Mnemonics represent a diverse group of research-based instructional methods with wide application for middle school teachers and students. Teachers can model how to use mnemonics and infuse them in their instruction. Students can use mnemonics as a study skills memory prompt in any class. Due to their potential as a highly effective instructional…

Recent years have seen a growing interest in intelligent game-based learning environments featuring virtual agents. A key challenge posed by incorporating virtual agents in game-based learning environments is dynamically determining the dialogue moves they should make in order to best support students' problem solving. This paper presents a…

Even middle school students can have memories of their childhoods, of an earlier time. The art of Romare Bearden and the writings of Paul Auster can be used to introduce ideas about time and memory to students and inspire works of their own. Bearden is an exceptional role model for young artists, not only because of his astounding art, but also…

The aim of physics education is to generate understanding of physics and there is considerable anecdotal evidence that passing examinations in physics is not the same as understanding the subject. This paper describes how the areas of difficulties in understanding of physics were determined for pupils in Taiwan aged 13-15. Test material which…

Middle school students are walking dichotomies. They can talk about world peace and then hit the kid next to them. They can recycle to ease global warming only to leave the cafeteria a mess. Why? Well, scientifically, it is because their brains do not work. When people look at middle school students, they can plainly see evidence of physical…

Focusing on "re-membering" practices is new to grief counseling. Traditional approaches to grief counseling are guided by the concepts of stages or tasks, usually to move the person toward accepting the reality of loss and to "say goodbye" to their deceased loved one. This alternative approach to grief counseling, driven by…

According to Herbert F. Spitzer, an ambitious graduate student, immediate recall in the form of a test is an effective method of aiding the retention of learning and should, therefore, be employed more frequently in the elementary school. Suggestions like Mr. Spitzer's have been made for many decades, but they have never gained much traction. Now,…

In this article, the author presents an innovative approach to teaching multiplication facts for children in middle school or younger. After introducing the dangers of some contradictions that persist, relating a brief summary of related research and guidelines regarding math facts and their relation to strategic approaches to more complex math,…

In a perfect world, what would a good classroom strategy look like? It would have to work for any teacher at any grade level in any discipline; be backed by current research in learning theory; be elegant and simple to facilitate but differentiate for each student; be cost effective but use a diverse selection of materials; and be active and…

Vocabulary learning is central to reading ability and academic achievement. Vocabulary researchers and educators have viewed its essence as a process of associating the pronunciations and meanings of words in memory, and they have paid little attention to the contribution that spellings might make to vocabulary learning. We review theory and…

SpringBoard is a comprehensive instructional program in English language arts and mathematics that reflects powerful, research-based understandings about how people learn. This report presents a model of learning based on cognitive science with particular attention to the role of memory and language. The instructional framework of strategic…