Menu Close

Articles on Teaching methods

Displaying all articles

Cogitive load theory explains why explicit guidance from teachers is more effective in teaching students new content and skills than letting them discover these for themselves. from shutterstock.com

I had an idea in the 1980s and to my surprise, it changed education around the world

There are two types of knowledge – we’ve evolved to acquire the first naturally; we need schools for the second. Cognitive load theory explains how to teach knowledge we don’t automatically get.
Teaching students about how ancient civilizations used geometry to build structures like the pyramids in Egypt is part of a new integrated approach to learning science, technology, engineering and math. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Let’s teach students why math matters in the real world

To get more students interested in STEM subjects, teachers must break out of the traditional subject-matter silos and use an approach that helps kids understand how math is used in the real world.
How can we change math instruction to meet the needs of today’s kids? World Bank Photo Collection / flickr

Challenging the status quo in mathematics: Teaching for understanding

Math instruction is stuck in the last century. How can we change teaching methods to move past rote memorization and help students develop a more meaningful understanding – and be better at math?
Daniel Day-Lewis won the 2012 Academy Award for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln. Is Spielberg’s historical drama a good way to learn about the 16th U.S. president? Touchstone Pictures

Are movies a good way to learn history?

History movies may have Oscar potential, but their educational potential is more complicated. Should teachers use Hollywood to teach?
The beginning of any child’s school career can be a scary time. But parents and teachers can make it easier. Thomas Mukoya/Reuters

How parents and teachers can make school a happy place for kids

It takes a combination of people, places and activities to make school a happy environment for kids. Here’s how teachers and parents can get involved.
It’s a little intimidating when all of those chairs are full, but teaching large classes doesn’t need to stress you out. From www.shutterstock.com

What it takes to teach a large class – and do it well

Large classes don’t have a good reputation when it comes to fostering student learning. But there are a few ways for teachers to adapt to bigger classes.
Teachers can learn a great deal from their pupils’ mistakes in maths. From www.shutterstock.com

When there’s meaning in mathematical mistakes

What if instead of dismissing wrong answers as a sign of failure, maths teachers tried to understand how their pupils came to that answer and then guided them in the right direction?
Directors Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee don’t see eye-to-eye on much of anything.

Why I taught a class on rivals Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino

With Spike Lee’s Da Sweet Blood of Jesus in the news for the film’s straight-to-Vimeo release, and Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight currently in production (see Samuel L. Jackson’s Camera+ page for…
We keep hearing about “Direct Instruction” but what does it actually mean? Flickr/Judy Baxter

Direct Instruction and the teaching of reading

Prominent Indigenous Australian Noel Pearson is promoting Direct Instruction in Cape York schools, prominent educationalists have dismissed it as “pedagogy for the poor”, and Education Minister Christopher…

Top contributors

More