This paper is an analysis of a project that involved African American middle school students in a drama program that was based on their lives and the stories of their community. Students were trained in performance skills, participated in the development of a script, and then performed the script in local schools. The 10 student participants, 5…

The purposes of this paper are to: share insights into the development of online collaborative learning experiments; discuss the role of instructional systems design (ISD); and present examples of design components within an ISD-based framework. The model presented explains the people, processes, and products that are involved in creating online…

Scaffolding refers to the instructional support that instructors or more skillful peers offer learners to bridge the gap between their current skill levels and the desired level. An aspect of scaffolding that is often ignored is the fading of support as the learner masters the skill. It has been suggested that there is a risk of over-relying on…

This study presents work in progress that investigates the use of visual learning logs by preservice elementary teachers as one component of developing visual literacy for science teaching and learning. The purpose of the study is to explore the use of visual learning logs as an alternative mode for thinking and communicating about experiences in…

Many primary school teachers feel a lack of confidence in teaching science and technology. This paper aims to demonstrate useful and practical strategies for non-specialist science teachers to use in stimulating a positive scientific attitude among primary school students. It proposes that teachers should strive to develop children's natural…

The case can be made that school-to-work programs can be a college preparatory strategy because they can teach academic skills as well as and possibly even better than more traditional approaches. The skepticism about its potential as a means of preparing students for college is based on misconceptions about its characteristics. Its three basic…

This videotape and viewing guide present an emerging learner-centered paradigm of teaching and learning and contrast this new paradigm with traditional concepts. An associated guide describes the elementary school in the videotape, noting the full inclusion of 50 students identified as disabled, the team approach in which teachers are renamed…

Learner-centered principles espoused by the American Psychological Association (APA) built on research of the last three decades suggest that learning does not simply entail coordinated cognitive processes. These 12 principles portray factors associated with learning as essential parts of the portrayal of learners as active creators of their own…

This paper describes a teacher education effort that developed conditions for teachers to be more effective learners about teaching and encouraged teachers' development of a personal understanding of educational issues. A group of teachers in one school established the Project To Enhance Effective Learning (PEEL) as an approach to encourage more…

This teacher package for grades 7-12 takes a broad approach in preparing students for earthquakes. "Hands-on/minds-on", inquiry-driven activities are balanced by library research and visits with disaster planning officials. Emphasis is placed on cooperative learning and the constructivist approach to teaching. Students not only study the…

This book describes approaches to professional development for cooperative learning and how the use of cooperative learning for teacher learning is leading to new insights into professional growth in schools. Part 1, "Begin with the Teacher: Focusing Professional Development for Cooperative Learning," offers "Introduction:…

This brief report examines various ways in which K-12 schools and institutions of higher education can collaborate to effect critical changes in teaching and learning through the use of computers. The first section briefly reviews the history of computer use in education, noting such critical needs as teacher training, and reviews the…

This volume of the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) monograph series describes Northern Arizona University's (NAU) commitment to education and innovation. Contained within this volume are discussions of professional development courses and programs in the area of educational technology. The articles in this monograph feature educational…

This paper presents ideas about what is required for the development of expertise in computer technology and considers those requirements in the K-12 setting. This analysis comes from the point of view of long-time, self-trained users of personal computers and computer communications and long-time observer of the growth of technology expertise in…

Maryville University (Missouri) believes in training competent beginning teachers who understand that all children can learn. Regarding mathematics, prospective teachers must often be convinced they can learn it themselves. Because most students do not have much math preparation, do not like it, and have great misconceptions, Maryville assumes…