This paper reports a study of how context influences a content-based language teaching (CBLT) project in China, an approach which is fairly new in the country, in its implementation in three middle schools. It identifies three aspects of the context which have a crucial effect on classroom practice. These are the perceptions of the project and its…

Selected verses from Abdullah Yusuf Ali's English language translation of the meaning of the Quran have been used as a literary text to teach both descriptive and figurative imagery (including similes, metaphors and symbols) to students at the undergraduate level in an Islamic institution. The technique--Illustrating and Designing for teaching…

Children's literature is a wonderful addition to the general music classroom. Stories and poems can be key strategic tools for teaching musical concepts and skills while leading students to further experience writing, vocabulary, and literature. Children's literature and music provide an opportunity to increase the love of music and reading within…

This article, based on research findings, examines the effect of implementing a genre approach to develop writing competency of Year 5 and 6 L2 primary school students. Using action research, the genre approach was implemented over a 10-week term with two lessons per week in a culturally and linguistically diverse ESL class in a South Australian…

In this activity, students will develop an understanding of the economic impact of technology by estimating the cost savings of power management strategies in the classroom. Students will learn how to adjust computer display settings to influence the impact that the computer has on the financial burden to the school. They will use mathematics to…

Mathematics education literature supports the complex process of prospective secondary mathematics teacher (PSMT) learning and development, the impact of beliefs on PSMT learning and development, and the lack of demonstrated mathematics classroom practice supported by current constructivist reform perspectives referred to as…

Regardless of your stage at implementing the design tools and using the improved template for Understanding by Design[R] (UbD), this companion to "The UbD Guide to Creating High-Quality Units" is essential for taking your work to a higher plane. This volume features a set of hands-on modules containing worksheets, models, and self-assessments that…

This paper explores the feasibility and efficacy of incorporating an interactive, discussion-based instructional approach into an undergraduate art history survey course and investigates effects of the new pedagogic strategy on students' demonstrated comprehension and retention of required content. The action research project follows a systematic…

African American students, commonly designated a sub-group in assessment data reports, consistently score well below their peers in mathematics. A consequence of this phenomenon is that math teachers often feel obligated to provide remedial methods of instruction focused on recall and repetitive practice, believing that these strategies will…

The number of linguistically and culturally diverse students has been rapidly increasing in the United States. English language learner (ELL) enrollment has increased more than 50 percent from 1995-1996 to 2005-2006, composing about 10 percent of the total number of Pre-K-12 enrollment. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that 40 percent of the…

We present a MATLAB script INSOLATE.m that calculates insolation at the top of the atmosphere and the total amount of daylight during the year (and other quantities) with respect to geographic latitude and Earth's obliquity (axial tilt). The script output displays insolation values for an entire year on a three-dimensional graph. This tool…

This article reports on the implementation of a teaching approach based on Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (MI) at a school in the Hammanskraal area in Gauteng, South Africa. The aim was to determine the impact that such an approach would have on teachers, learners and learner performance. This article discusses the implementation…

This updated edition of the bestselling book on the brain's natural learning process brings new research results and applications in a power-packed teacher tool kit. Rita Smilkstein shows teachers how to create and deliver curricula that help students become the motivated, successful, and natural learners they were born to be. Updated features…

Bridging the gap in student performance has changed the teaching practice in classrooms across America. Educators have the responsibility to teach all learners. There is a need for instruction to be tailored to boost the higher-level achievers and balance the gaps. This study examined the attitudes and actions of regular and gifted teachers…

The purpose of the study was to investigate the nature of the preservice teachers' (PSTs) reflections on their practices in the context of the Iterative Model Building (IMB) approach. Participants were elementary PSTs enrolled in a field experience course in the spring of 2009. The field experience included formative assessment interviews,…