Examines the proposed definition of biological literacy as the understanding of a small number of pervasive biological principles appropriate to making informed personal and societal decisions. Utilizes the content of a major daily newspaper to adjust biology instruction to focus on this notion of biological literacy. Discusses benefits and…

Argues that nonmainstream (nonwhite and nonmiddle class) students do not perform as well in school as do mainstream students because they are not equitably served by the educational system. Equity issues in the literacy education of minorities are explored, examining student characteristics, sociocultural factors, language issues, and…

Examines ways in which language practices in the classroom, particularly those involved with reading and writing stories, are gendered literary practices. Argues that the gendered nature of classroom literacy practices requires more critical scrutiny and that texts cannot be treated as separate from their cultural production. (SLD)

Discusses the history and findings of the National Commission on Library and Information Science's field investigations of library services for Native Americans. Concerns include literacy, collecting strengths, extent of library services, professional training for librarians, federal support, and access to collections both on and off reservations.…

Teachers must acknowledge and validate minority students' home language without using it to limit their potential. Educators who are committed to teaching all students can help such students transcend their home language, acquire a secondary discourse, and succeed in mainstream schools without losing respect for their home culture. (SM)

The article describes how an urban African-American teacher inquired into, reflected upon, and analyzed her beliefs and assumptions about her practice and reconciled the need for personal and professional truth. Because teacher inquiry shapes curriculum and attitudes, literacy teachers must examine the pretexts under which they make assumptions.…

The interactions of gender, culture, and attitudes about computers were studied for 266 male and 204 female Japanese and 159 male and 144 female Swedish ninth graders. Most differences are best explained by country and student gender variables. The overall country effects are influenced more by females than males. (SLD)

This article reviews six models of literacy strategy instruction in special and remedial education and reports on a study which manipulated teacher and student control of activity, as well as the instructional context, in examining the implementation and outcomes of three models: direct instruction; reciprocal teaching; and collaborative problem…

Indicates science background is essential to student preparation for the Environmental Health Profession and provides examples of problems that occur because of the lack of scientific understanding. Reviews reasons for the declining enrollment in college science programs and discusses the challenge of recruiting students with the skills necessary…

Examines studies relating to two aspects of children's use of electronic information media: (1) access to print information through online (or card) catalogs and databases; and (2) direct access to information in electronic format. Gender differences are discussed, and implications of the studies for software development and equality of computer…

Reports on a study of the writing skills of 51 Italian fourth graders who used word processors for several months. Concludes that word processing can help motivate children and teachers to do more writing and that further improvement in writing skills would occur if the children received writing instruction. (CFR)

This study compared the use of dialog and response journal formats in a graduate class for literacy educators. Data from student journals, interviews, and questionnaires indicated that students comparably completed each type of entry and believed the two formats served similar functions (promoting collegial consultation, improving task engagement,…

Examines nonverbal communication research, highlighting areas relevant to teacher education and classroom diversity and emphasizing research on cultures, races, genders, and personalities. The article discusses functions of nonverbal communication in the classroom, synthesizes functions into a nonverbal teaching framework, applies the framework to…

At-risk students present problems not addressed by methods and materials. Changes in teacher education to help poor readers are distracted by debates over methodologies. The article suggests socio-emotional problems of at-risk students underlie their academic failures. Teachers must focus on teacher/learner interactions to bring about personal…

Investigates characteristics of 10 African-American women persisting in literacy programs. Subjects, aged 21 to 70 years, had been in reading programs from 1 to 8 years. Women cite their own determination and attitudes of program staff as among the most important variables in fostering persistence. (SLD)