William Heard Kilpatrick, who pioneered project-based learning in the early 1900s, advocated basing schools on child-chosen projects engendering "purposeful activity." When children are allowed to choose what to explore, they become intrinsically motivated to work hard and strive for the highest quality. A fifth-grade teacher describes…

The crisis in American education is converging with an equally significant concern: the unchecked destruction of our natural environment. Through its Science Institutes for youth, the National Audubon Society is helping teachers foster appreciation for the natural world and produce the know-how to conserve it. Programs in Maryland, District of…

Presents ideas to help elementary teachers encourage their students to discover the excitement of doing descriptive, historical, or experimental research by seeking new information, testing hypotheses, gathering data, drawing conclusions, and using appropriate vocabulary. The article includes questions for children to investigate and words used by…

Butler County (Pennsylvania) Vo-Tech motivates better attendance and achievement through an incentive program with tangible rewards such as the Win-a-Car contest. A two-day self-esteem program involves action-oriented experiential learning activities designed to develop leadership, teamwork, self-esteem, and problem-solving skills. (SK)

Four groups of 24 undergraduates each received the following instruction on logic circuits: (1) lab, then readings; (2) computer simulation, then readings; (3) readings, then lab; and (4) readings, then simulation. Results showed that advance exposure to experiential activity (lab or simulation) aided the learning of unfamiliar technical material…

Describes a role-play exercise that offers an experiential means to teach counseling students about process consultation. Claims exercise provides an experiential framework for understanding the role of the consultant but also illustrates the complexity of interpersonal dynamics within an existing organization. (ABL)

Texas has opened the door to electronic instructional media, allowing science students new ways to explore the world. Hands-on activities make science concepts real. Videodiscs provide teachers with rich instructional material, displaying still shots, graphics, and film clips on monitors. Students can now explore extreme weather conditions,…

Describes the following steps to encourage the natural process of story-making within groups: finding an appropriate setting; sitting in a circle; involving group members through drawings; adding movement; combining individual's drawings to create a group story; rehearsing the story for presentation; finding a proper spot for the performances; and…

Kolb's Experiential Learning Model suggests that people differ in how they perceive and process information. Public agency training should incorporate knowledge of brain hemisphere dominance and learning style preferences in training design. (SK)

Describes a miniscience unit on frogs for elementary grades that teaches students about how frogs develop from tadpoles and how frogs need water during their entire life cycle. Students learn such skills as observation, collecting, and recording data. Provides addresses for ordering resources for teachers and students. (SM)

Teachers can help students "find" problems by brainstorming potential research ideas connected to interests they already have. Students of all ages can do descriptive, historical, experimental, correlational, and developmental research. Case, field, causal, and comparative research might be more successful with older students. Conducting real…

Discusses legitimate peripheral participation and the idea of apprenticeship, in educational settings as well as in broader communities of practice. Highlights include the historical and situational aspects of learning; the contrast with constructivism; instructionism; the influence of computer technology; and empirical research. (11 references)…

The article presents inexpensive activities to teach elementary school students about electromagnets. Students learn to make an electromagnet with a battery, nail, and wire, then different activities help them explore the difference between permanent magnets and electromagnets. (SM)

Considers the nature of learning and examines the role of simulations and games in promoting learning. Topics discussed include relating general systems theory to the process of learning; Kolb's model of experiential learning; the debriefing process in games and simulations; and the role of the teacher. (13 references) (LRW)

Waldorf education, rooted in the spiritual-scientific research of the Austrian scientist Rudolf Steiner, conceives man/woman as a three-fold being of spirit, soul, and body whose capacities unfold in three developmental stages: early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. Waldorf schools educate the whole human being--head, heart, and…