The authors of this report explored children's informal learning outside of school and then investigated how this knowledge can enhance teaching and learning practice in the classroom. The authors worked alongside children to develop a conceptual framework of the variations in how Year 5 students learn informally in their everyday lives outside…

"Transforming Science Assessment: Systems for Innovation," is a series of resources designed to provide state education leaders with: (1) Information about how states are currently pursuing statewide assessment systems in science; (2) Analyses of what features influence different approaches, with an eye to supporting state leaders as…

This article provides an analysis of the growing phenomenon of community writing groups for military veterans. Drawing on the scholarship on literacy studies, community literacy, and veterans' writing groups, the author profiles three veterans' writing groups and provides strategies for starting up, conducting, and sustaining such groups. The…

This account of practice considers action learning within an accredited leadership course at a post-1992 university. It outlines a more individualistic approach than that envisioned by Reg Revans and questions how this technique, inherited from a Staff Development colleague, could potentially be improved.

The chemistry knowledge that we want our students to develop is rich, complex, and multifaceted. However, some teachers and instructors at the secondary school and college levels approach it in rather rigid and unidimensional ways. The central goal of this contribution is to describe and discuss 10 different complementary perspectives or…

The "David" is Fern Creek Elementary, a small urban school in Orlando, Florida, that serves an overwhelmingly disadvantaged student population. The "Goliaths" are the mountains of problems that many inner-city students face--poverty, homelessness, mobility, instability, limited parent involvement, and violent neighborhood…

This chapter discusses Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) as they apply to the SoTL. Specifically, it describes when SoTL projects must receive IRB approval, why they must get IRB approval, the review process, and some special issues of concern with regard to SoTL.

This paper is an output of a Portuguese public research project: "DeSid"--"design as a company's strategic resource: a study of the impacts of design" (FCT). The "DeSid" research project was created with the main purpose to make a diagnosis of the use of design inside the Portuguese manufacturing industry. This paper…

Tom Washburn, founder of the Law and Justice Program in Fulton County Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, sees career and technical education (CTE) as a framework for gains in reading comprehension, public speaking, math and science. "It's a holistic approach to learning, framed by law and justice. Behind the scenes we're reading novels, improving…

This prospective, mixed-method study presents an in-depth view of school-based youth mentoring relationships using qualitative data from direct observations, in-depth interviews, and open-ended questionnaires with mentors and students. The dimension of interpersonal tone, referring to the interaction style between adult mentor and student, was…

IT's tough being a digital sign these days. Everyone wants a piece of action. From announcements to advertisements, menus to broadcasts, digital signs provide dynamic messaging tailored to locations and circumstances. With the advent of wayfinding technology, today's digital signs can serve up customized directions around campuses and all of…

Growing up in Loretto, Tennessee, population 1,700, people called it "going to town" when they went to any city big enough to have a McDonald's, Walmart, or a movie theater. If someone is not from a small town, they may not know what type of economic activities a small town can support. Will the town have a police department? Will there…

Student affairs is a transformative profession, with professionals offering support and assistance to students as they pursue higher education. An increasing number of these professionals have been guided by a foundation in knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained in higher education graduate degree programs. It is estimated that between 15% and…

Today's learners routinely use technology outside of school to communicate, collaborate, and gather information about the world around them. Classroom learning experiences are relevant when they include communication technologies such as social networking, blogging, and video conferencing, and information technologies such as databases, browsers,…

Transition planning is conceptually and empirically linked to successful postschool outcomes for adolescents with disabilities and has been legally mandated for more than two decades. Unfortunately, young adults with high-incidence disabilities, including learning disabilities (LD), emotional disabilities (ED), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity…