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You are here: > Creative Teaching Methods |
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Science Teaching Methods and Resources
In this section you will find books on science teaching methods and assessment techniques along with scientific method problem solving kits, lab safety manuals and interdisciplinary exercises.
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Learning through Inquiry
Educators generally agree that children learn best by doing. It is puzzling, therefore, that this awareness is only rarely translated into classroom instruction methods. Amazingly, rote learning techniques are still prevalent in schools. Children are often moved through the same pre-fabricated curricula while the creative and highly effective talents of mentor level teachers are often ignored or stifled. Rigid curricula are neatly aligned to standardized tests but do the children (and society) really benefit from this "one size fits all" approach? Even the test scores themselves are providing some answers - that rote learning may produce test-takers but it does not produce critical thinkers. This, at a time when critical thinking skills are increasingly in demand by employers, especially for those in management, research, marketing or other areas requiring creative thinking skills. Research continually validates inquiry-based learning as an effective teaching methodology.
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Standardized Testing - Problems and Issues
In education, decades are often defined by movements such as the "open classrooms" of the 1970's. Recently, testing mania has taken over the schools, much to the delight of the corporations that make a fortune producing "standardized" tests and the rigid texts and curricula that feed into them. Recent data suggests that there are a number of problems with this approach, not to mention the stifling impact these programs have on the most creative, mentor level teachers in our schools. This section contains resources that suggest alternatives to the current system of producing standardized minds in a world that needs creative thinkers.
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Alternative Assessment Techniques & the Standards
This section includes the latest resources addressing science standards as well as alternative methods of meeting the standards.
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Connecting Kids to their Environment
All of us can remember special teachers that really made a difference. Obviously teachers need to know their subject matter, but the factors that cause students to connect with teachers are often tied more to the heart than the mind. Teachers that really care are noticed by students and often have profound influence on their lives. In a world dominated by test mania, creative teachers who teach from the heart often feel squeezed by outside forces. This section contains resources that will help teachers and administrators bring creativity back into the classroom.
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Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Classroom
Teachers and administrators often feel overwhelmed by "discipline" problems in the classroom, a situation only made worse by chronic overcrowding (and underfunding) of schools. To help mitigate this condition, this section features resources that show you how to structure classrooms, curricula, and physical settings to minimize conflict (and increase learning). In this era of increased international tension, conflict resolution skills, other than brute strength, need to mastered by all who work with youth.
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