If the United States is to be competitive in the global market, students must first learn to work with one another. Using cooperative and collaborative learning in the college classroom requires attention to group formation and composition, group dynamics, assessment of student work, and the design of group tasks. (MSE)

Professional studies courses often focus on mastering a common body of knowledge but ignore student interaction and the development of critical thinking and communication skills. In a cost accounting course at Connecticut's Sacred Heart University offered in fall 1993, various group and individual activities were implemented to incorporate these…

This article focuses on early childhood classrooms in which young children with disabilities are enrolled, ideally inclusive classrooms. A foundational assumption about which most early intervention professionals would agree is that young children with disabilities learn from: (1) their experiences (interactions) with their physical environments…

Discusses the form and use of learning contracts in second- language teaching and learning. It is suggested that learning contracts are an ideal means to offer language learners greater opportunities to work toward, and achieve, individual goals. (Author/JL)

Many American Indian youth confront a choice of forfeiting their cultural heritage in favor of academic achievement. The newly established American Indian Magnet School in St. Paul (Minnesota) addresses this issue by integrating American Indian methodology and ideology across all curriculum areas through effective teaching and sensitivity to…

This article considers the synergistic force, specifically imagination, which can serve as the catalyst for motivation and learning. The importance of classroom climate in fostering imagination and developing growth, discovery, and vision is emphasized. Ways to make imagination an important element of classroom climate are listed. (JDD)

Eliciting creativity in every student in the classroom can be a realistic goal for classroom teachers. Teaching creatively can include: embracing a student-centered learning approach; using thematic approaches to content area subjects, which also promotes motivation; using a cooperative learning group process; and utilizing creative arts.…

Focusing on humor as a powerful instructional resource, this booklet addresses a variety of issues regarding humor in the elementary and secondary classroom. Thirteen ways in which humor can help teachers to achieve educational goals are presented, specifically that it (1) attracts attention and provokes thought, (2) liberates creative capacities,…

Building a repertoire of teaching skills means organizing instructional strategies in some meaningful way. In this brief essay, the author recommends that beginning teachers develop a repertoire comprised of a mix of strategies from each of Joyce, Weil, and Calhoun's (2004) categories: three strategies from the Cognitive Family (Concept…

This personal reflection describes how the scholarship of teaching and learning models democratic practice. Motivated by a forced curricular change, this piece outlines the reflection and growth of a college professor as he realized that democratic awareness is developed more fully through action than through readings and/or class discussions. In…

As a philosophy and religious studies high school teacher in the United Kingdom, Tom Bennett discovered that a good deal of what was considered orthodoxy in the profession was unsubstantiated. It was the inspiration for his book, "Teacher Proof: Why Research in Education Doesn't Always Mean What It Claims, and What You Can Do about It,"…

Lori Horvitz's book contains 26 essays from queer students and educators exploring how sexuality can affect classroom dynamics. Although the book's title references lesbians, it also encompasses bisexuals and highlights friendships between gays and lesbians. In addition, many of the essays discuss social justice initiatives as well as illustrate…

Offered as a policy statement rather than as a how-to manual, this program advisory provides the policy direction and instructional guidance needed to support the improvement of reading achievement in California through the development and implementation of a balanced, comprehensive reading program in prekindergarten through grade 3. The first…

The preparation of second-language students for the academic mainstream is discussed. Consideration is given to the essential role of personal experience in learning, language acquisition, and academic reading/writing and to assessment of the implications for the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom. (Contains 56 references.) (Author/LB)

Discusses integration of Lev Vygotsky's theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) with the instructional strategy of cooperative learning. ZPD provides a conceptual basis for explaining the five basic tenets of cooperative learning: positive interdependence; face-to-face interaction; individual accountability; small-group and interpersonal…