William Heard Kilpatrick, who pioneered project-based learning in the early 1900s, advocated basing schools on child-chosen projects engendering "purposeful activity." When children are allowed to choose what to explore, they become intrinsically motivated to work hard and strive for the highest quality. A fifth-grade teacher describes…

A relationship exists between children's interest and investment in their school work and teachers' repertoire of techniques for engaging them. New teachers need to develop varied teaching strategies and be provided with an interconnected support system, innovative preparation programs, mentoring opportunities, ongoing professional development,…