While incorporating digital technologies into the classroom has offered new ways of teaching and learning into educational processes, it is essential to take a look at how the digital shift impacts teachers, school administration, and curriculum development. "Academic Knowledge Construction and Multimodal Curriculum Development" presents…

This book introduces and guides upper elementary and middle school teachers through the process of using major classroom projects to enable integration of the curriculum through social studies. The book describes the excitement of a classroom when the students are working on Washington, D.C. and Latin America projects. Not only do the students…

This book is a blueprint for integrating the elementary level curriculum around a social studies core. It describes 1 year in an integrated classroom. This volume offers a structure and purpose for integrating the curriculum. Included with the suggestions for curriculum integration are several samples and examples of student work that are the…

This book is a preliminary report on a technology innovation project. The objective of the overall research project is to introduce change in schools using a computer-based curriculum innovation for teaching higher order thinking skills to middle- and high-school students. Chapter 1 presents a historical account of the design and implementation of…

This book provides anecdotes and teaching materials for middle school teacher preparation and serves as a reference and resource for practicing teachers. The publication explains the philosophy and goals of the middle school education movement and provides many practical methods and strategies for implementing developmentally appropriate education…

Issues in and suggestions for designing and implementing an interdisciplinary or integrated curriculum are discussed in this book. The first section reviews current research concerning interdisciplinary curriculum. Chapter 1 describes various types and purposes of such curriculum, and chapter 2 presents a step-by-step process for designing…

This toolkit provides tested lessons and a selection of alternative ideas for the middle grades to help adapt and integrate the teaching of information skills in a way that meets the needs of teachers and students. After an introductory section, eight chapters of Collaborative Integrated Skills Lessons are provided. The lessons are grouped by…

This publication was designed to assist those who are establishing or redesigning programs aimed at providing better prepared middle grades teachers. Following the prologue, which provides the background of the project, the first chapter looks at teacher education; endorsement, licensure, certification, and accreditation; and collaboration to…

The concept maps contained in this book (for grades 7-12) span 35 topics in life science. Topics were chosen using the National Science Education Standards as a guide. The practice exercise in concept mapping is included to give students an idea of what the tasks ahead will be in content rich maps. Two levels of concept maps are included for each…

The 1990s will likely be a watershed period for middle level education, as the real challenges surrounding making "second level" changes replace the euphoria that accompanied early growth of the middle school movement. Yet, zealousness still characterizes reform efforts at the middle level. This study, the most comprehensive ever…

This book was designed to help school, parent, and community leaders acquire the skills necessary for the successful restructuring of middle-level schools. Chapter 1 defines middle-level education and describes the forces that shaped and continue to shape middle-level education, the evolution of middle-level schools, and current middle-level…

This handbook describes skills and competencies that are consistent with the most generally accepted middle school philosophies. These include the philosophy that middle schools should be student-centered, should ease the transition to high school, emphasize an integrated curriculum, and implement instruction that emphasizes active learning.…

This book is a guide to the development and use of performance tasks and rubrics in the upper elementary school mathematics classroom. It contains a rationale for, and a discussion of strengths and limitations of, performance tasks to assess student achievement and progress in mathematics. A field-tested process is offered for developing…

United States state history is a required component of the upper elementary social studies curriculum in all 50 states. Noting that few resources exist on the subject of state history, this book aims to show teachers how to plan a state unit using a culturally relevant, social constructivist pedagogy with connections to literacy, a focus on…

Curriculum is not a naturally occurring substance but is created, and has a framework that outlines its nature. Many professionals, such as architects, use frameworks or designs in order to define the nature of what they will create. This monograph asserts that curriculum architecture should be debated, changed, and created to take form from the…