Educational facilitators play an important role at Boricua College New York (New York) where they work on behalf of students, mediating, informing, and generally facilitating student progress through college. Two case studies of adult female students illustrate that facilitators can steer students toward better outcomes, even though they cannot…

Describes a program where teams of fifth graders and high school junior and senior physics students work together to explore physical science principles and create a student-constructed exploratorium. Incorporates and synthesizes scientific inquiry, hands-on activities, and creative and critical problem-solving approaches in a motivating and fun…

Examined the effects of a 4-week interdisciplinary unit on middle school students' problem-solving ability. Subjects, 459 students in 4 Midwestern school districts, were taught by 6 teams of teachers. Pre- and posttest results indicated that students identified as formal operational thinkers made significant gains in their problem-solving ability,…

Six classes received problem-centered mathematics instruction for two years in second and third grade. Results indicate that students in these classes scored significantly higher than students in traditional classes on standardized measures of computational proficiency and conceptual understanding. (TO)

Investigates whether exposure to discourse elements affects idea production in novice writers. Results indicate that students given discourse prompts generated significantly more ideas than those given purely motivational prompts and that they spent more time generating ideas, suggesting that instruction in discourse elements may prove beneficial.…

Gives an overview of the components of the problem-solving process, emphasizing its iterative, not linear, character. Describes how individual characteristics influence problem solving choices and outcomes, and discusses ways in which understanding of problem-solving informs some innovative teaching techniques, with examples from individual…

Argues that including computer programming in the curriculum as a medium for instruction is a feasible alternative for teaching problem solving. Discusses the nature of problem solving; the problem-solving elements of discovery, motivation, practical learning situations and flexibility which are inherent in programming; capabilities of computer…

A first grade teacher in a diverse school assessed students' abilities to solve nonroutine math problems by examining their problem-solving processes. Results show that allowing students to develop their own methods of problem solving helps them internalize the process and articulate their solutions to others, thus becoming teachers themselves.…

Target 5 of the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance is examined. Three assessment areas are reviewed: risk factors, problem behavior, and reintegration of students. Within each of these areas, current research and recommendations for best practices are provided. (Author/PB)

This article describes teaching mathematics to students with disabilities using "My Math," a three-component software program consisting of "shells" into which students or teachers insert content. The three components include computation problems, arithmetic word problems, and arithmetic story problems. The content of the program is discussed,…

Addresses the issue of creative teaching in social studies. Examines the way the creative classroom looks, how teachers can become more creative, and the importance of creative teaching in social studies. Concludes that creativity can foster students' understanding of social issues and aid in the retention of students until graduation. (RW)

Two field experiments were conducted to compare the effects of a cooperative learning group method to a whole-class method on acquisition of selected social-environmental studies problem-solving skills by 342 fourth graders. Both methods outperformed the control, but the cooperative strategy was less effective than was the whole-class method. (TJH)

Investigates the effectiveness of the Char-L Intensive Phonics program within a six-week summer tutorial program for students with learning problems. Finds significant gains in reading for most students and improved word attack skills for all students completing academic tasks requiring reading. (KEH)

Offers a microeconomics crossword puzzle aimed at helping upper sixth year students prepare for the Advanced Level examination. Presents the puzzle as a useful tool to stimulate class discussion and to test students' facility with economic language and concepts. (CH)

Notes that laboratory work should be more oriented towards puzzle solving rather than technique or illustration. Offers three organic laboratory puzzles which can be solved by melting point alone. Involves lab work at the 100-200-mg scale but still uses conventional glassware. (MVL)