This article presents: (1) an overview of some ideas about the diffusion of educational innovations; (2) a brief review of the literature in the field; and (3) some guidelines for developing curriculum innovations. (MM)

Assisted by a U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant, the Hudson (Massachusetts) Public Schools, the Concord Consortium Educational Technology Lab, and 30 collaborating high schools across the nation have developed a virtual high school over the Internet. Through Internet-based courses, Virtual High School significantly…

Presents efforts in exploring new ways for designing innovative pedagogical scenarios to support learning about complex domains that involve the design of interactive learning environments (ILE) to integrate systems supporting alternative ways of interaction with simulations with an emphasis on support for shared interaction to mediate social…

Considers how including the study of poetry in freshman composition, particularly contemporary poetry with no critical history, sometimes leads to a dilemma. Suggests that because of the diversity of freshman and the nature of poetry itself, they need less specialized instruction, which requires the tangle of trying to teach analytical terms while…

Outlines the technical writing tutorial (TWT) that precedes an advanced English as a second language (ESL) writing course for students of English Philology at the Jagiellonian University, Poland. Finds a statistically significant increase in the performance of the students who had taken the TWT. Indicates that technical writing books and journals…

Describes Operation CHEM1251, an on-going project designed to implement a standards-based approach to instruction in the general chemistry curriculum at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Results indicate that this is the first time in five years that any day-time first semester general chemistry course section scored significantly…

Considers how struggling readers may pronounce each syllable more or less correctly when reading a longer word, but without the proper alternating emphasis and de-emphasis characteristic of natural, recognizable speech. Uses a three-part rhyme to determine the relationship between suffixes and stress. Presents some suggestions for helping students…

Addresses the problem of finding a quick, easy, and effective way to teach necessary background knowledge for new topics so teachers can build the specific schema children will need to comprehend the text they read. Describes a mural lesson as an organized way for teachers to talk about and use pictures to provide students with information that…

Suggests that many so-called "theme" or "idea" stories are among the most memorable short works ever written; yet for some readers--inexperienced readers in particular--they present formidable difficulties. Illustrates this with, and provides teaching suggestions for, Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." (SG)

Notes the author's third-grade students had three years of rich experiences with the world of storytelling and realizes that they were ready (whether she was or not) to study William Shakespeare and learn from this timeless master and teller of stories. Notes how she incorporated teaching William Shakespeare into her third grade classroom. (SG)

Offers instructional suggestions for helping students understand the specialized language used in standardized tests they will encounter. (SG)

Suggests that in addition to using books and movies to enhance students' understanding of Shakespeare, teachers can add the World Wide Web to their repertoire to help students connect to Shakespeare. Presents annotations of 12 websites to use for teaching Shakespeare. (SG)

Expresses concern over students' weakness for hyperbole. Notes that in order to engage students in the process of exploring what they do not know, teachers need to convince them that clarity and understatement requires as much imagination as hyperbole and exaggeration. Presents a teaching exercise that encourages students to write about what they…

Presents three teachers' suggestions for teaching grammar. Discusses how the first teacher suggests studying active and passive voice, the second teacher has students construct slang dictionaries, and the third teacher uses sentence combining that engages students and encourages carryover to their writing. (SG)

Concerned about students' poor performance on national tests, one elementary school principal and her staff launched Project READ (Read Exciting Adventures Daily). The program allots 20 minutes daily for schoolwide reading and features home reading contracts, student participation awards, and theme weeks. For one event, the principal dons a…