This study examined the influence of reflective journal writing, paired with inquiry-based science instruction, on preservice elementary teachers' beliefs about science and science teaching. Participants actively interacted with scientific ideas and phenomena in class. They kept daily reflection journals, reacting to statements from various…

What do solitude experiences offer in this increasingly high-speed, technically dependent world? As this book inspiringly reveals, solo quests can provide powerful reconnection with the natural world, the true self, and the great mystery beyond. As Parker Palmer writes in "To Know as We Are Known," "Solitude calls us to confront…

This paper provides Human Resource Development practitioners several methods for enhancing learning projects of new professionals preparing for certification or licensure. Implementation of these activities provides opportunities for new professionals to become more self-directed and therefore immersed in their own learning. While these activities…

To examine the utility of the "Systematic Self-Reflection" (SSR) process, a study investigated the effects of three levels of self-reflection--systematic, focused, and random--on problem solving and efficacy in 62 elementary school teachers. The study examined the application of four components of a problem-solving model (problem…

Based on the idea that good writing is developed with instruction, critique, and practice, this book, intended for teachers of grades 2-6, offers a comprehensive outline for guiding students to writing competence. For each month of the school year, the book gives sample daily sentences for primary and upper elementary grades, journal writing…

Discouraged and dissatisfied with their students' responses to a compilation of Arthurian legends, two ninth-grade teachers developed an approach to teaching the legends that exposes students to numerous versions (including those written and illustrated for children) of the legends and allows them to pick their own Arthurian legend for reading and…

A study examined the effects of daily journal writing on kindergarten children's phonics acquisition. At St. Joseph School in Carteret, New Jersey, 21 kindergartners kept daily journals in addition to normal classroom instruction over a period of 4 months, while the 20 kindergartners in another class received only the normal classroom phonics…

This report describes a literacy program that provides readers with materials and instructions that fit their individual levels of development. The targeted population consists of kindergarten students in a northwest suburb that is characterized by higher than average household earnings, highly educated residents, and a population encompassing all…

This book contains three essays on teaching outdoors about the natural world and engaging students in the natural and cultural history of their communities. An introduction, "To Learn from Wood and Stone" (Ann Zwinger), discusses the opportunities that arise when a teacher makes connections between the classroom world and the world…

This research project seeks to implement journaling as a means of improving oral communication in the classroom. The student population will consist of an elementary reading class, a junior high art class, and a high school math class. The probable cause literature gathered revealed a lack oral communication occurs in the classroom during…

This study investigates the influence of reflective journal writing paired with inquiry-based science instruction on preservice teachers' beliefs about science and science teaching. Students who enrolled in the integrated science course participated in journal writing and surveys. The course design was developed along educational change models…

This report describes a program for improving student abilities and attitudes toward writing through increased writing time and opportunities. The targeted population consists of second, third, fourth, and fifth grade students at the elementary level in a growing middle class community located in the northwest suburban area of Chicago, Illinois.…

Social studies teachers should consider ways in which personal experiences can enhance their teaching of world events. As more and varied travel opportunities are made available to educators through work-study tours and educational organizations, so too are the possibilities for making the travel experience a resource that can be a…

This paper describes how preservice teachers at Sweden's Linkoping University are prepared to become reflective practitioners. Students participate in a pedagogical seminar group that meets monthly. Within the group, they discuss matters important to all teachers and examine reflective texts that they had to write at the beginning of their teacher…

Many changes have occurred in techniques used to appraise student achievement in social studies, and these new approaches may put teachers in a better position to notice the progress of individual students and then plan for sequential learning. Some of the deficiencies of traditionally used standardized tests have been overcome through the use of…