Among the many critiques of competency-based approaches to education and training (CBT) is a strain which draws on Foucault's analysis of "disciplinary" power and knowledge. Foucault offered an interpretation of modern institutions, such as prisons, armies and schools, which revealed subtle mechanisms of surveillance and systems of…

A recent review of the research by the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences has resulted in the recommendation of six promising practices to ensure that all students are actively engaged in school and on a path to post-secondary success (Dynarski et al. in Dropout prevention: A practice guide (NCEE 2008-4025)). The purpose…

Differentiated instruction is becoming critical in higher education due to student diversity and background knowledge. Differentiated instruction does not mean matching teaching styles with learning styles as suggested by the learning styles theory. Findings in recent research studies have proved the lack of credible evidence for the utility of…

The primary purpose of this study is to share what has been found to work well in professional practice based on a series of exploratory scholarly studies as well as information gathered informally from students and through specialized aquatic workshops, conferences and seminars. Research has shown that there is an existing population of at-risk…

As chair of the Parent and Community Network, the author gets e-mails from parents asking how they should handle their gifted child. Concerns range from super sensitivity to enhancing content areas in which their children excel. Although differentiated instruction is a hot topic in the field of education, many parents find that the teacher with…

Providing student choice and opportunities for independent study are recognized as viable differentiation techniques. Daily homework sets that contain more demanding problems even though not required allow the teacher to provide challenge without incurring undue stress. The modest incentive of some homework bonus points is enough to whet the…

Carol Ann Tomlinson, a professor at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education, has led the push for differentiated instruction and sees a strong commitment by educators to tailoring teaching to student academic levels, learning styles, and personal interests. However, Tomlinson says barriers still stand in the way to making sure every…

Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRC) are a common component of many Tier 2 interventions such as check and connect or check-in and check-out. Although considered an effective practice when paired with contingent reinforcement for academic and behavioral change, many teachers may be unaware of how best to use a DBRC with more challenging behaviors or…

A single case study examined the use of multimedia storybooks on the vocabulary acquisition of 7 preschool students who are deaf/hard of hearing in two classrooms at a school for the deaf in the U.S. Participants also included 3 speech-language pathologists. Students spent an average of 7.1 minutes daily working with the multimedia storybooks and…

The rising prevalence of obesity in society has resulted in an increased need for physical education teachers to create learning opportunities that promote physical activity among children. However, the presence of anti-fat attitudes and a limited understanding of the challenges associated with being overweight in a physical activity environment…

To assess the efficacy of guided oral reading as a remedy for low-achieving readers, two experiments were conducted in the early grades of primary school. In the first, poor-reading students were randomly divided between two treatment groups and a control group. In treatment groups, the intervention was delivered one-to-one, either in a repeated…

The Next Generation Science Standards emphasize the need to promote equitable opportunities for all students to engage in science and engineering. This article offers eight tips that educators can use to support students of all abilities, including those with special learning needs, to engage in engineering challenges at the elementary level.

The challenges facing the United States in educating its youth have been widely documented. The dropout rate in the past decades has been staggering, with students of color and in lower socio-economic circumstances posting an even higher rate. However, educators are now beginning to embrace the promise of ubiquitous digital technologies in the…

The adoption of personalized learning approaches has increased significantly in recent years. This report examines achievement in 62 public charter and district schools that are pursuing a variety of personalized learning practices, and examines implementation details in 32 of those schools. Researchers obtained achievement data for personalized…

How do teachers and schools create meaningful learning experiences for students with diverse skills, abilities, and cultures? How can teachers authentically assess the learning of their students and build on their strengths and interests in ways that enrich the larger community? How can schools become places where everyone is learning from each…