Describes a Web site that introduces novice Web users to principles of design and navigation of instructional Web sites. Discusses the process involved in designing the site, lessons learned while developing it, and recommendations for further research. Includes a list of research-based guidelines derived from the literature in the areas of screen…

In this article, the author argues that now as never before, education is the key to opportunity, essential to a strong America. In an age when people compete with workers on every continent and information flows across oceans, high-wage jobs are more dependent than ever on high-level skills. The author suggests that together, an America that…

In this article, the author presents a listing of Web resources which showcases sites created by school districts to support staff use of available technologies. These include Online Technology Tutorials from the Kent School District, Tips and Tutorials from the Kenton County (Kentucky) Schools Office of Instructional Technology, and Teacher…

This article examines whether performance-driven educational accountability policy enhances or hinders equity. Combining data from state policy surveys, F-33, SASS, and NAEP, the article shows that during the 1990s, the states did not address racial and socioeconomic disparities in school resources and failed to narrow the achievement gaps among…

English is the lingua franca of the Internet and as a consequence the World Wide Web offers a rich bounty for ESL and EFL teachers and learners. It also represents a vast repository of misinformation, poor language use, and potentially offensive material. There are any number of possible approaches to avoiding the pitfalls of the Internet while…

Basic education is not only an essential means for eliminating stratification and differences in society but also one of the main reasons for the enlargement of the gap between the rich and the poor. Because it faces pressure in the context of globalization, a balanced development of basic education would be a good way to relieve this pressure.…

Purpose: Sets out to investigate the use of electronic resources by students and faculty of Ashesi University, Ghana, in order to determine the level of use, the type of information accessed and the effectiveness of the library's communication tools for information research. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire-based survey was utilized.…

Before districts worry about spending more on professional development, they must look closely at what already is being spent. A careful analysis may show the district is spending more than leaders think, but their efforts may be fragmented and unprioritized. A budget analysis is the first step in being able to allocate resources for the maximum…

This paper revisits the value of and justification for histories of geographical education as a field of research endeavour within geographical education. Four potentially fruitful areas of research are identified. These are pressure groups, especially the International Geographical Union's Commission on Geographical Education; the influence of…

Today, with the development of a market economy, education has taken on certain characteristics of an industry. It needs to adopt some market mechanisms to increase its vitality and efficiency. Society generally has accepted that the individual should share some cost of education. Supporters and opponents of the concept recognize this point. The…

The rural educational socium represents the foundation of individual and social educational resources. Among the key provisions of the strategy for modernizing the rural educational socium, the authors list the following: the creation of an integral system of continuous education in the immediate vicinity of the place where youngsters and adults…

Recent experience shows that reusable learning objects, like the computer assisted learning programmes of the early 1990s, have so far failed to achieve expected levels of integration into educational practice. This is despite technical interoperability, cataloguing systems, high quality standards, targeted dissemination and professional…

Insects can be useful for investigations because they are numerous, relatively easy to find, and fascinating to students. Most elementary students have limited understandings of what exactly becomes of insects during the winter, often guessing that insects must "go to sleep" or "they just die." In this winter activity, students learn about insect…

Young students often struggle with abstract concepts in mathematics, causing primary teachers to continue to search for ways to help teach such concepts. "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (NCTM, 2000) recommends using concrete models and physical materials before moving on to more abstract ideas. However, some children…

In the IEA PIRLS International Report, a number of indices of reading-related constructs were introduced for the purpose of explaining the variation in reading achievement. These indices, however, raise issues of reliability and validity, due to the way in which they are derived and due to the quality of the data. Targeting these issues, the…