Traces the origin and development of technology education in the United States from its inception during the progressive era to the present. Although it has gone through various name-changes (manual training, vocational education, industrial arts) this field has always suffered from lack of funding and inadequate definition. (MJP)

This paper reviews the current status of technology use in education, identifies future needs, and offers guidelines for meeting those needs. It notes that teacher educators who are comfortable with technology will graduate technological leaders for schools that hire them. (SM)

Argues that free reading in a second language (such as English) done outside of school makes an important contribution to literacy development and academic achievement. Concludes that free reading is responsible for competence in writing style as well as other aspects of literacy. (four references) (CK)

The Dayton Literacy Project (Ohio) uses a University of Dayton service-learning course to bring together undergraduates and local high school-equivalency-program students. The course's intellectual rationale, organization, and work with welfare mothers are discussed. The project's success suggests ways in which the discipline of English can be…

Discusses problems with two common Web-browsing instructional activities and suggests ways that teachers can improve lessons to develop students' critical thinking skills. Focuses on search-and-print and Web page design activities. (AEF)

Describes the efforts of one elementary art class to move beyond the limits of formalism when examining and discussing art. Guided by the teacher, the class attempted a critical deconstruction of the work of Edgar Degas focusing on his depiction of working class women. Includes three reproductions of Degas works. (MJP)

On-site visits and staff interviews at four elementary schools in British Columbia (Canada) found that many computers were underutilized. Most teachers lacked the expertise to maximize the potential of computers, did not have time to fully master software programs, and could not explain how software programs supported their curriculum goals. (LP)

Presents a learning activity encouraging students to obtain a greater understanding of the relationship between symbols and the apparent dimensions of political phenomena. Students design symbols to represent objects, activities, issues, or meanings. Includes a list of student symbolic representations of law and justice issues. (MJP)

Describes the development of a Web-based virtual tour of the University of Otago (New Zealand) science library. Highlights include information literacy learning outcomes; information architecture, including information organization and navigation; integrating the tour into course work; and evaluation results. (LRW)

Presents a thematic unit for middle schools on editorial writing, or persuasive writing, based on the Pathways Model for information skills lessons. Includes assessing other editorials; student research process journals; information literacy and process skills; and two lesson plans that involve library media specialists as well as teachers. (LRW)

Teachers can capitalize on young children's natural curiosity about the world around them by including science learning in the preschool curriculum. Science activities provide a rich knowledge base and foster skills in receptive and expressive language, skills in self-regulation, and skills in problem identification, analysis, and solution. (TJQ)

Forty-three Puerto Rican mother-child dyads in Head Start programs, grouped according to whether the children had learned Spanish and English from birth (n=28) or Spanish from birth and English in Head Start (n=15) participated in a study of home literacy experiences and emerging English literacy abilities. Results found that literacy development…

Discusses teaching information literacy, collaboration between teachers and teacher librarians, incorporating information and communication technologies into the curriculum, and helping teachers become familiar with technology. Describes an applicable research-based activity that involved students in grades six through nine at the International…

Suggests that modern schooling was founded on elitist principles and has resulted in making people dumber, weakening families, replacing religion, lowering incomes, reproducing the class structure by dividing children into classes that correlate closely with family income, and concentrating wealth and power in the hands of a small fraction of the…

A teacher of preschool and kindergarten students with hearing impairments recounts her increasing use of whole language, process-oriented teaching methods. Considers the teacher's new role, the classroom environment, use of thematic units, emergent reading, emergent writing, and evaluation. (DB)