Curriculum has two major approaches, technical and scientific approach and the nontechnical-nonscientific approach. Both are different and distinct. Schools need to distinguish which approach is suited for their students.

Three decades ago, Dr. Joseph S. Renzulli reflected on the state of the art in gifted and talented programs. His work in schools and his evaluation of existing programs made it patently clear it was time to review existing definitions of gifted and talented students and to develop defensible programs for the gifted and talented. The result was the…

This article describes how action learning can be accompanied by a project to encourage shared learning about organisation culture, the external environment, political context and team dynamics, while allowing space for personal issues. It drives forward reflective practice and encourages sets to deliver a tangible pay-back to the organisation.…

As new evaluation systems begin to enable school and district leaders to identify their excellent teachers, states and school systems are looking ahead to the next step. Leaders ask: Now that we know who our great teachers are, how can we give them the opportunity to take on new roles and advance in their careers? How can we pay them more--ideally…

Distance education is constantly evolving and improving. To stay current, effective online instructors must utilize the most innovative, evidence-based teaching methods available to promote student learning and satisfaction in their courses. One emerging teaching method, referred to as blended online learning (BOL), involves collaborative…

When asked by a principal to design a workshop for ELA and ESL teachers on addressing new ESL regulations, the author suggested that they offer professional development that might inspire teachers to try new practices that could help their students grow as writers. The author decided to devote a workshop not to rules and regulations, but to…

This article describes how the everyday experiences of a 1st grader pushed a teacher to confront gender issues in the classroom. Broadening students' ideas of what was acceptable for boys and girls is an important first step. (Contains 3 resources.)

The recently released document "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" emphasizes the importance of engaging students in practices of science and engineering to help them understand how scientific knowledge about the natural world develops. The document identifies eight essential…

The author reports on a "flip model" of instruction that has gotten national media attention lately, thanks to its promotion by Khan Academy, the high-profile nonprofit online-tutoring library created by Salman A. Khan, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate who was looking for a way to help his young relatives with their homework. The…

An outdoor classroom is an exciting way to connect the learning of science to nature and the environment. Many school grounds include gardens, grassy areas, courtyards, and wooded areas. Some even have nearby streams or creeks. These are built-in laboratories for inquiry! In the authors' third-grade classroom, they align and integrate…

What does it look like to "understand" operations with fractions? The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) uses the term "understand" when describing expectations for students' knowledge related to each of the fraction operations within grades 4 through 6 (CCSSI 2010). Furthermore, CCSSM elaborates that…

In order to promote mathematical understanding among English Language Learners (ELLs), it is necessary to modify instructional strategies to effectively communicate mathematical content. This paper discusses the instructional strategies used by four pre-service teachers to teach mathematics to secondary students in English-medium schools in…

The past decade has evidenced significant dialogue on faith-based campuses about the persistent gap between the increasing ethnic diversity of the student population and that of the faculty. While campus administrators and leaders acknowledge the need to address this concern through faculty development, there is a disturbing lack of successful…

The New Zealand Marine Studies Centre has developed a programme for secondary gifted and talented students offering hands-on science in the real world. These programmes are designed to include elements of the Enrichment Triad Model (ETM), specifically the three types of enrichment, and, to a lesser degree, some aspects of the Schoolwide Enrichment…

This article seeks to make a compelling case for authors' rights training through emphasis on academic librarians' dual roles as both authors and as liaisons to research and teaching faculty. Using the example of the Rights Well Workshop developed at Oregon State University Libraries, the article demonstrates the value of training librarians as…