Mantle of the Expert is a form of inquiry learning developed by Dorothy Heathcote that includes drama for learning--so it's active, embodied, imaginative, and aesthetic. It's agentic in that it positions learners as responsible, competent co-constructors of meaning and allows them powers to influence, make decisions, and grapple with complex…

The use of online platform to conduct teaching and learning activities has becoming a new norm for teachers and students during this COVID-19 outbreak. In this commentary, we share our experiences of using online conferencing platform to promote active and interactive learning among students. We also suggest approaches that teachers can use to…

The ability to read independently is essential for success in high school, college, and most careers. Students with disabilities must be able to comprehend literally and inferentially to meet the demands of the general education curriculum and navigate the complex political, social, and economic environment of the 21st century (King- Sears &…

Reciprocal teaching is a researched-based technique that utilizes the comprehension strategies of predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing. This article provides methods of incorporating characters, props, and visual and hands-on tools to encourage and motivate students to learn through reciprocal teaching. Teachers are given…

Since the National Reading Panel presented its 2000 report, systematic and explicit strategy instruction has been featured in the scope and sequence chart of basals, the lesson plans of guided reading groups, and the headlines of workshop brochures. Sticky note responses have become a classroom staple, and teacher read-alouds are now synonymous…

Ms. Johnson was concerned about the inconsistent performance of several of her students in solving mathematical word problems. A number of her students were one to two grade levels below their grade placement in reading, spoke English as a second language, and had identified reading disabilities. On mathematics assignments that required minimal…

Discussion of the importance of cognitive strategy instruction is followed by consideration of reciprocal teaching as an optimal method for teaching both reading and writing to middle and high school students with reading/writing difficulties. Reciprocal teaching emphasizes teaching learners how to ask questions, clarify issues, summarize text,…

This paper reports on a project involving student recall of the dialogue in a movie and retention of the "anchor," which in this case refers to a videotape recording of "To Kill a Mockingbird." The project looked at how students retained knowledge over a few days and what kind of activities resulted from expertise with an…

This paper discusses the characteristics of children who are gifted and have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Seven principles to reach and teach gifted learners with ADHD are recommended: (1) remembering that these learners have needs just like other children in their age groups; (2) having realistic expectations in helping these…

This independent training manual, which is intended for individuals preparing to become adult literacy tutors in Pennsylvania, provides an introduction to the basic principles and techniques of tutoring adult literacy students. Presented first are a preface, definition of literacy, and tutor awareness inventory. The following topics are examined:…

This handbook targets teachers as "growers of brain cells," encouraging them to make practical applications of findings from learning style theorists and neuroscientists. It suggests that tactile learners, spatial thinkers, and logical minds alike will become eager students as the strategies are implemented. The handbook offers 20…