Using contextual or applied methods of instruction when teaching is not a new notion. However, it is receiving new attention as many school districts begin restructuring their curricula to meet the needs of students preparing to take their places in the rapidly changing world of work. Contextual instruction has traditionally been used in career and technical classes, and the value of such instructional methods in these courses has been demonstrated by hands-on experience in a shop or laboratory. On the other hand, when contextual instructional methods have been used in academic classes, it has historically been in low-expectation courses with peripheral references to career and technical applications--that is, courses for low-achieving and/or low-ability students. Too often, the content of academic courses using contextual methods of instruction has been a watered-down version of the abstract concepts and principles to be learned, combined with weak examples of ways such knowledge can be utilized in the real world. Not only has the content been diluted, but the contextual methods have been poorly delivered. These two factors have contributed greatly to contextual instruction's negative reputation. This author contends that all students can learn if information is presented to them by methods and strategies that match their natural ordering and perceiving abilities. Learning new facts and concepts does not necessarily guarantee actualization of that new knowledge. Students must learn to apply their knowledge to be effective thinkers. Contextual learning translates acquired knowledge to the performance of tasks.