Describes a classroom e-mail project conducted during the 1996-97 school year in a southern suburban school. The project involved three fourth grade teachers and their students, and was developed collaboratively among faculty at a nearby university, the principal, and the fourth grade teachers. Reports on the project's activities, problems…

Investigates the dimensions underlying performance on the diagrams, tables, and maps subset of the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test. Analyzes data from two test versions by using a structural-equation modeling technique on 14,463 and 19,636 examinees respectively. Concludes that gender difference in performance is due, to a great extent, to the…

Describes the development of an information-literacy curriculum that incorporates media and technology by media specialists in the Mankato Area Public Schools (Minnesota). Topics include identifying current skills; the Big Six information-processing model; grouping skills within the model; curriculum integration; projects to replace traditional…

Acknowledges that children with special needs flourish and benefit from early-childhood environments that empower learning. Discusses center learning, which allows children to be actively engaged in self-directed learning based on strength, ability, and interest. Suggests that center learning can enhance aspects related to emergent literacy…

Examines how lower-track science students understand shifts in standard classroom discourse patterns. Finds that students insert struggles for social status into classroom arguments about scientific ideas, making it difficult to separate in a group discussion whether evidence or the social politics of the class convinces students to accept an…

Describes the creation of the cooperation, investigation, literacy, and community (CILC) model within a holistic educational project in Acre, a Jewish-Arab mixed city in northern Israel, focusing on the implementation of cooperative learning at the schools and the work of the dropout investigative task force which was created to build community in…

A survey of all students enrolled in computer courses at a Colorado high school during fall 1997 revealed positive perceptions of the courses' value. Students enrolled in desktop publishing and word processing courses were more satisfied with these courses than were those enrolled in literacy lab, vocational education, and keyboarding classes.…

Highlights an instructional model that provides a framework for the incorporation of technical content in a multilevel workplace English course, and a strategy for ensuring the relevance and accuracy of such information through instructor-employer collaboration. The materials and techniques described can be adapted for any workplace English course…

Explores benefits derived from the "Gardendale Family" (a vertically aligned team of K-6 classrooms). Describes how older students give guidance, feedback, and validation to those in lower grades as the younger children become active members of the literacy community; and how students use written and oral language in authentic and…

Explores benefits derived from the "Gardendale Family" (a vertically aligned team of K-6 classrooms in which students remain throughout their elementary school careers). Highlights a community-based research project which served as a vehicle for fostering cross-age learning opportunities, connecting students' learning to their community,…

Many young people in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development leave school unprepared for employment; this constitutes a failure of the school system. Identifies indicators of failure, policies for addressing failure, and three main policy challenges: development of a comparative knowledge base, removal of…

Presents case studies highlighting factors that influenced the attitudes of predominantly white, middle-class preservice teachers during their internships at a Philadelphia elementary school. The experience challenged their understandings of their own preconceptions and biases, the role of the caregiver in the community, and the significance of…

Presents tips, gleaned from federal research, to help parents understand how their children are doing in school, including: know what is expected; know the child's reading level; understand test scores; solicit teacher feedback; become familiar with the child's homework; use report cards to identify overall progress; stay attuned to social skills;…

Describes the role and responsibilities of the school library media specialist as identified in 1994-96 dissertation research. Highlights include media specialists as collaborative workers, the importance of leadership, commitment to a media literacy-skills program and student needs, professional development, the need for principal support,…

A meta-analysis was conducted of 14 studies examining whether whole-language instruction increases the reading skills of low-SES students in grades K-3. Evidence suggested that low-SES primary school children do not benefit from whole-language instruction, compared to basal instruction. Findings indicated that there may be some advantages to the…