This document presents the Strategic Plan Revision of the Southeastern University and College Coalition for Engineering Education (SUCCEED). SUCCEED aims to institute a sustainable version of its curriculum model on each of the selected campuses. The areas of expertise in the program include faculty development, outcomes assessment,…

A long-term study was conducted to test the effectiveness of visual thinking networking (VTN), a new generation of knowledge representation strategies with 56 ninth grade earth science students. The recent findings about the brain's organization and processing conceptually ground VTN as a new cognitive tool used by learners when making their…

One hundred and seven 5th-8th graders were tested on spatial rotation multiple-choice items to determine age and gender differences in spatial ability. Thirty-one of them were subsequently interviewed. They were asked to explain their reasoning when solving 4 of the tested items and a problem-solving task. Features of visual and non-visual…

This document presents a sample of the Arkansas science curriculum and identifies the content standards for physical science systems, life science systems, and Earth science/space science systems for first grade students. Each content standard is explained and includes student learning expectations, first grade benchmarks, assessments, and…

This book describes an approach to mathematics instruction that attempts to honor children's thinking and sense-making ability. The book aims to weave strands of mathematics (addition, subtraction, place value, and problem solving) together and offer a wide variety of contexts for genuine mathematical exploration. The book is intended as a…

Due to the increasing achievement gap between schools of urban settings and their suburban counterparts, and in an environment where statewide testing that may begin to hinder the graduation of many urban students, there is a need to close the gap especially in the areas of Math and Science. Teachers in such environments face the daunting task of…

This paper focuses on 2 high school students and their thoughts and feelings as they engaged in a topic of their own choosing during a 2-month summer action research program. Their high school astronomy teacher monitored their choice of topic and progress. The students engaged in authentic tasks and used materials couched in problem-oriented…

A teacher involved in Kentucky's statewide systemic reform began a personal effort to change her classroom through action research, especially in the area of higher order thinking. This action research gathered data about the aspects of metacognition that might develop naturally in 8- and 9-year-olds and then translated the data into classroom…

The Big6 is a complete approach to implementing meaningful learning and teaching of information and technology skills, essential for 21st century living. Including in-depth articles, practical tips, and explanations, this book offers a varied range of material about students and teachers, the Big6, and curriculum. The book is divided into 10 main…

This book is one of four books in the Science-by-Design Series created by TERC and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It offers high school students a challenging, hands-on opportunity to compare the function and design of many types of handwear from a hockey mitt to a surgical glove, and design and test a glove to their own…

This study used a computerized simulation and problem-solving tool along with artificial neural networks (ANN) as pattern recognizers to identify the common types of strategies high school and college undergraduate chemistry students would use to solve qualitative chemistry problems. Participants were 134 high school chemistry students who used…

The purpose of the Idaho Direct Mathematics Assessment (DMA) is to measure Idaho students' mathematical problem-solving skills, including their ability to apply basic skills to problem-solving situations as stated in the Idaho Achievement Standards document. Problem solving is valued as an essential tool for success in a complex, modern world. The…

Past researchers of education candidates have remarked that educational administration (EA) has attracted students of below-average verbal, quantitative, and analytic scores as measured by standardized tests. This is a two-fold problem: (1) Principals with high overall academic ability are more likely to be viewed as leaders in…

This report investigated to what extent a curriculum designed to actively teach critical thinking skills resulted in students utilizing higher-order thinking skills (e.g., analysis, synthesis and evaluation). An intervention strategy was designed for a sixth grade class located in a diverse suburban community in northern Illinois. The intervention…

This digest concerns itself with the origin of reflective thought, the application of theories about reflective thought to classrooms, conflicts and issues, and a synthesis of the essential ideas. Sections of the Digest address origin of the idea of reflective thought, definitions of reflective thinking, questioning strategies, how to generate…