Through policies like No Child Left Behind, the federal government incentivized the use of student performance data as a core strategy for improving student achievement. The assumption behind these efforts is that data will be used to guide teacher practice and promote high-quality instruction. This study examined how teachers describe using data…

For decades, classroom instruction was dominated by lectures, textbooks and note-taking. And for decades, students have often been bored and unengaged. They took notes and did what they had to do to memorize lessons just long enough to pass an exam. But short-term memorization does not help much in preparing students for college, advanced training…

Schools and districts are inundated with data from a variety of sources. As a result, using data to guide instructional planning can be daunting for teachers and schools. While schools and districts are dealing with shrinking budgets and growing demands for high student achievement, an investment in school-based coaching can provide exponential…

Many have proposed the creation of a practitioner knowledge base as a foundation for the continuous improvement of teaching. In this article, we discuss the promise, and the challenges, involved in the creation and use of such a knowledge base. We begin by reflecting on the difficulties of changing teaching, a cultural and contextual activity. We…

The idea that teaching practices could be improved through better data systems has captured the imagination of policy makers, researchers and foundations. However, the concept of data use itself is so ill-defined as to suggest that it is more of a panacea than a coherent reform proposal. This paper examines the concept with an eye toward what we…

Describes IBM's Teaching and Learning with Computers which is viewed as a methodology for driving educational reform. Highlights include the need for schools to change from communicating information to teaching how to access, use, and apply information; education and learning outcomes; courseware models; and the classroom as a learning center.…

This document was prepared as a guide for educators in Manitoba (Canada) to facilitate the implementation of the resource-based learning model implicit in the province's curriculum guides from kindergarten through Senior 4 and to integrate the instructional programs of the classroom and the school library as specified by the provincial department…

Discusses various initiatives in Canadian schools and universities that involve new ways of learning with technology. Teachers today can and should use new technologies, such as online services, to transform their teaching methods and create the desire in young people to be lifelong learners. (Author/CDS)