To enhance the information technology literacy of optometry students, the Southern College of Optometry (Tennessee) developed an academic assignment, the Electronic Media Paper, in which second-year students must search two different electronic media for information. Results suggest Internet use for searching may be a useful tool for specific…

Presents a theoretical framework for understanding mass media news influence; explores the concepts of agenda setting, priming, framing, asymmetrical selection, binary oppositionalism, and institutional hegemony in a survey of literature in journalism and communications; and outlines a teaching strategy that highlights one news event and compares…

Discusses theoretical and practical issues in teaching LOGO computer programming to young children from preschool to grade 5. Examines the program's adherence to developmentally appropriate practices, educational theories (particularly those of Piaget), and the Reggio Emilia approach. Considers implications of the program for curriculum design,…

Describes the experiences of five teachers who volunteered to learn and work together electronically for professional development. They discovered that commitment was not enough. Underlying attitudes, existing relationships, and technology know-how all factored into challenges they faced. Two sidebars present tips for successful electronic…

For technology to impact student achievement, teachers must be empowered via extensive staff development. This paper presents building-level technology initiatives (e.g., peer training, super substitutes, and computer clubs) and district- level initiatives (e.g., establish a district technology committee, allow teachers to take computers home over…

The Alabama Reading Initiative is a public-private consortium promoting a research-based approach to literacy instruction. Its goal is 100-percent literacy. Use of the approach at one middle school involved development-, practice-, and demonstration-oriented professional development and deep faculty collaboration. The effort resulted in a dramatic…

Describes the Web-based database project developed by school library media specialists (SLMSs) in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The database houses lessons created by more than 30 elementary SLMSs in the district, and is accessible online. The database project is composed of two sections: Literature Appreciation and Information Skills. (AEF)

Using data from a nationwide survey of college freshmen, this study demonstrates that student's level of technological preparedness varies by such key factors as race, class, gender, and academic background. Topics include use of electronic mail and the Internet; parental income; parental education; and type of high school attended. (Author/LRW)

Describes a program in which preservice teachers served as tutors for at-risk first, second, and third graders in a tutorial model incorporating play and phonological awareness activities using puppets and comprehension strategy instruction using manipulatives. Finds that the program improved reading achievement for children at the first grade…

This paper examines an information literacy collaborative research project at the University of Otago between a sociology lecturer and a subject specialist librarian, The research project was undertaken to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of embedding information literacy skills into academic assessment requirements in a first and a third…

Although rising student debt levels are frequently studied, very little attention has been paid to the lack of student financial literacy and its negative effects. The absence of financial management skills and accompanying low credit scores can increase debt, cause inadvertent defaults, and be harmful for both students and their institutions. For…

"Opposing Viewpoints" and "Opposing Viewpoints Juniors" have long been standard titles in upper elementary, middle level, and high school collections. "Opposing Viewpoints Juniors" should be required as information literacy/critical thinking curriculum tools as early as fifth grade as they use current controversies to teach students how to…

The use of digital photography in the social studies classroom offers students an application of technology that can help them develop the skills necessary to access, analyze, and evaluate all forms of information and communication. Students learn to recognize how images represent diverse perspectives, connect disparate pieces of information, and…

Web-based technology has a dramatic impact on learning and teaching. A framework that delineates the relationships between learner control and learning effectiveness is absent. This study aims to fill this void. Our work focuses on the effectiveness of a technology-mediated virtual learning environment (TVLE) in the context of basic information…

Introduction: The objective was to review key articles and research studies on practices, preferences, and evaluation of on-line continuing education used by health care professionals. Methods: Data sources included searches of the "MEDLINE," "CINAHL," and "ERIC" databases (January 1990 to June 2004) and manual searches of the "Journal of…