Examines the historical definition and use of the term "mental retardation," and the 1992 revision of the term by the American Association on Mental Retardation that focuses on limitations in functioning rather than as a characteristic of an individual. Educational implications of the new definition are discussed. (CR)

Presents a problem suggested for students in grades one through six concerning the concepts of grouping, reasoning, and pattern finding. Discusses the student problem-solving process. (ASK)

Service-learning has drawn largely on a few major theorists for theoretical support. Additional theoretical perspectives drawn from cognitive psychology and social theory can also contribute, including constructs of concept formation, selective perception, categorization, critical reflection, and mediated learning. Each of these helps to explain…

Discussion of the information needs and information-seeking behavior of interdisciplinary scholars and students focuses on kinds of research needed at both basic and applied levels. Topics include prior research; the organization, description, and indexing of information in libraries for successful information retrieval; and research techniques in…

Giving students a chance to associate numbers with subjects can be useful in speeding their location of desired print or nonprint materials and helping students feel independent when browsing. A matching game for helping students learn the Dewey numbers is presented. Instructions for the library media specialist or teacher, instructions for…

Kindergartners who received learning-set instruction on unidimensional classification, unidimensional seriation, and number conservation were retested at the end of first grade. Followup tests showed that the cognitive advantage and improved academic achievement gained from that teaching method was generally present 15 months later. However, a…

Describes the creation of a classification system with a common vocabulary for discussing educational Web sites, both formal and informal education, and looking for trends in exemplary sites. Categories include instructional; learning activities; content collection; links; reference; teacher resources; vicarious participation; interpersonal…

Discusses the consistent underrepresentation of minority groups in gifted programs and legal issues surrounding the identification of gifted students, including the relationship between classification and government purpose. Model legislation that defines gifted students and traditionally underserved populations and declares nondiscriminatory…

Discusses some ideas for applying information and communication technology (ICT) to constructing identification keys. Proposes the use of linked web pages as the most easily used and readily accessible for students aged 12-13. (DDR)

This article reviews problems in identification of learning disabilities and considers proposed alternatives to present procedures. It argues that the major problems of over identification, variability, and specificity, can be eliminated by increasing specificity and consistency of state criteria and strict adherence to identification criteria on…

The reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale in the diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders are reviewed. While the measure holds promise as a research tool, there appears little evidence that it can distinguish among the variety of types of pervasive developmental disorders, or diagnose Asperger…

This article reviews contemporary studies on the concept of creativity across two cultures, Eastern cultures and Western cultures, by examining people's implicit theories of creativity across different cultures and cross-cultural studies of creativity. Cross-cultural studies revealed that Easterners and Westerners differ, on average, in their…

Described in this study are student teachers' frameworks of purity and the related concepts of the states of matter. The concept of natural versus pure substances, classifying states of matter, and implications for teaching drawn from the results are discussed. (Author/KR)

A comparison of cognitive, academic, and linguistic profiles for 74 learning-disabled students and 37 nondisabled college students found significant differences in reading, writing, listening, and speaking achievement. No significant differences were found for gender or Verbal-Performance split in cognitive ability. Instruments used showed similar…

Six mildly and moderately retarded children (ages 6-8) were instructed in the Piagetian constructs of unidimensional classification and/or seriation using the "Piacelleration" learning set technique. After one semester, subjects made significant gains on: classification and seriation tasks, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the…