This paper complements debates around use of new technologies and literacy in education by proposing a focus on "classroom-ness." It highlights the significance of incidental, everyday and ephemeral practices associated with classroom technology-use. Using examples from a study of primary pupils' interactions around digital texts,…

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of inquiry-based instruction and to outline components of inquiry-based instruction key to ensuring that students with disabilities in inclusive science classrooms acquire core concepts. The use of collaboration, big ideas, knowledge and retention strategies, and formative assessments are…

Well-designed and thoughtful approaches to practitioner research can bring about very positive impacts to improve teaching and learning in science classrooms. Readers of highly-rated research also need to appreciate and understand research design, literature critique, appropriate data collection, methods of analysis, theoretical frameworks,…

With the continuing increase of inclusive education in our public school classrooms today, there is a great deal of interest in co-teaching teams. Research indicates that administrative support is a critical factor in co-teaching effectiveness. In this study, we explored administrator knowledge and practices related to the supervision and…

One perspective of cognitive rigor is the extent to which classroom instruction demands students to use critical thinking skills. As schools attempt to increase academic outcomes, one area of interest is the potential for engaging students in learning by increasing the use of critical thinking. The present study analyses the effect of critical…

This article considers the emergence and meaning of a particular kind of surveillance in classrooms: the one represented by the gaze of the teacher. Drawing on teaching manuals and other normative material published between the 1820s and the 1960s, it is argued that the optical regime of the classroom underwent a decisive change during the second…

This essay explores what it might mean to read children's literature in elementary school classrooms through a queer lens. The authors argue that because queer theory has a history as a literary theory that destabilizes normative associations among gender, sexuality, bodies, and desire, it provides a set of analytical tools classroom communities…

Active learning is becoming more prevalent in large science classrooms, and this study shows the impact on performance of being vocal during Socratic questioning in a General Chemistry course. 800 college students over a two year period were given a pre and post-test using the Chemistry Concept Reasoning Test. The pre-test results showed that…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) continues to emphasize the importance of early statistical learning; data analysis and probability was the Council's professional development "Focus of the Year" for 2007-2008. Such a focus is needed, especially given the results of the statistics items from the 2003 NAEP. As Shaughnessy…

Whole-group classroom discussions about solutions allow teachers to promote reasoning that moves students beyond merely noticing mathematical ideas toward developing a well-connected knowledge of concepts. Creating classroom environments where teachers promote reasoning and engage students in investigating important mathematical phenomena is…

The perception of science as boring is a major issue for teachers at all instructional levels. Tertiary classes especially suffer from a reputation for being dry, instructor-centered, and irrelevant to the lives of students. However, previous research has shown that science can be interesting to students if it is presented in such a manner as to…

For three years, a flagship university-school partnership program developed a multifaceted approach to integrate news and current events into in-school and after-school instruction in K-6 schools. Three case studies detailing the program's impact on an undergraduate novice instructor, an in-school technology mentor, and an experienced classroom…

This guide is intended for all teachers who wish to enhance their curriculum by incorporating objects and photographs into their lesson plans. Kindergarten and elementary, middle, and high school classrooms can all benefit from expanded use of these materials. The guide can be used across a range of subject areas including history, community,…

"Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization," has much to offer nearly any social studies classroom from 9th grade to college levels. The film is based on Lester R. Brown's book by the same name and is the 12th episode in the Journey to Planet Earth public television series. The film illustrates the complexity of climate change and its connections to…

One of the roles of educators is to prepare their students for future success; this means preparing them to be creative thinkers capable of solving problems that do not yet exist. In order to teach children to be more creative, teachers need to be aware of barriers to creativity and minimize these in their classrooms. Some roadblocks to…