Describes experiential learning and guidance activities provided to preservice early childhood educators at the University of Western Sydney which better enable them to establish preschool environments that stimulate curiosity and promote thinking. Notes how students found that collaborative activities with interactive dialog nurtured their…

Because of the way young children learn, environmental educational programs should incorporate opportunities for sensory absorption and physical manipulation. Emphasis should be on stimulating children's senses and bringing joy to their actions, thoughts and feelings. Key concepts related to developmentally appropriate practices include active…

Service learning helps students develop skills such as creative problem solving, effective communication, decision making, and information synthesis. A recent report found that service-learning participants scored significantly higher on measures of personal and social responsibility, acceptance of cultural diversity, and service leadership.…

Development of competence for women in outdoor programs is a complex process shaped by gender-role socialization, learning environments, and individual differences. Sense of competence is a fundamental component of self-esteem and may not be congruent with actual competence. Personal narrative of a solo experience illustrates its impact on sense…

Argues that although differential equations are billed as applied mathematics, there is rarely any hands-on experience incorporated into the course. Presents a laboratory project that requires students to obtain data from a physics lab and use that data to compute the coefficients of the second order differential equation, which mathematically…

Describes the Schoolyard Ecosystem Project (SEP) developed in Florida for a fifth-grade science enrichment class. The project focused on identifying the schoolyard's ecosystem; determining species at risk; determining how to help; collaborating with community leaders, parents, and peers; and becoming leaders for the environment. (AIM)

Many older, working students at metropolitan universities have developed skills to function effectively within international work groups. Teaming these students with faculty members as "learner experts" to aid in developing course content or to deliver innovative curricultural experiences may help keep courses up-to-date, relevant, and exciting.…

Presents activities that were used to celebrate "Half-Time Day", the halfway point of the school year. Includes various hands-on ways for children to experience the fraction 1/2, including learning centers and whole-group activities. (JRH)

Discusses issues of how lifelong learning, globalization and capitalism are related within late modernity and how an increasingly homogeneous global economy requires a high level of cognitive skills in its workers. Argues that policymakers should encourage life long learning so that it can be easily combined into people's lives. Contains 45…

A successful businessman developed his creativity in spite of his school experiences. Creativity is essential to compete in the global market. For that reason, he supports creative education in Canada through internships and design competitions and as advisor to a college school of design. Partnerships between education and industry stimulate…

Discusses a game in which students must guess the flavor of LifeSaver candy without the aid of sight and smell. Explains that this demonstration assists students to understand the phenomenon of random occurrences. Describes how the presentation is conducted as well as the outcomes of the demonstration. (CMK)

Presents activities to help students gain understanding about auditory perception. Describes demonstrations that cover topics, such as sound localization, wave cancellation, frequency/pitch variation, and the influence of media on sound propagation. (CMK)

New, unplanned uses for digital photography in the preschool classroom emerged as a Head Start teacher photographed her class participating in a science curriculum development project called Building Structures Exploration. The photographs enabled children to revisit and extend their investigations, to reflect on their building experiences and…

Basic concepts of experiential learning theory are presented to assist camp directors in choosing knowledgeable staff and developing successful adventure programs. These concepts include assessment of learner (camper) readiness, activity sequencing, learning cycle, comfort zone, activity framing, task goals versus process goals, and five stages of…

Focuses on the use of service learning and community-based learning (CBL) discussing six types of CBL in detail: (1) out-of-class activities; (2) volunteering; (3) service add-on; (4) internships; (5) service learning; and (6) service-learning advocacy. Addresses the benefits of service learning and other CBL initiatives. Includes references. (CMK)