The educational system in Montana is not working for its American Indian students. Dropout rates continue to be extremely high, standardized tests scores are mostly below the state benchmark, curriculum and instruction are not oriented toward promoting Indian culture and history, and the local Board of Trustee system still does not promote…

This paper problematizes the bifurcation of technology and tradition and its implied unidirectional transformative authority of technology. It divides the multitude of responses to the relation between technology and culture into these three categories: technology as the messenger and the message, technology as a messenger without an inherent…

The Aboriginal Language Standardisation (ALS) Project's task is to develop quality literacy materials in order to help preserve aboriginal languages of Canada. The Canadian Assembly of First Nations, a group of tribal leaders, recently called for the establishment of standards for written and oral languages by approving terminology, developing…

Because of its unique leadership and supportive faculty, Salish Kootenai College, on the Flathead reservation in Western Montana, has become one of the leading institutions nationwide in providing distance learning programs. Consistent with the college's mission, all distance courses are designed to preserve and enhance Salish and Kootenai…

Native identity as conceived by Native people is not incorporated meaningfully into Ontario's rational, standardized curriculum. The omission of Native languages and understandings perpetuates the erroneous colonial notion of Native inferiority. First Nations education as sui generis should affirm the Native way of life through the use of Native…

Examines the decision-making process of purchasing CD-ROMs for libraries. Evaluation criteria include hardware requirements, ease of installation, adequacy of documentation, user friendliness of displays, ease of searching, frequency of updates, downloading and printing capabilities, technical support, and vendor reputation. Identifies sources and…

Attempts a sociopolitical portrait of Russia's young people through an examination of their motion picture viewing habits combined with other survey responses. Discovers that most Russian youth are disinterested in politics, prefer violent Western movies, and remain concerned about crime although they are personally optimistic. Recommends…

Science education research predominantly shows that students improve their scientific understandings when they tinker (or pull apart) tools and simple household machines. In this study, the qualitative data collected took the form of online journal entries by final year, female, primary teacher trainees, who reflected upon their early childhood…

This special journal issue is designed to draw attention to the varied musical traditions of cultural groups living in New York State. Recent research by folklorists and musicologists also is examined. Articles include: (1) "Introduction: Folk and Traditional Music in New York State" (Ray Allen; Nancy Groce); (2) "African-American…

This guide presents strategies to teach students with mental retardation to request their preferences, protest non-preferred activities, and clarify misunderstandings. The strategies were field tested with more than 200 children and adults in community, residential, vocational, and educational settings. Suggestions are included for instructing…

This report examines the value for research and policy purposes of data generated by the "Pound 10 Grant Scheme" operated by Roinn na Gaeltachta in Ireland, which seeks to preserve the Irish language. The scheme was introduced in the early 30's by An Roinn Oideachais (an organization which had responsibility for the promotion of the…

This is a report of a study conducted in two diverse school settings: a secular junior high in northeast Texas and a private, Jewish day school (preschool through secondary) in a large southern metropolis. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the cultures of the two schools and the cultural values imbedded in their respective…

Designed to encourage students to become involved with their school and community, this handbook presents a compilation of service and school spirit activities developed by the Meadow Park Intermediate School in Beaverton, Oregon. Information about how to organize a spirit or service club is presented, and three school spirit projects (locker…

This guide identifies considerations in the organization, operation, and evaluation of secondary and postsecondary vocational education programs. It contains both a vocational program guide and Career Merit Achievement Plan (Career MAP) for commercial vehicle driving. The guide contains the following sections: occupational description; program…

This study on Basque language learning is part of a project investigating alternative curriculum designs to promote native language maintenance in the Basque Country of Spain. This study measured the level of Basque and Spanish of fifth-graders (n=586 divided among 167 classrooms) in three program models (Basque taught as a second language--Model…