Reports a study of Japanese students' perception of traditional methods versus the natural approach and total physical response (TPR) methods for learning English, and their preferred styles of learning. Subjects were Japanese students attending intensive language schools in the U.S. Students generally preferred innovative methods, such as…

Describes the development of a collaborative evaluation model and its application to a curricular innovation project within a secondary school system in Hong Kong. Focuses on the limits of collaboration in long-term evaluation projects with multiple stakeholders. (Author/VWL)

Examines how secondary school students in Singapore construct knowledge through reading and understanding their science textbooks in an attempt to discover whether early or later pedagogic interventions in the learning process are more helpful. (Author/VWL)

Describes the development of a safe, caring community in the classroom where students feel cared for, where they are able to learn, and where they learn to care for others. Describes the implementation of an assortment of community-building activities divided into two areas: establishment of rules and establishment of rituals and routines. (VWC)

Describes the study of backgrounds, beliefs, and attitudes of teachers (n=51) about proofs. Explores four issues: (1) preservice teachers' experiences/exposure to proof; (2) their beliefs about what constitutes proof; (3) the role of proof in mathematics; and (4) their beliefs about when proof should be introduced in K-12 math classes. Discusses…

Describes the Creative Thinking in Technology (CTT) program in which creative thinking is presented as a synthesis between lateral thinking and vertical thinking. Analyzes student projects in light of this definition of creativity, and explores the role technology can play in developing students' higher order thinking skills. (Contains 37…

Presents a lesson that focuses on Lithuanian efforts to gain their freedom and their role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Describes various learning activities that foster understanding of this topic, such as having the students dramatize important events in Lithuania's struggle for independence. (CMK)

This response to Detterman and Thompson (1997) analyzes their criticisms of special education and presents evidence of the effectiveness of current instructional techniques for children with disabilities in contrast with the cognitive approaches favored by Detterman and Thompson. Assumptions about the significance of intelligence testing and…

Four children (ages 4-6) with autism were taught to use gestures in combination with oral communication. Intervention was introduced successively across three response categories that contained gestures representative of attention-directing/getting, affective, and descriptive behavior. Results indicated that all participants acquired this skill…

An ongoing project to measure faculty work at the University of Southern California exemplifies the collaborative approach to producing an assessment instrument that documents both an individual's productivity in research, teaching, and service and determines the worth of his activities in relation to institutional goals. The resulting Faculty…

Evaluates 15 criminal justice Web sites that have been selected according to the following criteria: authority, currency, purpose, objectivity, and potential usefulness to researchers. The sites provide narrative and statistical information concerning crime, law enforcement, the judicial system, and corrections. Searching techniques are also…

Discusses adolescents' needs, asserting that the Erdkinder environment is Montessori's answer to those needs. Outlines various aspects of the Erdkinder environment. Concludes by summarizing what needs to be done to work towards establishing Erdkinder communities in secondary education. (JS)

Explains that in Maria Montessori's California presentations during 1915, she specified the difference between "her" teacher who observed, guided and learned from children and the "regular" teacher who taught what adults thought children should know. Conveys that Montessori advocated teachers be humble, patient, and learn to…

This article first discusses the characteristics of students who are learning English as a second language and of students with disabilities that affect academic achievement. Then it describes strategies for use in the general education classroom including: (1) developing listener-friendly lectures, (2) adapting textbooks, (3) adapting…

This article describes a video- and computer-based program used to motivate and develop mathematics skills in middle school students with disabilities. The program emphasizes real-life problems such as building a cage for a pet, a skate boarding ramp, and a "hovercraft" frame. Case studies illustrate the program's effectiveness with individual…