This paper was delivered as a response to a presentation by Jan Kronberg MLC, Chair of the Education and Training Committee, Parliament of Victoria that published a report of the "Inquiry into the Extent, Benefits and Potential of Music Education in Victorian Schools." Her presentation and this response were part of a forum conducted by…

The eight contributions to this special issue provide an informative focus on many aspects of peer-based victimization in schools. Often using sophisticated quantitative and analytic procedures, they advance our knowledge in several important domains, pointing out important contextual variables, interactions, and mediating factors in the negative…

In our previous "At Last" essay, "The "Problem" of English Learners: Constructing Genres of Difference" (Gutierrez & Orellana, 2006), we identified a predictable genre that characterizes much research on English Learners. We noted how the genre may unwittingly perpetuate deficit constructions and keep us from identifying other issues for…

This article discusses the great interest in pirates in society today. Movies, toys, and stories are including stories of pirates and adventure more and more. In this article, the author suggests keeping the adventure going by sharing the exciting books described in this article with fourth- to sixth-grade students.

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…

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)

A study of fifth and sixth grade public school students in Israel suggests that grades and other norm-referenced methods are less effective than task-involving evaluation methods in enhancing student performance, interest, and motivation. This article consists of two commentaries on the findings, with suggestions for implementing task-involving…

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)

Students are usually quick to draw conclusions about their surroundings. Their generalizations, however, are often based on a single experience or even a story recounted by a friend. An individual's ability to reason inductively improves as he gains more experience in the world. The ability to draw broad conclusions also improves with an…

Fifty fifth and sixth grade students participated in a study attempting to document motivational differences that may be associated with two approaches to classroom writing instruction. Thirty of the students were involved in the process-oriented approach where students are encouraged to write multiple drafts of assignments, attending to issues of…

Responds to and disagrees with Kaltsounis's critique of the author's report "American History Textbooks: An Assessment of Quality." Answers each of Kaltsounis's criticisms, and reiterates several main points from Sewall's report, including recommendations for U.S. history textbook reform. (LS)

A workshop for primary school teachers of English as a foreign language emphasized knowledge of language learning principles to equip teachers for the classroom. Description of the workshop touches on theory, methods, learner styles and expectations, and textbook selection. (eight references) (CNP)

Describes a HyperCard program designed to teach middle school students about AIDS in a cooperative learning setting. Cooperative learning techniques are discussed, including positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, and social skills; and results of field trials with fifth and sixth grade students are…

Describes study that examined the effects of combining word processors, spelling checkers, and spelling drill and practice programs to individualize spelling instruction for fifth- and sixth-grade students. Treatments for the experimental and control groups are explained, selection of software is discussed, and suggestions for software development…