From a social constructivist perspective, learning happens by way of engagement with other people and with objects in the environment, often through a process of play and exploration. The notion of tinkering illustrates this mode of creative play, which is relevant not only to youth learning but also to educators' professional learning. In this…

Despite the popular belief that fun has a positive impact in learning contexts, empirical research on fun in the classroom has been limited. To extend research in this area, the goal of this study was to develop and validate a new scale to assess fun in the classroom and examine its relationship with student engagement. The multi-stage scale…

Challenges the identification of literacy with intelligence and abstract reasoning ability. Suggests nonverbal projects as a way of broadening the definition of intelligence in the English classroom. A bibliography is included. (DF)

In the framework of Transactional Analysis, there are three ego states, the Parent, Child, and Adult. Students' enthusiasm for learning is directly related to the health of their Child ego state. Since the Adult ego state exemplifies the rational part, schools can be seen as organized to further the functioning of this state. An examination of…

Information on the values of woodworking for young children and ways to introduce and manage a carpentry center for them are provided in this guide. The following topics are included: (1) the values of woodworking on child development; (2) how the teacher can use the center to provide for the integration, discovery, and development of woodworking…

Discusses ways that arts and crafts can be integrated into content learning activities. Describes activities in a unit on animals in winter, noting that arts and crafts present an opportunity for children to demonstrate learning in new ways. (JW)

Blue Star Camps (Hendersonville, North Carolina) used talents of an internationally known architectural artist to emphasize a world peace dimension in their 1985 eight-week coed summer program. Past creative programs have included mock United Nations sessions, mock presidential conventions/elections, lunar landing salute, bicentennial celebration,…

To enable college students to grapple with their own process of creating, students complete a project that involves collecting a variety of small objects, dividing the objects into two categories, telling a story using all the objects, describing their feelings about the categorization and story-telling activities, and writing about their creative…

This student activity book is intended for junior high or high school students. Originally written to be used in a summer television course, the material can be adapted to a regular class situation. The wide variety of materials are relevant to courses in reading, literature, composition, speech, psychology, and social studies. The book includes…

Suggests activities to help toddlers develop skills in the four important areas of self-help, creativity, world mastery, and coordination. Activities include hand washing, button practice, painting, movement and music, bubble making, creation of a nature mural, and a shoe print trail. (TJQ)

Develops a "living map" project that introduces the topology and climate of the Florida Keys through the use of creative, dramatic movement. Explains that gifted second and third grade students become parts of the environment on a large, topographical floor map. Describes materials, objectives, and procedures. (DB)

This handbook, the third printing of the original 1976 edition, presents an eclectic combination of activities gathered from parents and teachers of preschool children, with a focus on the process rather than the product of learning. Its goal is the establishment of positive experiences and sound interpersonal relationships between adults and…

The Colorado Outdoor Education Center aims to educate the total person by offering programs which help each individual to gain a sense of the earth, of community, and of self. At High Trails the students are brought into direct contact with nature, utilizing small groups and emphasizing direct experiences. The integrated, multi-disciplinary…

Helping students develop multiple intelligences and achieve content mastery requires teachers to design meaningful active learning experiences. Active learning uses the active engagement of the students' thinking processes in learning and applying knowledge. By designing active strategies that engage each student's strongest learning skills, a…