Discusses the concept of social mathematics in which numerical information is connected to the people and issues of social studies. Maintains elementary students can learn that data represent information from the real world. Includes class activities using historical timelines, data collection, and database computer programs. (CFR)

Advice for doctoral students and fledgling educational researchers presents the following suggestions: (1) use what is known about problem finding to choose a dissertation topic, (2) be persistent in productivity and in the face of discouragement, and (3) replace the typical dissertation structure with a more functional one. (SLD)

Describes school science as a rite of passage, and exposes problems in school science that are made visible through the use of this metaphor. (PR)

Discusses research involving instruction to help students develop their mental managerial processes or metacognition, the role of a framework for problem-solving activities, the teacher as model or moderator, problem solving involving groups or pairs, and weaving writing into problem solving. (Contains 18 references.) (MKR)

Describes a contemporary adaptation of the "Footprint Puzzle," whigh was first developed in the 1960s for the Earth Science Curriculum Project. Students sequentially look at three frames of track drawings. For each frame, students first list observations and then make inferences about the observations. (PR)

Asserts educators have argued about meaning and purpose of social studies since the field's inception in the early 1900s. Contends that reform efforts associated with the America 2000 program focus on teaching factual information from history and geography. Maintains that the proper content of social studies must be persistent and contemporary…

Agreement about importance of learning and how learning can be achieved is possible. Confluence of interests exists among four aspects of human behavior: business and workplace; politics and citizenship; schooling and education; critical and creative thinking. Thirty years of research and scholarship supports the view that critical and creative…

Ontario Agri-Food Education's curriculum unit, "From Both Sides," applies a cooperative-learning method of conflict resolution to environmental issues. Two groups of students are assigned polar views on an issue such as pesticide use. Five steps involve preparing and presenting a position, refuting opposing positions, reversing…

Describes six activities from the "History Alive" program. These include an interactive slide lecture on the Great Depression, a photographic analysis regarding Mexican and Southwest culture, an experiential exercise concerning life on the assembly line, collages on Chinese belief systems, a response group on women's rights, and poetry writing.…

Details the process of implementing problem-based learning in the classroom, illustrated by a planning course. Problem-based learning is a promising method that helps students acquire the skills and knowledge to be more effective practitioners by tackling real-world problems. The instructor, as cognitive coach, ensures that students are active,…

A problem-solving strategy for dealing with disruptive student behavior in the college classroom is outlined. It uses a series of questions designed to provide perspective on the problem and aid in generating responses. Steps include clarifying the problem, identifying critical elements, describing context, analyzing emotional and behavioral…

Identifies and characterizes five major curricular-reform movements in North American medical education since 1765: the apprenticeship-based model; a discipline-based model; the organ-system-based model; the problem-based model; and a clinical-presentation model. Discusses principles and practices and disadvantages and advantages of each. (MSE)

Describes a study that investigated preservice elementary teachers' decisions about teaching strategies and their attitudes toward mathematics and computer-related technologies in a constructivist-centered methods course which included the use of problem-solving multimedia. The effectiveness of these strategies in developing more positive…

The University of Technology, Sydney (Australia) graduate certificate program in local government management grew from a desire for program flexibility and relevance and resulted in a partnership with local government. The one-year program has a variety of delivery modes, with both delivery and content negotiated by participants, employers, and…

Describes an award-winning multidisciplinary, multimedia unit on Native Americans that was developed through participation in the Earthwatch Institute programs. Explains the Earthwatch program; collaboration between library media specialists and classroom teachers; and use of The Big6 process for information problem solving and the development of…