This paper opens by summarising the case for student-directed learning in online higher education as a means of bringing about the development and use of higher-level cognitive and interpersonal abilities such as critical and creative thinking. The writers refine their conceptualisations of student-direction, different to, but flowing from…

Recent research in problem solving has shifted its focus to actual classroom implementation and what is really going on during problem solving when it is used regularly in classroom. This book seeks to stay on top of that trend by approaching diverse aspects of current problem solving research, covering three broad themes. Firstly, it explores the…

This book provides practitioners and scholars with a number of practical tools for studying and implementing democratic learning processes within schools, and theorizes these tools in relation to current developmental learning and democratic theory. Three dimensions of knowledge are framed--foundational, expert, and personal--and the place of each…

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines how family members--including guardians of students--can support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided for the following strategies: (1) Participate in planning for school climate improvements; (2) Engage…

Increasing the number of young people who attain postsecondary credentials has become one of the primary educational objectives of the 2010s. While low college success rates are typically linked to students' lack of academic preparation for college and their subsequent need for developmental or remedial instruction, research suggests that even…

This is the third in a series of briefs summarizing findings from the newest and most rigorous research related to racial and socioeconomic diversity in public schools. The studies on which this brief is based were published recently in three special issues of the peer-reviewed journal, "Teachers College Record," edited by Professors…

In this case study, we are able to take a close look at a situation not often encountered in the literature on ICTs in emerging economies: a private company from an emerging economy provided much-needed funding for a US NASA higher learning consortium through a contract for training and research and development in 3D visualization. This study…

In evaluating curriculum materials that are being developed for classroom use, students act as learners and teachers at the same time. Two stages of formative evaluation of materials are described: one-on-one and small group evaluation. Sample questionnaires for each type are provided. (CT)

The authors assert that history can be approached from a creative perspective; the student need not merely report what has already been written. Instead, students may make an original contribution by becoming a practicing historian. Strategies and examples of ideas to motivate students toward this level of productivity are described. (Author/CL)

The author discusses his opposition to gifted curriculum developed largely by teachers and suggests that real problems should be the focus of gifted programing. Two curriculum models are described according to four variables: the roles of students, knowledge, creativity, and teachers. (CL)

Interactive bulletin boards for early childhood rooms can often be made with supplies and materials used for other games and activities. This paper tells how it can be done. The project is interactive in that children are involved in decisions about the appearance of the completed board. Additional topics of discussion in this paper include…

This edition of the newsletter of the National Information Center for Handicapped Children and Youth describes the actions that are necessary to prepare students to achieve and maintain independence and highlights aspects of the roles of parents, professionals, and the young people themselves in transition planning. Brief articles have the…

The author describes ways in which an organic curriculum--in which students actively plan goals based on their needs--helped an impulsive sixth grader and a language handicapped 20-year-old acquire reading skills, vocabulary, and master phobic reactions. (CL)

Describes a ten-week high school visual arts program. Five incremental drawing assignments dealing with line quality, shapes, conversion from three-dimensional perception to two-, and perspective and distortion of shape are presented. (AM)