Americans produce approximately 250 million tons of trash every year, and almost 35 percent of those are of recyclable materials. There are over 1,200 landfills in the United States, and many have caused and will potentially cause significant damage to the environment. It is important for the next generation to know that what is perceived as…

Since teachers are one of the most important resources that can effect change and affect student achievement in any classroom, it is important to explore and understand how teachers operate inside the classroom. In her Ph.D. study the author examined the pedagogical practices of three Pacific teachers working in the public secondary school system…

Parents, professionals, and policymakers agree that quality is crucial for early education. But precise, consistent, and valid definitions of quality have been elusive. In this article, Robert Pianta, Jason Downer, and Bridget Hamre tackle the questions of how to define quality, how to measure it, and how to ensure that more children experience…

The present study evaluated the reality of the preschools in Jordan. A random sample of 500 preschool teachers participated in this study. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Preschools' learning environment quality was assessed using the revised version of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer,…

The aim of the current study was to examine the assessments of parents of the quality of early childhood education (ECE) in Greece. Five hundred and fifty three preschoolers' parents participated in this study providing quality and importance ratings based on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Parent Questionnaire (ECERSPQ) for the…

Computer programming is considered an important competence for the development of higher-order thinking in addition to algorithmic problem solving skills. Its horizontal integration throughout all educational levels is considered worthwhile and attracts the attention of researchers. Towards this direction, an exploratory case study is presented…

This article presents thirty simple ideas for interactive whiteboards and how IWB can make one's teaching life easier. These teaching ideas for the interactive whiteboard can be used by teachers every day. Tips for classroom management are also presented.

The website "Earthlearningidea" was developed for the International Year of Planet Earth in 2007 and continues with one new activity per fortnight. Activities are devised to catch the attention of students and to enable them to enjoy the science of the Earth. Many activities require minimal equipment, for schools in developing countries, but there…

Discusses problems that arise in elementary school education: improper equipment and lack of facility support; and insufficient resources and slow processes that lead to bottlenecks during student projects. Suggests solutions: fortify the top three pieces of equipment, alternate activities, use group brainstorming and problem solving. (JOW)

Ways that instructional materials for elementary school students can be taken from room to room or from school to home are described. Ideas include mesh carryall bags, knapsacks, and paper carriers. (CJ)

Intended for use in conjunction with the guidebook, "Early Childhood Education in South Carolina," this book of experiential activities aims to help kindergarten teachers plan an appropriate program for their children. Each activity described realizes one of the 18 objectives for kindergarten that were adopted by the South Carolina State…

Describes the features, equipment and operations of digital cameras and compares three different digital cameras for use in education. Price, technology requirements, features, transfer software, and accessories for the Kodak DC25, Olympus D-200L and Casio QV-100 are presented in a comparison table. (AEF)

ALTHOUGH BLOCKS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT IN A SCHOOLROOM FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, INADEQUATE EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE EDUCATIVE VALUES THEY PROVIDE. THEY ARE ADAPTABLE MATERIALS WHICH PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH ACCORDING TO INDIVIDUAL RATES OF DEVELOPMENT. THEIR USE ENCOURAGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION, RESPONSIBILITY…

Describes an assigned project for an early childhood seminar in which students planned and chose equipment for a hypothetical, quality day care program. (SB)

Discusses uses of digital cameras in education. Highlights include advantages and disadvantages, digital photography assignments and activities, camera features and operation, applications for digital images, accessory equipment, and comparisons between digital cameras and other digitizers. (AEF)