Once referred to as "the most maligned musical instrument on earth," the harmonica holds an important historical place in music education as an instrument around which bands were formed, solo and ensemble competitions were held, and in some cases, careers were born. Much of this activity centered itself on city recreation programs as…

The following material, adapted from the new IRA book "Getting Beyond "I Like the Book"" (second edition), highlights how podcasting specifically and technology in general can be used as tools for thinking about the world and for learning and communicating.

This article focuses on the challenges involved in conducting evaluations of interactive radio programmes in South Africa with large numbers of schools, teachers, and learners. It focuses on the role such large-scale evaluation has played during the South African radio learning programme's development stage, as well as during its subsequent…

Assesses the prevalence and context of violence in prime-time television programming using a random, representative sample. Shows that, regardless of the time of day, viewers are likely to encounter violence in roughly 2 out of 3 programs. Identifies specific channel types and genres that feature potentially harmful depictions of violence during…

Investigates the nature and extent of violence contained in television programming that targets children aged 12 and younger. Notes that the violence itself is just as likely to be glamorized in children's as in nonchildren's shows, but it is even more sanitized and more likely to be trivialized. Documents five subgenres of children's programming…

The truth is that today, millions of children have a parent, uncle, aunt, cousin, sibling or grandparent who is gay. Thousands of dedicated teachers, school administrators and coaches are gays or lesbians. What kind of message is being sent to youth when people say that their loved ones and trusted mentors are not safe for children to meet on TV?…

Presents a literature review that addresses sexism and gender misrepresentation on "Sesame Street," the world's most popular children's television program. Discusses the show's content and the correlation between increased exposure to "Sesame Street" and viewers' changes in attitude and behavior. Suggests the presence of gender…

An interactive learning service for elementary grades, "GALAXY Classroom," offers enrichment opportunities to classrooms. Students communicate via fax in response to questions posed in satellite transmitted segments. The primary market for "GALAXY Classroom" is the at-risk student. Sidebars describe costs and current offerings.…

The impact of the Children's Television Act, which requires broadcasters to provide educational and informational programs for children, was examined by having 141 second through sixth graders watch 16 popular and unpopular television programs and then assess the motivational appeal of, and children's learning from, these programs. Popular and…

Contributes to scholarship on the effects of television on children. Finds that the most important characteristics valued by both Dutch and U.S. children 6 to 11 years old were comprehensibility and action, closely followed by humor, "interestingness,""innocuousness," realism, violence, and romance. Finds boys in both samples…

Investigates the effect of subtitled television programs on Dutch elementary school children's foreign-language acquisition. Findings indicate that of three experimental conditions--English television program with and without subtitles, and a Dutch television program (control)--vocabulary acquisition and English word recognition were highest in…

This booklet is designed to be used by teachers in elementary schools with the Public Broadcasting Systems series "Moyers on Addiction: Close to Home." The series explores the science, treatment, prevention, and politics of addiction. This booklet discusses strategies for preventing substance abuse in elementary school. Also examined are…

A sample of 285 parents of children in kindergarten, second, fourth, and sixth grades was interviewed about their children's television viewing habits. Analyses revealed that interest in classic cartoons, which typically display violence for violence's sake, was predicted by grade, whereas attraction to typically justice-restoring violent fare was…

A fourth-grade Nova Scotia class produced a weekly 1-hour radio show. Students decided the program format, show themes, topics, and group members. Each show was co-hosted by four students. All students got a chance to host, and all were successful. The project addressed most of the language arts standards and gave students experience in technology…

A summative evaluation of "Square One TV," an educational mathematics series produced by the Children's Television Workshop, shows that children who regularly viewed the program showed significant improvement in solving unfamiliar, complex mathematical problems, and viewers showed improvement in their mathematical problem-solving ability…