This article reports on the experiences of teachers at a small rural school located in the North Coast region of New South Wales in Australia who participated in a school improvement project based on an approach developed over many years by David Townsend and Pam Adams in Alberta, Canada. The project involved monthly meetings between the teachers…

This article describes the just-in-time online professional development offered to teachers in the Remote Networked Schools (RNS), a systemic initiative funded by the Quebec Ministry of Education (Canada), which aims at enriching the learning environment of small rural schools with the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The…

This article explores distinctive features of a 5-year international education development project set in rural northern Peru (PROMEB, the "Proyecto de Mejoramiento de la Educacion Basica"). Grounded within a partnership between teacher educators from Peru, Mexico and Canada, and rural Peruvian teachers, students and their communities,…

Two years ago, the then North American Council for Online Learning released the initial "Snapshot State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada" report. This study was the first systematic examination of K-12 distance education policies and activities in each of the thirteen Canadian provinces and territories. One year ago, the…

Knowledge Building is approached in this study from an organizational perspective, with a focus on the nature of school-university-government partnerships to support research-based educational innovation. The paper starts with an overview of what is known about effective partnerships and elaborates a conceptual framework for Knowledge Building…

Research continues to support the many teaching and learning benefits of one-to-one laptop learning. Benefits range from improved student engagement and teacher-student interactions to the attainment of 21st century skills and the transformation of teacher practice. Additional benefits include improved student writing skills, increased teacher…

This paper is a discussion of several of the short-term, intensive field practica experiences which have been integrated into the Memorial University graduate counselor education program. The approach in counselor education provides needed counseling services to more remote communities, enables school boards to see counselors in action, thus…

Small, sometimes multi-cultural, rural schools need specialized preservice teacher education programs to prepare teachers. After outlining the classroom, school, and sociocultural characteristics affecting a teacher's success and survival in a rural community, this paper discusses the apparent lack of rural content in teacher preparation programs…

Points out eight factors consistently associated with effective schools (academic focus, student participation in decision-making, etc.) and eight common problems with effective schools projects (short-term focus, unrealistic expectations, etc.). Summarizes successful projects at a K-12 village school and an urban junior high school. (JHZ)

A rural Alberta school division is experimenting with three different ways of using wireless laptop computers in K-12 classrooms. Teachers receive intensive training and support and are made aware of thousands of online curriculum resources. The impact of technology on student achievement, stakeholder perceptions, professional development…

Describes a teacher-training program designed to give nonrural students the knowledge, background, skills, and attitudes necessary for successful rural teaching and living. Outlines the two-year course of study which emphasizes early field experience and includes topics such as rural demography, personal satisfaction predictors, and alternative…

The retention rate for rural teachers has historically been low, often with loss of two or more teachers per school year in some areas. Recently, a surplus of teachers has relieved this problem, but a predicted shortage will aggravate the situation. A survey of rural teachers was conducted in 1980 in British Columbia to try to find a reason for…

This paper describes a competency-based program to train local adults as school counselors in the remote areas of Manitoba (Canada). In 1983, the program selected 6 men and 12 women from 15 communities for training; candidates were 23 to 48 years old, with educations ranging from grade 5 to first year university, were well respected in their…