Dlott, an instructional specialist, was a neophyte at digital broadcasting and blogging, but she could clearly see that creating podcasts would help elementary students reach a large audience and fire their motivation to do research and write. Dlott details three projects involving podcasting that she and classroom teachers launched at elementary…

The author's work has produced numerous instances in which barely literate students have improved dramatically because poetry composition provided them with the motivation to write. (Author/MLF)

By capitalizing on students' strengths and interests, reading styles instruction can help most youngsters become proficient readers. It is natural for children to enjoy reading. They should be challenged with high-level reading materials. Every student has a special reading style that develops at different times and rates. Successful programs are…

Many learning strategies endorsed by curriculum and instruction publications have never demonstrated their worth in objective experimental evaluations. Most researchers agree that cognitive strategies should be taught in conjunction with content and in response to learner needs and capabilities. Teacher modeling and self-regulation lie at the…

Critiques Kohn's article (in the same "Educational Leadership" issue) arguing against the use of cooperative rewards. Without group rewards based on the learning of all group members, cooperative learning can degenerate into answer-sharing. The idea that such rewards (usually paper certificates) can be dispensed with is wishful thinking. Includes…

Responding to Slavin's critique of Kohn's article (in the same "Educational Leadership" issue) condemning cooperative rewards, Kohn slams Slavin's faulty research interpretations. Slavin may be correct that few non-reward-based classrooms exist in the U.S., but this hardly demonstrates that the best alternative to bribing individuals is to bribe…

The authors of this article, 4th grade and 6th grade teachers at Castle Rock Elementary School in Colorado, describe their efforts to engage their students in learning. Morgan recounts a math lesson in which he confirmed that 4th graders sometimes need extensive preparation and support to translate their impressive insights into the written word.…

An era of high-stakes testing and accountability may be producing classroom conditions that undermine student learning. When teachers must focus their energies on preparing students for the test, they have less time to get to know students personally or make them feel valued, respected, and supported. The author reviews research showing that…

Study shows that motivational responses may be germane to performance in mathematics and English, personality differences might influence a student's acquisition of abilities and skills, and that teachers could benefit from such knowledge by handling anxiety producing situations more thoughtfully and sensitively. (Author)

William Heard Kilpatrick, who pioneered project-based learning in the early 1900s, advocated basing schools on child-chosen projects engendering "purposeful activity." When children are allowed to choose what to explore, they become intrinsically motivated to work hard and strive for the highest quality. A fifth-grade teacher describes…

A Colorado high school dramatically increased its effectiveness after its staff committed to creating an intimate, nurturing environment for students. Achieving this mission involved teaching students the prosocial skills necessary to cope with any authoritarian system, creating a culture fostering positive relationships and cooperation,…

Suggests ways to minimize the negative effects of extrinsic group rewards in cooperative classrooms, explains how to use intrinsic rewards, and outlines conditions calling for extrinsic rewards. The "social rewards" of working cooperatively probably enhance intrinsic motivation and are among the great advantages of employing cooperative…

Author attributes success of Ohio non-graded elementary school to team planning, team teaching, and team evaluation of student progress. Both IQ and self-image levels rose and a healthier attitude toward school emerged. (AF)