This article presents a study on how to improve the quality of Year 1 children's mathematical talk. Using a dictaphone, the children were recorded as they worked with their partner. Later, the children's responses were marked against a checklist of three types of talk: (1) disputational; (2) cumulative; and (3) exploratory. Throughout the study…

This article focuses on findings from the author's dissertation study on 100 teachers (K-12) from 13 states, who were beginning a video-based distance learning Master's Program at a western United States university during summer term 2000. The purpose of the study was to find out if a specially designed orientation booklet of activities that…

This article examines the key concepts of active learning, metacognition, and transfer of knowledge, as put forth by the National Research Council's approach to the new science of learning, in relation to ways that E-Learning applications might improve learning both inside and outside the classroom. Several initiatives are highlighted to…

This article systematically reviews research on elementary reading programs for English language learners and other language-minority students. It focuses on studies that compared experimental and control groups on quantitative reading measures. Among beginning reading models, research supported structured, phonetic programs emphasizing language…

The purpose of this article is to provide readers with several suggestions and ideas for promoting meaning and meaningfulness for middle school students in physical education based on their unique developmental characteristics. To help physical educators create movement experiences that are meaningful for middle school students, the author…

This article describes the results of a study of a concept model for optimizing contact time between the Geography educator and the student teacher within a learner-centered teaching paradigm. A quasi-experimental time series approach was used in order to change aspects of the model as the research progressed. Changes to the model were made on the…

A within-subject pretest-posttest comparison design was used to explore the effectiveness of a planning and writing intervention in improving the argumentative writing performance of five fourth-grade students with learning disabilities. Students were taught to collaboratively plan and revise their essays and independently write their essays using…

A major challenge for education and educational research is to build on our present understanding of learning for designing environments for education that are conducive to fostering in students self-regulatory and cooperative learning skills, transferable knowledge, and a disposition toward competent thinking and problem solving. Taking into…

Educators who are successful with black students build good relationships with children, pay attention to social contexts, and learn about other cultures.

Using socioconstructivism as a theoretical framework, this study investigated the ways in which classrooms that used peer learning groups influenced students' goals. Specifically, my goal was to examine collaborative learning as a process that may influence individuals' social and achievement goals. After confirming that 2 sixth-grade math…

This packet includes reprints of journal articles and other resources pertaining to cooperative learning strategies in small, rural schools. The four sections of the packet cover introduction to cooperative learning, examples of how team strategies and cooperative learning can be used, issues such as program evaluation and public relations, and…

In response to the poor achievement, negative attitudes, and anxiety of limited-English-proficient (LEP) ninth-grade students (n=90) in science classes, a cooperative learning approach to instruction was adopted. In an effort coordinated with teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), the students were assigned to cooperative…

This resource book represents shared experiences of Project LINCS' (Lead teachers INvolved in making ConnectionS) teachers and staff in addressing the question, "Are we teaching mathematics so that all students will be empowered to use it flexibly, insightfully, and productively?" and other fundamental questions that are driving change…

This paper summarizes a report entitled "Effective Programs for Students At Risk: A Sourcebook" by the Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools (CREMS) at Johns Hopkins University. Based on a survey of research on services to at-risk students, the CREMS report identified programs that improved the academic performance of…

A literature-based reading program was introduced to 98 students in 5 second-grade classrooms in an urban school district with a socioeconomic status ranging from middle class to disadvantaged. Students were primarily African American or Hispanic. Of the total, 22% had previously been classified as "at risk" as determined by state regulations. The…