In assessing information retrieval systems, it is important to compare the number of retrieved relevant items to the total number of relevant items. A variant of the statistical "capture-recapture" method can be used in large collections to estimate total number of relevant documents, providing the model supporting such an analysis can…

Compares the effectiveness of the PORPE (predict, organize, rehearse, practice, evaluate) study strategy with the effectiveness of the annotation study strategy using narrative texts. Finds that annotation subjects significantly outperformed the PORPE subjects on the delayed test but there were no significant differences between the groups on the…

Advocates teaching critical thinking through showing students the logic of a subject. Uses one example of instruction in history that allows students to think their way through the logic of the subject rather than memorize bits and pieces of someone else's thought (never grasping its logic). (VWC)

Discusses the author's personal background as it affects her views on early childhood education. Describes her 12 beliefs in praise of developmentally appropriate practice. Beliefs include: (1) the theoretical foundation of developmentally appropriate practice is valid; (2) developmentally appropriate practice encourages academic rigor; and (3)…

Examines how Bloom's Taxonomy can be used by Montessori teachers-in-training as an explanation for the level of proficiency exhibited by supervising teachers. Focuses on the process of becoming a skilled Montessori teacher in the context of the taxonomy and how supervising teachers and training programs can guide student teachers to deeper…

Examines dilemmas of educational accountability and why large-scale assessment of student achievement has come to dominate educational reform policy. Provides a brief history of large-scale assessment in education in Canada. Looks at both expected and unexpected consequences of large-scale assessment and calls for educators and politicians to…

Presents CyberHunt 3, an interactive, multicultural activity for the holiday season. Students visit a variety of web sites for facts and activities related to Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. A CyberHunt reproducible has students write their answers to nine questions based on information they find at the different web sites. (SM)

Reports a study of Japanese students' perception of traditional methods versus the natural approach and total physical response (TPR) methods for learning English, and their preferred styles of learning. Subjects were Japanese students attending intensive language schools in the U.S. Students generally preferred innovative methods, such as…

Describes the development of a collaborative evaluation model and its application to a curricular innovation project within a secondary school system in Hong Kong. Focuses on the limits of collaboration in long-term evaluation projects with multiple stakeholders. (Author/VWL)

Examines how secondary school students in Singapore construct knowledge through reading and understanding their science textbooks in an attempt to discover whether early or later pedagogic interventions in the learning process are more helpful. (Author/VWL)

Describes the development of a safe, caring community in the classroom where students feel cared for, where they are able to learn, and where they learn to care for others. Describes the implementation of an assortment of community-building activities divided into two areas: establishment of rules and establishment of rituals and routines. (VWC)

Describes the study of backgrounds, beliefs, and attitudes of teachers (n=51) about proofs. Explores four issues: (1) preservice teachers' experiences/exposure to proof; (2) their beliefs about what constitutes proof; (3) the role of proof in mathematics; and (4) their beliefs about when proof should be introduced in K-12 math classes. Discusses…

Describes the Creative Thinking in Technology (CTT) program in which creative thinking is presented as a synthesis between lateral thinking and vertical thinking. Analyzes student projects in light of this definition of creativity, and explores the role technology can play in developing students' higher order thinking skills. (Contains 37…

Presents a lesson that focuses on Lithuanian efforts to gain their freedom and their role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Describes various learning activities that foster understanding of this topic, such as having the students dramatize important events in Lithuania's struggle for independence. (CMK)

This response to Detterman and Thompson (1997) analyzes their criticisms of special education and presents evidence of the effectiveness of current instructional techniques for children with disabilities in contrast with the cognitive approaches favored by Detterman and Thompson. Assumptions about the significance of intelligence testing and…