Three widely used sixth-grade textbooks were studied to see how fraction concepts were represented. The textbooks selected were "Connected Mathematics," "Middle Grades MathThematics," and Glencoe's "Mathematics: Applications and Concepts Course 1." Three specific areas were examined: representation mode, model, and problem context. Results of…

Elapsed-time problems are notoriously difficult for children. Instruction on techniques for teaching and learning elapsed time is not emphasized in current mathematics education literature. Nor is it addressed in "Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics: A Quest for Coherence" (NCTM 2006). This absence of…

This article discusses an ongoing study into issues relevant to the design of learning objects for educational applications via portable digital assistant (PDA) technology. The specific areas of inquiry in this study are: the kinds of learning objects that are effective for PDA delivery; contexts for their effective educational applications; and…

In today's rapidly changing world, people must continually come up with creative solutions to unexpected problems. Success is based not only on what one knows or how much one knows, but on one's ability to think and act creatively. In short, people are now living in the Creative Society. Unfortunately, few of today's classrooms focus on helping…

"On your mark, get set, go!" Elementary students love to hear these words as they participate in the annual Third Grade Better Boat Challenge. This highly motivational project started a few years ago as the author was developing the third-grade science curriculum to include a study that revolved around models, design, and problem solving. It has…

Employers seek job candidates with critically thinking abilities, great written and oral communication skills, and honesty, among other characteristics. Research supports the need to develop those qualities and business faculty are charged with the task of developing and improving them. As a result faculty are continually searching for new and…

Students are often told to use representations to solve mathematics problems, yet it may be a hindrance for many. This article contains an approach, the Graphic Representational Analysis Process, that teachers can use to analyze representations and focus future instruction. (Contains 7 figures.)

Grounded in the work of W. Edwards Deming, this article describes the basics of systems thinking, viewing a business as a system, and contrasts improving a system with solving a problem. The article uses the human body as a metaphor to describe the various aspects of viewing a business as a system at the concept level and maps the Deming cycle,…

In the volatile, global environment of the 21st century, being able to communicate successfully is the key to employment, to citizenship, and to a quality life. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills--a coalition of American businesses with an international focus, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education--recently released "A…

Having an "emotional passport" means acquiring skills to regulate intense emotional challenges experienced in cultural transitions. This paper addresses ways to help young travelers become more resilient problem-solvers, better at tolerating ambiguity, and more competent with cultural difference. It points out how the intercultural field misses…

The overarching goal to create life-long learners who are enthusiastic readers requires a two-pronged approach: (1) enhancing dispositions; and (2) simultaneously teaching reading skills. This approach is powerfully portrayed in the children's book, "Thank You, Mr. Falker" (Polacco, 1998). This article explores how teachers of young children can…

The maturation of the adolescent brain is focused on two tasks: developing autonomy and understanding self in context of the community. Therefore, parents and other adults must assure that young people have multiple opportunities to interact in supportive environments where they can develop the capacity to self-regulate and achieve autonomy.…

The author sincerely appreciates the recognition of National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and his colleagues on being permitted to give the 2009 Legends in School Psychology address. He starts by acknowledging that his accomplishments are really the accomplishments of many. Throughout his career, the author has had the opportunity to…

The Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS) is a measurement system for applying numbers to global variables in two-dimensional art (drawing and painting). While it was originally developed for use with the single-picture assessment ("Draw a person picking an apple from a tree" [PPAT]), researchers can also apply many of the 14 scales of the…

Just as objectivist theories have provided foundations for traditional tests, constructivist theories can offer foundations for performance assessment design and development methods. The tenets and principles embedded in various learning theories provide a solid foundation that can be combined with psychometric principles to help assessment…