Communication and professional dialogue are essential elements of a high-quality education environment in which all students can succeed. Such an environment is especially important for the success of students with special needs. Unfortunately, collaboration between special educators, general educators, and other professionals is often hindered by…

Problem-solving activities let students use knowledge gained in various areas of their academic education. They bring together skills and knowledge from such areas as science, math, art, and English by simulating activities and projects students will encounter later in career and life experiences. A very important feature of most problem-solving…

The purpose of the "Identity Pole" was to explore the big idea of identity. Students would confront issues of personal and cultural meaning, and draw upon interdisciplinary connections for inspiration. The author chose to present totem poles of the Northwest Coast Native Americans/First Nations of Canada, as well as school, state and national…

Developing proficiency in algebra is the focus of instruction in high school mathematics courses and is a minimum expectation for high school completion for all students including those with learning difficulties. However, the foundation for success is laid in grades 4-8 (aged 9-14). In this paper, we assert that students' development of algebraic…

There are at least three powerful insights for educational technology researchers and designers from recent neuroscience studies of the brain and from cognitive science research findings: First, our brains learn and process two very different types of knowledge; non-conscious, automated, procedural, or implicit knowledge, and conscious,…

Given the importance of algebra, middle school mathematics teachers have a responsibility to help students transition from understanding arithmetic to understanding the algebra that will be necessary for success in high school. One method of transition involves introducing algebraic concepts in concrete ways using meaningful contexts. The series…

Building students' ability to transfer physics fundamentals to real-world applications establishes a deeper understanding of underlying concepts while enhancing student interest. Forensic science offers a great opportunity for students to apply physics to highly engaging, real-world contexts. Integrating these opportunities into inquiry-based…

School consultation and response to intervention (RTI) are both problem-solving methods employed in school-based service delivery, but beyond that characteristic, how are they the same and how are they different? A major purpose of this commentary is to compare and contrast the scholarly literatures of school consultation and RTI. A selective…

In the Netherlands and the USA, the assessment process is changing for children who present learning and behavioural challenges in school. Evaluations for eligibility determinations and support planning are shifting along with disability models and tensions over the provision of inclusive schooling. Legislative edicts influence the assessment…

Many students lack problem-solving skills. As teenagers, they tend to blame external forces or other people when something goes wrong, instead of trying to understand the root cause to prevent it from happening again. This article discusses the Lean Six Sigma methodology for problem solving, which the Board of Cooperative Educational Services in…

Background: A concern for scientific rigor has directed most recent research on creativity towards the study of unambiguous expressions of talent. This is problematic for educators and anyone else who is interested in children's creative potential. Focus of discussion: Creative potential should be the primary concern for educators. Theories of and…

The ability to examine problems using varied approaches is one of the most important characteristics of good problem solvers. Other characteristics include independence, flexibility in thinking, determination, and a willingness to take risks. By using multiple representations, students are being asked to show the same information in varied ways.…

Student involvement in their own assessment can add reflection and metacognition to the learning process. Based on this idea, an assessment instrument was developed to self-assess college students' mathematical problem solving tasks. The main objective of this exercise is to improve student learning. The assessment instrument contains three items:…

The goal of this Statement on Competencies in Mathematics Expected of Entering College Students is to provide a clear and coherent message about the mathematics that students need to know and to be able to do to be successful in college. While parts of this Statement were written with certain audiences in mind, the document as a whole should be…

Thanks to technological progress the world becomes more and more complicated. People stand in front of new and difficult problems that need to be solved. These are problems, the solutions of which are not universal, and cannot be learned. Many solutions require specific data that cannot be learned, as new data is part of the ongoing generation of…