The language of school is demanding; much of the content is decontextualized and abstract, and it concerns matters that are far removed from the daily life. Students are expected to learn about rain forests and prime numbers, literary motifs, and historical events that occurred centuries ago. Consider the additional cognitive demands confronting…

Five value-laden levels of increasing responsibility are outlined as criteria applied to teacher's own activities; students' overt classroom behavior; comprehension and attitudes; abilities acquired by students; and future characteristics of students. Knowledge available to a teacher and working conditions influence level choice more than teacher…

Experiences in introducing computing into schools in Wexford, Ireland, are described. What went wrong is discussed in terms of lack of clearly defined objectives, teacher training, and relevance. Directions for future work and courseware trends are then discussed. (MNS)

The organizing motif of "Out of Our Minds" is the refusal of schools to claim an intellectual mission. Schools have developed an instrumental central purpose, rather than an intellectual one; they aim to turn out patriotic job holders. Dialog is invited about what constitutes stewardship of the intellect. (SLD)

Described is the Alfa Project in Uruguay, designed to integrate computer education into secondary schools through teacher-training. Both teacher-users and teacher-authors were considered. Course objectives, curriculum content, and teaching guidelines are presented. (MNS)

Outlines the objectives, process, and tasks of New York State's school-based comprehensive planning system, implemented to meet accountability demands and budgetary cutbacks. Process diagrams and sample forms are included. (SJL)

Whether there are reasonable concerns about liberty raised by standards-driven educational reform is explored, focusing on students' interests in autonomy and authenticity, academic freedom, and pluralism. A view of standards and accountability that is narrowly focused on clear public interests is crucial for educational reform. (SLD)