Paul, Wang, Trezek, and Luckner offer a rebuttal to an article by Allen, Clark, del Giudice, Koo, Lieberman, Mayberry, and Miller published in the same issue of the "American Annals of the Deaf" (Fall 2009) that is critical of an article by Wang, Trezek, Luckner, and Paul that was published in the Fall 2008 "Annals". Major themes from the article…

A teacher recounts his work with an unmotivated sixth-grader who did not work up to his potential. Admission to an academically talented program not only provided him with opportunities to explore beyond the basics presented in his regular classroom, but also helped him to improve performance overall. (CB)

The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt addresses concerns related to constructivism and instructional design that were raised in an earlier issue. Relationship of ecological psychology and constructivist theory is described, constraints on constructed knowledge are discussed, and the complexity of the Jasper series of math problems that…

Using a sixth-grade mathematics lesson, this article attempts to illustrate the lack of understanding of the "subject matter" of instruction in schools. Aims to illuminate the process by which knowledge becomes constituted and stated as valid in school lessons. Maintains that the mathematics example which is analyzed reveals how subject…

Describes a ten and one-half hour upper elementary grade level unit of instruction on the physical, social, and psychological aspects of aging among the elderly. Copies of the course are available from the author. (JDH)

Transcripts of two segments of CBS-TV's "Sunrise Semester" discuss the experiences of several participants in a production of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" by elementary school students. (RL)

Recounts the history of WETA-TV's "Cover to Cover" program, initiated in 1965. Relates that the program has been updated to reach a wider audience and now is geared toward fifth and sixth graders, with a change of title to "More Books from Cover to Cover." (NKA)

Examines current educational thinking about the development of children's writing, story structure and its functional components, and economy in writing. Strategies that teachers and teacher librarians can use to improve students' work are suggested, and an annotated bibliography of seven childrens' stories is provided. (eight references) (EA)

Describes a creative approach to including Nora, a student with cerebral palsy, in an outdoor adventure--a hilly, seven-mile trek through Eastern Oregon's Ponderosa pine forests. With teachers' and classmates' help, Nora practiced on a simulated horse and saddle, overcame her fear of heights, and eagerly joined classmates on horseback. (MLH)

Describes a model of adaptable learning that takes into account the interaction between affective and cognitive variables in learning situations, introduces an instrument for measuring relevant aspects of this model, and presents initial results of the application of this instrument to (n=30) 6th-grade students. (53 references) (Author/MKR)

This study investigated the relationship between the level of conservation of displaced volume and the degree to which sixth graders learn the volume algorithm of a cuboid, i.e., volume = length x width x height (v = l x w x h). The problem is a consequence of an apparent discrepancy between the present school programs and the theory of Piaget…

Discusses issues of Logo learning, including mode and content of learning in Logo and possible results; use of study guide to increase children's learning of powerful ideas in Logo; subprocedures, modularity, and structured programing use and related learning problems; debugging difficulties; and Logo research needs. (MBR)

Finds that sharing research on a particular author (Katherine Paterson) with a friend's sixth-grade class increased the students' interest in both the author and her books, led to fruitful discussions with the children, and aroused their curiosity about other authors and books. (NKA)

Observes that changes in the pattern of social interactions in classrooms as a result of computers may be even more significant than any simple technological effect. Illustrates the point with an example of sixth-grade writing on the QUILL software system, and the student's increased peer interaction and audience awareness. (HTH)

Describes and explains the classroom group process and group leadership of a sixth-grade teacher in an urban classroom. Discusses the importance of classroom grouping and its implications for teachers. (MLF)