Describes the structure and philosophy of the National History Curriculum in England, which went into effect in September 1991. Argues that its mechanistic approach and assessment program has little to do with realities of the classroom or students' historical understanding. Presents an alternative method for assessing students' historical…

Reviews efforts to develop national content standards for teaching English. Today's standards movements are distinguished from earlier efforts in that the learner is recognized as active, the meaning is socially and historically contingent, and the purpose is the development of language for political power and the creation and appreciation of…

Reviews experiences from the science curricula developed by the National Science Foundation in the 1950s and 1960s for their relevance to national standard-setting efforts today. Experiences include choosing standards of success that fit available expertise, emphasizing professional development, and defining the target audience clearly. (SLD)

Asserts that the early childhood social studies curriculum should enable children to rethink and revise their tentative understandings of the world in light of new information and experiences. Argues that teachers must have knowledge of history, the social sciences, and cultural pluralism to design and teach social studies effectively. (CFR)

Describes community service learning (CSL) programs at Pottenger School, Springfield (Massachusetts). The kindergarten through grade-12 school, a literature-based whole-language school, integrates CSL into the curriculum through writing about student experiences. CSL projects have included feeding the homeless, corresponding with a soldier, and…

Discusses the use of practical reasoning and practical argument techniques to improve classroom instruction. Contends that teachers may not apply the results of practical reasoning to instruction because of self-deception or intuitive beliefs. Concludes that the relationship between practical reasoning and practical arguments requires more study…

This paper describes the evaluation of three curriculum models to teach technology. The three modules present technology as a design process involving problem identification and analysis; generation and evaluation of alternative solutions; planning and construction of models; and trialing, modification and evaluation. Participating pupil's…

Presents a series of science teaching ideas with the following titles: When Demonstrations Are Misleading, Lasers and Refraction, An Improved Stair-Step Model, Correcting Your Compass, Seeing Is Not Believing, Food Coloring: From the Kitchen to the Lab, Punny Business, Portfolios in Science, Feathers or Gold: A Case for Using the Metric System,…

Profiles a teacher workshop sponsored by the School of California On-line Resources in Education (SCORE). The teachers developed units of instruction using problem-based learning (a constructivist approach where students discover techniques and information to solve problems) and combining them with Web-based information and tools. Briefly…

Compared performance of low-aptitude remedial adults learning to solve mathematics word problems. Participants worked either alone or as collaborative dyads and received instruction/practice using either the Word Problem-Solving Environment (WPSE), an exploratory system over which learners exercise control, or Solver, a structured and directive…

Examines the effects of issue-based science teaching on students in rural Idaho. Eighth-grade students investigated the use of the Bear River using the Jurisprudential Inquiry Model of Science, Technology and Society (STS) as a guide. Describes challenges encountered in attempting to integrate the use of technology as part of the project as well…

A study investigated the impact of peer revision on writers' final drafts in two rhetorical modes, narration and persuasion, among 14 Spanish-speaking college students of English-as-a-Second-Language. Results revealed 74% of revisions made in peer sessions were incorporated into final drafts, and writers made many further self-revisions,…

Describes a software shell, STAR.Legacy, designed to guide attempts to help students learn from case, problem, and project-based learning. STAR.Legacy supports the integration of four types of learning environments: learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, and community-centered. Describes how a STAR.Legacy constructed for an…

A South African study of 29 college and university faculty in varying disciplines investigated differences and commonalities of two teaching strategies, collaborative and cooperative learning. Seven common problem areas emerged, and solutions are examined, including faculty development within the discipline, curriculum development, and…

In an interview, Lucinda Roy, a professor of English at Virginia Tech who teaches online courses in creative writing, the civil rights movement, and literature, discusses the risks and dynamics of this style of teaching and the need to maintain some personal interaction with students. She notes that technology liberates learners, giving them a…