In 2011, the directors of the Phoenix Symphony came up with a bold plan to improve and expand their community outreach programs. Inspired by the growing movement to integrate the arts with the other subjects in the K-12 curriculum, they created a thriving program called Mind Over Music, which pairs professional musicians with local elementary…

As increasing numbers of students enter K-12 schools with varied learning needs, one viable option to address their needs is through co-teaching or pairing of general and special education teachers in the same classroom to help all students learn. This paper describes one general and one special education professor's first time experience modeling…

This article provides a contemporary look at Black history and discusses Black history mandates. The author provides insight into the purpose of this special issue. The article discusses how this special issue on teaching Black history serves several purposes: (1) providing lesson plans and recommended resources for teachers; (2) combining theory…

Teaching and learning in Contemporary Higher Education is experiencing a change of paradigm in the approach used for curriculum design and instruction. This paper examines the application of democratisation of teaching and learning as a crucial tool for the implementation of the Tuning Approach in the teaching and learning processes in higher…

The purpose of the study was to examine how action research informs instructional changes that need to take place in the middle grades mathematics classroom. There is a need for an increase in engagement in middle grades mathematics by educators being critically reflective of their instructional practices. The research question addressed in this…

If you've ever asked yourself whether problem-based learning (PBL) can bring new life to both your teaching and your students' learning, here's your answer: Yes. This all-in-one guide will help you engage your students in scenarios that represent real-world science in all its messy, thought-provoking glory. The scenarios will prompt K-12 students…

The purpose of this research study was to identify common instructional practices described by teachers of the deaf with students who are deaf with autism that increase both student engagement and instructional outcomes. As the diversity of students increase within deaf/hard of hearing programs, research is emerging in the area of deaf autism.…

In teacher education, a collection of research has established the importance of reflection in professional development. Lesson study, a popular professional development in Japan, incorporates reflection in one of its stages to enhance teachers' capacity to look into their enacted practices to improve their research lessons. However, there appear…

Four components of the Kodály concept are delineated here: philosophy, objectives, essential tools, and lesson planning process. After outlining the tenets of the Kodály philosophy and objectives, the article presents the Kodály concept's essential tools, including singing, movable "do" solfège, rhythm syllables, hand signs, singing on…

History is often viewed unfavorably by students. In this article the author asserts that students' disfavor of history may originate from the narrow pedagogical flavor of the history class. The purpose of this article is to describe the three traditions of history education, with their accompanying strengths and weaknesses. Three sample…

This article describes the release of the second edition of "The National Atlas of Korea" (Choe 2015), published in December 2014 by the National Geographic Information Institute (NGII) of South Korea (the Republic of Korea) in both Korean- and English-language versions. This second edition is a major update and improvement over its 2009…

Keeping a log of scientific investigations, discoveries, and notes is a process that scientists have used throughout history. Elementary-age children engage in similar types of documentation when they perform investigations and sketch, label, or provide details about their work and findings. This column includes activities inspired by children's…

Boredom carries a significant weight: It is not often spoken within the academic environment. However, by ignoring how developmental and first-year students experience boredom, instructors are avoiding a topic that most students will encounter. We present information on the common causes of boredom, ways to detect boredom, and the outcomes of…

Currently, much debate exists nationally regarding how to define and measure teacher effectiveness. Educators and researchers agree that adaptability is an important aspect of teacher effectiveness. Teachers must adapt their instruction to navigate the complexity of classroom instruction. However, little research has specifically examined teacher…

In line with the other contributions to this issue on teaching pragmatics, this paper provides teachers of German with a two-day lesson plan for integrating authentic spoken language and its associated cultural background into their teaching. Specifically, the paper discusses how "jaja" and its phonetic variants are systematically used…