Incorporating effective grammar instruction into the classroom

The debate about the effectiveness of traditional grammar instruction has been ongoing for many decades now. Traditional grammar instruction involves memorization of grammatical rules and practice exercise drills. As early as 1936, the Curriculum Commission of the National Council of Teachers of English stated that “‘all teaching of grammar separate from the manipulation of sentences [should] be discontinued…since every scientific attempt to prove that knowledge of grammar is useful has failed’” (Weaver, Teaching 9). So why is grammar still being taught in the same way-through traditional direct instruction-in many schools? It is because some parents, administrators, politicians, researchers, and teachers wholeheartedly believe that students will learn grammar best through direct instruction, lectures, textbooks, and worksheets of practice exercises, with grammar totally removed from a relevant context. Conversely, other researchers and teachers believe that students learn grammar best by situating grammar instruction in the context of reading and writing, and these researchers and teachers have controlled studies and a body of literature on their side. Immersing students in authentic reading and writing activities, using mini-lessons to teach grammatical concepts, and showing applied grammatical concepts in real life leads to better student writing. Teachers must also focus on the individual writing needs of their students and stop seeing grammar instruction as a hunt for errors. Many prominent teachers in the field of English have designed effective lesson plans that teach grammar in this way. Students will be more motivated to write and will become better writers if grammar is taught in an incorporated setting

Lesson Study at the Bank Street School for Children

Lesson study, the primary form of professional development in Japan, is receiving increased attention in the U. S. Its efficacy in Japan is well documented, and it has been successfully implemented in the U. S. Other educator-scholars have adequately argued for its use in American schools. What is needed, however, is more documented evidence of its implementation and outcomes, as well as school-specific frameworks for conducting lesson study in various schools, especially independent schools. There has been extensive documentation of lesson study in public schools across the U. S., but none, as we know, in independent schools. This paper establishes a framework for and analysis of lesson study at one independent school, Bank Street School for Children

Synthesis and Stabilities of 3-Borylated Indoles

We report herein that 3-pinacol boronic esters undergo facile protodeborylation in the presence of palladium catalysts and base, and this contributes significantly to the generation of nonborylated indole byproducts in the B2Pin2-mediated palladium-catalysed borylative cyclization of 2-alkynylanilides. Suginome’s reagent provides an alternative method to access 3-borylated indoles as these compounds are less susceptible to protodeborylation

Metal Acetylides in Cycloaddition Reactions

This review highlights recent advances in the synthesis of (hetero)aromatic systems via cycloaddition reactions of alkynylmetals with dienes and dipoles. This methodology is advantageous when accessing complex molecules because it offers a short, atom-economic, and regioselective route to quickly access scaffolds of broad interest to the chemical sciences

Frontispiece: A Pd-Catalyzed Synthesis of Functionalized Piperidines

Pd Catalysis A readily available cyclic carbamate functions as a general precursor to a range of functionalized piperidine products using a new Pd-catalyzed annulation strategy. An asymmetric catalytic variant provides a rapid and efficient means to access these heterocycles with high to excellent levels of enantiocontrol. In addition, these richly functionalized compounds are amenable to further chemoselective elaboration. For more information, see the Communication by J. P. A. Harrity et al. on page 13000 ff

Exploiting synergistic catalysis for an ambient temperature photocycloaddition to pyrazoles

Sydnone based cycloaddition reactions are a versatile platform for pyrazole synthesis, however they operate under harsh conditions (high temperature and long reaction times). Herein we report a strategy that addresses this limitation utilizing the synergistic combination of organocatalysis and visible light photocatalysis. This new approach proceeds under ambient conditions and with excellent levels of regiocontrol. Mechanistic studies suggest that photoactivation of sydnones, rather than enamines, is key to the successful implementation of this process

Oxazoline Promoted Rh-Catalyzed C-H Amidation of Benzene Derivatives with Sulfonamides and Trifluoroacetamide. A Comparative Study.

A Rh-catalyzed ortho-amidation of 2-aryloxazolines offers an efficient and direct route to a range of sulfonamides. The scope of the reaction is very broad with respect to sulfonamide substrate, but the position and electronic nature of the substituents on the aryl moiety of the oxazoline lead to a surprising modulation of reactivity. The reactivity of sulfonamides in comparison to trifluoroacetamide is compared, the latter undergoing Rh-catalyzed amidation more rapidly

MPR Special Issue Letter from Editors

About this special issue on Our Shared Ocean