Discusses the importance of music for brain development, pleasure, retention and motivation, and problem solving and critical thinking. Describes methods for including music in education that are related to music acquisition. Suggests classroom music activities and notes the importance of making instruments available, displaying written music, and…

This research note examines the effect that computer mediated communication (CMC) has on learner activity levels in a self-regulated asynchronous learning network environment and investigates whether or not CMC can be used to positively influence the learning experience in a university course. (LRW)

Introduces Coweb, which is based on the idea that any page is directly editable by any reader and any editor can create pages in the web site. Identifies activities implemented on Coweb and investigates the effects of activities using Coweb on student learning. (Contains 32 references.) (Author/YDS)

Describes the Early Childhood Accelerated Program, an innovative pilot program in Wichita, Kansas, focusing on high-ability children ages 3-5 from culturally diverse groups. (PKP)

Allowing students one hour of classroom time daily to explore their interests complements the curriculum and creates lifelong learners, though benefits may not show up on test scores. Discovery learning nurtures creativity and love for learning, creates a community of learners, develops self-esteem, teaches skills, and uses real-world resources.…

Presents the rationale associated with the design of a set of activities that combine cultural understanding and language practice in Spanish courses at three different levels in a study abroad program. Activities that stimulate the use of the target language during a brief study abroad experience as well as a deeper understanding of the host…

The article addresses clarity and coherence of lesson goals as a scaffold for student learning. In 13 physics classes video recordings of the introductory lesson of two topics were rated with respect to clarity and coherence of the lesson structure. HLM analyses showed a positive effect of classes with high goal clarity and coherence on the…

Finnish early childhood education can be defined as practical educational activity, as a discipline, or as a field of science. This study focuses on the academic connections of early childhood education and concentrates on the identification of actors according to Bourdieu's field theory. The roots of academic early childhood education go back…

Results of a qualitative study conducted at four diverse higher education institutions revealed that adult learning principles that describe how programs should be offered, as opposed to what is offered, are of primary importance. Faculty development programs should foster new friends, conversations, and connections outside of individuals'…

According to expectancy-value theories, increasing the utility value of a learning activity should result in higher motivation and better learning. In contrast, self-determination theory posits that the content of the future goals (intrinsic vs. extrinsic) that enhance the utility value of the learning activity needs to be considered as well.…

The recent Library of Congress exhibition, From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America, has sparked renewed interest in the history of Jews in the United States. The collection featured more than 200 documents, images, and artifacts that chronicle the Jewish American experience. In exhibit from September through December 2004, From…

At the elementary level, when children learn best through hands-on activities, when is the best time to use literacy and make that connection to enhance learning? For teachers involved in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Science Teacher Enhancement Program Unifying the Pikes Peak Region, STEP-uP professional development program for teachers, it is…

The Internet has recently been identified as a potential enabler of lifelong learning. Web-based learning systems enable learners easily to access rich resources and actively participate in learning activities without time and distance limits. The main challenge in lifelong learning is providing the opportunity for discussion and collaborative…

In this study, it is assumed that "a will to learn" must be present before teachers engage in actual learning activities. In order to explore teachers' will to learn in workplace situations, a small-scale qualitative study was conducted using a semi-structured interview, observation, a retrospective interview, and a phenomenographic approach to…

One of the essential factors that accounts for learning (rather than mere participation) is instructional alignment, a factor often overlooked in the richly complex arena of the gymnasium. "Instructional alignment exists when there is a match in the stimulus conditions of intended outcomes, instructional processes, and instructional assessment"…