This study provides evidence about the feasibility of improving student learning against specified curriculum goals, when the design of that teaching is informed by evidence from science education research. Three teaching sequences were designed by a group of researchers and teachers, drawing upon insights from research on students' learning in…

This book helps teachers examine how children learn mathematics, develop a positive attitude toward and an interest in mathematics, teach mathematics with problem solving as the primary focus, understand the elements of a comprehensive mathematics curriculum, and establish a classroom environment that supports children's learning of mathematics.…

This collection of problems provides a resource for teachers to use in the classroom to improve the problem-solving experiences of their students. This book provides middle school teachers with some perspectives on problem solving. A framework for organizing the problem- solving experience is presented. Each phase of the problem-solving experience…

This document reviews the work of the Maryland Mathematics Commission (MMC). The mission of the MMC was to review and provide recommendations on the following critical issues, all of which have the potential to influence mathematics learning in Maryland: (1) improve achievement in mathematics at every level, in every school and school district;…

Block scheduling and intensive or extended-time scheduling have been appearing in high schools across the United States. This guidebook is designed to help each school find the best route to achieve this organizational change. The book's premise is that structural change in schools is not sufficient to create meaningful educational improvement.…

The five essays of this book focus on educational reform in higher education and are based on several persistent themes: that there is a fatal conflict between the graduate school and the undergraduate college; that "liberal" education is in a fundamental sense "politics", therefore, an education needed by everyone for all in a…

This article provides an overview of the short- and long-term action that is essential for effective curriculum improvement. It focuses on the ongoing need for schools to develop effective procedures for processing the routine operations of schools, to evaluate personnel, to maintain good salaries and working conditions, to involve staff in…

Activities and lessons, based on the theory of active learning and designed for a course to promote student involvement, are discussed in this document. Each activity is described and followed by an evaluation that students completed immediately following the activity. Students were asked about how interesting, useful, and relevant each of the…

This activity is designed to teach how tectonic plates move, what some consequences of this motion are, and how magnetic anomalies document the motion at spreading centers do. The activity provides learning objectives, a list of needed materials, key vocabulary words, background information, day-to-day procedures, internet connections, career…

Creative leadership calls for leaders to make full use of the analytical as well as the intuitive mind. This paper argues that leadership-preparation programs must therefore provide opportunities for the development of the leader's potential. The paper describes a pilot program implemented by the Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural…

Balancing limited time and effort between knowledge that students should know in depth (intensive curriculum) and knowledge about which they should have some understanding (extensive curriculum) poses a challenge for many educators. One solution to this problem involves the use of the connecting idea. A connecting idea links content that is part…

This paper discusses two pitfalls in designing project work. The first is a tendency to design projects with little emphasis on how the subject matter might connect to future studies. The second involves processes and goals of project work: all too often the processes proposed for project work serve goals that are nonexistent, weak, or unrelated…

This publication describes alternative teaching and learning strategies that challenge all students to reach high standards. Five alternative options are emphasized: (1) rigorous use of diagnostic systems to identify problem areas and student strengths; (2) staffing flexibility to facilitate better student-instructor relationships; (3)…

This guide is planned and organized to enable learners to connect interrelated concepts, content, and processes. It seeks to establish relationships among past, present, and future experiences and learning and was designed to help educators communicate with other educators in Wisconsin who have developed integrated and applied curricula. For the…

This paper outlines design problems and other instructional delivery issues that need to be addressed by potential on-line program designers, and it suggests some possible solutions to these problems. The first issue was transforming a traditional, three-credit course in a developing student-centered curriculum into a course delivered through…