Suggests that issues-centered education has two implications for the social studies curriculum: (1) the application and eventually the integration of subject knowledge and modes of inquiry; and (2) the development of interdisciplinary patterns of curriculum organization, such as fused or the core curriculum, to accommodate the imperative for…

Describes the development of the Mentor Teacher Model that trained middle school and high school mathematics teachers in New Jersey as mentor teachers in the effective use of computer-based technologies for teaching mathematics. Highlights include student-centered teaching methods; cooperative learning; problem-solving activities; and technology…

Describes a simple, small-scale experiment that can be applied at any stage in a chemistry course, including acid-base reactions, solubility, reaction rates, equilibrium, and problem solving. (WRM)

Argues that attempts to incorporate critical-thinking skills into social studies instruction have been negligible. Outlines a framework for effectively helping students to become better thinkers that utilizes a model from the Critical Thinking Cooperative. The model considers such pedagogical factors as background knowledge, habits of mind, and…

Describes an active learning approach used in an introductory biology class and evaluates the project with student surveys. Presents students' answers to survey questions. (Contains 16 references.) (YDS)

A teacher describes the frustrations of an intelligent, learning-disabled fourth-grader who cannot pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System despite standard academic accommodations. The teacher advocates development of alternative or "nonstandard" accommodations and tests that assess students' spatial, problem-solving, and…

Describes a study which explored undergraduate students' reactions to a Web-based environment supporting problem-based learning. Findings revealed that while the majority of students saw value to be gained from learning in a student-centered, collaborative setting, many expressed preference for learning in the more conventional teacher-directed…

As vocational "shop" courses are being replaced by technology education, a woodworking class at Springfield (Pennsylvania) High School is thriving. It is the school's most popular course, with over 100 enrollees each semester. Students think critically, solve problems, and take pride in their fine craftsmanship. (MLH)

Describes how three principles of leadership presented by Heifetz (1994) in "Leadership Without Easy Answers" can be translated into the leadership parenting of young children. Focuses on distinguishing between child-rearing issues that require parents to act as trainers versus those demanding a problem-solving role, on responding to…

Discussion of high school student search strategies on the Internet focuses on electronic pathfinders that can help provide student with alternative resources, identify appropriate subject headings, and target the most appropriate resources. Topics include the change in library materials from print to digital; problem-solving skills; hypertext;…

One management-development approach treats finance as a learning opportunity to assist school leaders in addressing the moral, ethical, political, and resource-related tensions faced while enacting daily leadership responsibilities. Administrators learn to make difficult choices among competing interests while advancing their school's capacity for…

PLATO Learning, Inc., a developer of computer-based instruction, recently released "Math Problem Solving." This product was designed to teach strategies for solving math problems, and consists of 19 problem-solving activities, ranging from basic math to algebra. Each activity includes tools to help find a solution and rule-based coaching to…

Discusses the utility of web-based materials in the curriculum and describes the goals, content, and outcomes of the Bosnian Virtual Fieldtrip. Explains how the field trip relates to general issues of Web usage by situating geographic principles into a real-life situation. Addresses the implications of using web-based materials. (CMK)

Examines the thinking and reasoning skills today's students need, reviewing promising approaches to understanding and improving these skills offered by cognitive psychologists and philosophers, evaluating the contributions of each approach, and suggesting how explanations offered by cognitive psychologists and criteria for evaluating students'…

Describes the hypermodel approach to designing science education software. Hypermodels combine stored or web-based multimedia materials with a manipulable model of the subject domain. Hypermodels are scriptable, and are powerful tools for creating various activities or web-labs that challenge students to solve puzzles, then monitor and react to…