The authors share an online collaborative problem-solving activity that integrates support for students' developing conceptual understanding, focused engagement, and positive feelings of agency and identity.

In an increasingly digital world, the elementary school students of today who learn to program will be positioned to re-imagine and build the future. As educators, it is essential to consider how such an important skill is made accessible for a diverse range of students, including those diagnosed with learning disabilities. In this article, the…

Annual fieldtrip visits offer an excellent opportunity to engage teachers and students in learning opportunities that may not otherwise be available in their classrooms. Here we describe a collaborative project designed to support teacher engagement before, during, and after a classroom fieldtrip to a children's museum. We found that providing a…

The "Keep It Simple" package, which includes a short animated film (available online for streaming or download), a lesson plan, and supporting materials, was designed to be used with adolescents ages 15-19 to empower them to seek sexual and reproductive health care, and emphasize the availability of long-acting reversible contraception…

Many studies have shown that students lose some of what they learn during the school year over the summer months. Because the author strongly feels that his students need to keep working at their technical skills year-round, he encourages them to keep active with school-related activities until they return in the fall. In this article, the author…

Learning about microscopic things, such as cells, can often be mundane to students because they are not able to see or manipulate what they are learning about. Students often recall learning about cell division through memorization--thus they find it tedious and dull. Few opportunities exist that allow students to explore and manipulate cells or…

Learning how to manage a classroom effectively is a difficult task for preservice teachers. This is compounded by the lack of attention that classroom management receives in many teacher preparation programs and in the field of education in general. This article offers a rationale for the lack of attention to classroom management in teacher…

Chinese characters have been an obstacle preventing the development of Chinese proficiency for learners of Chinese whose native language does not have characters. A substantial literature review identified linguistic, pedagogical, and political factors as causes such difficulties. Tone changes represent different meanings of a word. Compound…

Observation of young children is commonplace in educational settings. For trainee practitioners however, gaining access at convenient times can be difficult. Even then, small snapshots of observable activity can only ever be captured. We describe the design and development of a cross-platform software application which can be used to support…

Young children are most attracted to classroom centers that offer the lively social interaction of play, stimulating construction activities, or animated computer programs. Efforts to create an attractive art center with abundant shelves of markers, crayons, various kinds of paper, and assorted materials attract a few children who want to…

Approaches the topic of responsible pet care through the use of cartoon strips. Provides a two-page cartoon layout that can be duplicated for classroom use. Poses questions for possible discussions and investigations. (ML)

Describes a project in which students are involved in producing an animated videotape recording and discusses the advantages of modern videotape equipment over other film media. An outline of the process covers materials used, storyboard and artwork production, videotaping procedures, and audio dubbing. (CLB)

An approach to teaching BASIC to twelve-year-olds makes full use of the graphics capability of PET computers. Student experimentation with the use of loops leads to the creation of something tangible as well as intellectual. Students discover how modifications to simple programs affect outcomes. (MP)

When planning her social studies unit on world exploration, this teacher offered the opportunity for her fifth-grade students to create a claymation video of a New World explorer. Students learn about exploration; practice research skills; and write, revise and edit a script. Finally, they incorporate both the acquired content and skills while…

Asserts that, during the 20th century, animation has moved from being a perceptual curiosity to an important art form. Describes teaching methods and activities used in a one-day animation workshop for elementary students. Outlines a similar workshop for teachers. (CFR)