes the changes in quality of student…

This research brief discusses two reading instruction models for teaching secondary school students with disabilities. The first, Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), is designed specifically for students with learning disabilities and students who are at risk of reading failure. This strategy adapts reciprocal reading and incorporates…

This report describes a program for increasing student reading motivation through the use of cooperative learning activities, differentiating reading instruction, and active reading strategies. The students of the targeted second, fourth, sixth and eighth grade classes exhibited a reluctance to read that interfered with academic growth. Probable…

The report describes a program to improve students social skills and level of responsibility. The targeted eighth and ninth grade students are located in two communities in northwestern Illinois. The problem of students exhibiting a lack of social skills and responsibility had been documented by student discipline referrals, anecdotal records,…