A blueprint for structuring the school environment around teacher learning and collaboration as a foundation for equitable learning and student engagement. In "Learning Together," Elham Kazemi, Jessica Calabrese, Teresa Lind, Becca Lewis, Alison Fox Resnick, and Lynsey K. Gibbons share findings from their decade of experience in…

Teachers know they need to focus on practices that can make the biggest difference to their students--but which practices have a track record of improving learning and growth? Read the second article in our five-part series to discover specific classroom formative assessment practices proven to take students from zoned out to tuned in. You'll…

Just because a classroom is noisy or the teacher isn't always lecturing doesn't mean the kids aren't learning. Quite the opposite. The idea is to push students to think differently, to apply what they know, and to create new ideas, instead of just receiving information. That's difficult to see, but easy to elicit with a few key questions. This…

While a fair amount is known about effective instructional practices for students who are English learners, less is known about how these practices might look different in a distance learning context compared to the classroom. This brief, produced by WestEd as part of a collection of Crisis Response Resources, is designed to help educators make…

This guide outlines teacher preparation, professional association, and Common Core State Standards aligned to an "interdisciplinary collaborative mathematics" approach using Junior Achievement educational programs within a Math Methods course to train pre-service elementary teachers to teach math.

The Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) program at the University of Minnesota is a primary academic support program for historically difficult, introductory college courses that serve as gatekeepers to academic degree programs. This document is the training manual used for the new PAL facilitators that manage the small study groups. Based upon operating…

This guide is intended to stimulate professional reflection, dialogue and debate about mathematics and how to improve it. It draws together themes, features and characteristics of effective improvement in mathematics and descriptions of good practice. It offers a reference point for staff and teachers who are working together to improve…

This guide summarizes "Effective Programs in Elementary Mathematics: A Best-Evidence Synthesis" and "Effective Programs in Middle and High School Mathematics: A Best-Evidence Synthesis," two research reviews conducted by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Research and Reform in Education. The purpose of the reviews was to evaluate the…

"Creating a Learner-centred Primary Classroom" is an essential resource to improve teaching practice, examining the key elements that contribute to a learner-centred classroom and offering strategies to encourage children to take a shared role in their learning. Including case studies describing teachers' methods for linking theory to…

This book reveals some of the structural complexities involved in implementing authentic cooperative learning in the classroom. It also suggests that when full cooperative learning structures are implemented, the benefits in student achievement often can be astounding. Descriptions, decisions, designs, and developments, a simple four-part scheme,…

Discusses potential problems with collaborative learning, noting hat it is often treated as a tool of limited application. Encourages teachers to incorporate playful student collaboration into their classrooms. Argues that by broadening collaboration beyond student response and using it to search and question, students will develop a sense of…

Asserting that cooperative learning offers faculty the means to turn a tepid examination review and critique into a highly energized, active student learning experience, this paper describes a cooperative learning structure for an exam critique that motivates students to exercise their critical thinking skills and engage in deeper learning. (EV)

Part 1 of this guide to using teamwork in the classroom introduces the theory underlying teamwork and suggests basic ways to think about incorporating teamwork into the college classroom. Part 2 contains practical information for anyone who is planning to use teams, with guidelines, examples, and materials to help students communicate effectively…

Identifies the problems associated with traditional programs for tracking secondary students according to perceived abilities. Recommends an approach for effective untracking which uses a set of cooperative learning strategies. Provides alternatives to tracking programs, with attention to cooperative learning strategies. (HB)

This booklet summarizes research on best practices for implementing successful small learning communities and career academies. When well implemented, improvements in instructional and personalization strategies in combination with structural supports have demonstrated improved student attendance and learning. "From High School to Learning…