Education, skills, and the development of an African workforce are at a critical moment. While it is recognized that Chinese firms hire local people, the focus of the debate is more on the position and opportunities for training and advancement. As such, the paper tries to answer the following questions. Does China really contribute to skills…

In closing, the guest editors of this "Visible Language" special series reflect on the failures identified in the various papers and interpret what this suggests for design education and research in the context of changing practice. The failures cited in this series point out the fractures in our understanding and practices from user-centered,…

This paper is concerned with the recent history of science curriculum reform in England, though it traces these developments back to the mid-nineteenth century. It first reviews approaches to science in the curriculum until the mid-1960s, identifying the curricular settlement of the postwar years and the beginning of the so-called "swing from…

Staff at a Baton Rouge (Louisiana) elementary school devised an innovative program to introduce disadvantaged children to opportunities outside their ghetto neighborhood. The Discovery Expeditions plan attempted to address dropout prevention by increasing student awareness of resources and vocational opportunities in Baton Rouge and other areas,…

An attempt is made to define the meaning of invention and innovation in mathematics education in order to help develop guidelines for policies of research and development in this area. Spectrums of invention in the realms of geometry and group theory are proposed as models of ordering understanding of creative activity within mathematics. This…

Suggests greater emphasis on middle school music education, both as part of general education and of the curriculum's exploratory component. Argues that music can add emotion to social studies and promote learning in all subject areas through rhythm, rhyme, and repetition. Calls for student opportunities to explore instruments and composition. (SG)

Reexamines basic aspects of creativity enumerated by Viktor Lowenfeld and shows how goals of art education have varied with time and social needs. Argues that interdisciplinary approach to learning, which involves seeing connections and realizing that all knowledge is one and whole, is what education is all about. Concludes that such approach was…

In this paper the Spanish International Business Program Abroad at Concordia College (Minnesota) is examined. Students in the program live, work, and study in Mexico City (Mexico) for one 4-month semester after completing prerequisite courses in management, accounting, economics, marketing, finance, statistics, Spanish grammar, composition,…

The Socratic method of teaching, which uses open-ended questions asked in a logical sequence, is discussed. Suggestions for structuring curriculum content around seven adult learning principles and Socratic process analysis systems for student motivation are included. (SLW)

This evaluation summary is a synopsis of information on the school year (SY) 1987-1988 Learning Center program in Hawaii contained in 20 different evaluation reports, one on each Learning Center. Each Learning Center served elementary, intermediate, or high school students, and the program of each was designed to equalize educational opportunities…

Proposes middle-school curriculum integrating two diverse disciplines (home economics and science), incorporates social issues, and deals with fundamental concerns of young adolescents. Three major areas are included in framework: food additives for appeal, science of textile fibers, and chemistry of household cleaning. All should be taught by…

Technology means more than computers, especially in classrooms for young children. The K-3 technology curriculum should build on children's interest in making things, discovering how things work, and using tools to help accomplish tasks. To prevent computer misuse or overuse, principals must involve teachers in planning the technology curriculum.…

Reviews experiences from the science curricula developed by the National Science Foundation in the 1950s and 1960s for their relevance to national standard-setting efforts today. Experiences include choosing standards of success that fit available expertise, emphasizing professional development, and defining the target audience clearly. (SLD)

Over the past 30 years, Florida's 500 middle schools have become more sizeable, racially segregated, and security conscious. Other features include interdisciplinary team organization, warring curricula, block schedules, integrated technology, inclusion, ability grouping, corporate practices, and female and minority principals committed to…