With the advent of open source virtual environments, the associated cost reductions, and the more flexible options, avatar-based virtual reality environments are within reach of educators. By using and repurposing readily available virtual environments, instructors can bring engaging, community-building, and immersive learning opportunities to…

Research has found that students, particularly those in middle school and high school, believe that their participation in mathematics classrooms includes listening to teachers explaining, working in textbooks, and solving exercise problems quickly (Franke, Kazemi, and Battey 2007). In this article, the authors describe a classroom vignette and…

In and out of the classroom, life would be unthinkable without interacting with fellow humans. This book urges more cooperative and group activities in the English language classroom for all the advantages: students use the target language more, help each other with comprehension, receive attention from peers as well as the teacher, are motivated…

Presents samples of game-display board activities designed for junior high science classes. Employs ideas from traditional seatwork and end-of-chapter exercises such as matching, multiple choice, word puzzles, and summary tables. Activities require a vertical magnetic white board and magnetic word and picture cards. Facilitates classroom…

Presents techniques aimed at promoting a higher level of student-faculty interaction and active student participation in the learning process in introductory physics lecture classes. Discusses group problem solving, the use of flash cards, and assessment. (JRH)

Discusses groupware, a form of computer-mediated communication that supports interaction and cooperative work among group members regardless of location. Highlights include computer-supported cooperative work; electronic mail; computer conferences; group decision support systems; an example of a classroom groupware project with undergraduates; and…

School library media specialists play a special role in the education of gifted students, particularly in the use of literature across the curriculum. The CUES program, developed for gifted students, actively promotes the reading/curriculum connection, thus providing an invaluable model for all educators. Calling for structured interaction between…

This activity book is part of a series designed to take a concept or idea from the existing school curriculum and develop it in the context of the Great Lakes using teaching approaches and materials appropriate for students in middle and high school. The theme of this book is Great Lakes climate and water movement. Students learn about land-sea…

Four information briefs offer guidelines for educators of students with deaf-blindness in integrated or self-contained settings, concerning: (1) facilitating student interactions; (2) adapting classroom materials and activities; (3) grouping students to increase interaction; and (4) implementing cooperative learning strategies. To facilitate…

This activity book is part of a series designed to take a concept or idea from the existing school curriculum and develop it in the context of the Great Lakes using teaching approaches and materials appropriate for students in middle and high school. The theme of this book is life in the Great Lakes. Students learn about shorebird adaptations,…

This activity book is part of a series designed to take a concept or idea from the existing school curriculum and develop it in the context of the Great Lakes using teaching approaches and materials appropriate for students in middle and high school. The subject of this book is land and water interactions. Students examine how the Great Lakes were…

This paper reports challenges of and suggestions for conducting online courses, focusing on the following areas: (1) instructional format, including transferring classroom activities to online activities without affecting students' concentration, motivation, thought, mastery, and comprehension; (2) methods of instruction, including developing an…