Interviews with six academically gifted students at Antioch College (Ohio) examined how Antioch's experiential learning program, which alternates study semesters with full-time work semesters, identified three themes: recognition of the responsibility for one's own learning; unique challenges made possible by experiential learning; and learning…

Children's visual literacy can be enhanced by focusing their attention on aspects of the natural or built environment in the local community. Two activities use photographs and field trips to provide the building blocks of visual literacy: challenging activities, inquiry and problem solving, curiosity and the unexpected, and culture-based…

Presents six case studies of EARTHWATCH expeditions which provide teachers with opportunities to work with scientists, participate in scientific discovery, and employ new technology. Educators join EARTHWATCH teams to explore tropical and dry forests, monitor ecosystems and species, unearth remains, and consequently develop innovative classroom…

Presents an overview of the evolution of experiential instruction theory and practice from its popular emergence in the late 1960s through the present. Simulations, games, and other experience-based instructional methods have had a substantial impact on teaching concepts and applications during this period, and have influenced traditional…

Educational programs that teach agricultural practices, health care, or technology in developing nations can be complemented by adventure education. Adventure education can foster the social skills that enable people to cooperate, take initiative, and solve problems, and thereby contribute to their country's development. Arguments against the…

Seventh- and eighth-grade students in a small Vermont town publish a community newspaper. Students learn writing skills, organizing, meeting deadlines, computer skills, problem solving, production skills, and much about their community while meeting Vermont's academic cross-disciplinary standards. Teacher comments describe the 3-year development…

Addresses the cooperation between the Centre for Canadian Contemporary Art (CCCA) and Confederation High School in Nepean (Ontario) focusing on student involvement within the CCCA project. Highlights the students' efforts to promote the CCCA's corporate image by creating a logo for letterheads, envelopes, and business cards. (CMK)

States that strategic out-of-school learning opportunities (home assignments) can enrich social studies learning by providing for life applications of what is taught in school. Describes how to create a curricular unit, the purposes and functions of home assignments, and the parental involvement initiated because of these assignments. (CMK)

Students from Canadian University College (Alberta) take part in summer development projects overseas and gain practical education in the realities of life in underdeveloped countries. Students spend 6-8 weeks immersed in another culture; debriefing and reflection help students to process their experiences and reach greater understanding of…

Discusses the project approach in early childhood curriculum, a natural, teacher-supported companion to teacher-directed activities that develops basic skills and recognizes the child's need for hands-on experimentation to make learning meaningful. Describes the three phases of project approach: investigation, fieldwork, and display. Offers…

Describes a collaborative project called "Mystery from History" involving a rural Indiana elementary class and a computer education college class at Indiana University. Explains that the university students sent a mystery via e-mail to the elementary students in which they continued to send clues and questions until the mystery was…

Reviews the recent research on teaching and learning economics in the elementary classroom, such as whether children understand the economic world and correcting students' economic misconceptions. Maintains that students in elementary school are capable of learning and remembering economic concepts if they are taught in developmentally appropriate…

Describes a community-based research project that collaborated with the police department to survey female residents' attitudes toward the role of the police in handling domestic violence cases. Explains that this project provided students with the opportunity to directly experience the research process early in their undergraduate psychology…

Discusses how instructors working with at-risk students have effectively used a learning portfolio to increase metacognitive awareness. Describes the learning portfolio as a method that facilitates student participation via a self-assessment of what they have learned about learning. Appended are directions for implementing, monitoring, and…

Describes the curriculum of the Lake Washington School District Environmental and Adventure School which included outdoor education on the school grounds and field and overnight trips. The curriculum theme was interdependent relationships, people and environments. Also included study of local natural history and Native American tribes. (PVD)