Four principles emerged from 1980s reforms that should guide scaling-up strategies in California and elsewhere. School improvement efforts must be designed to create active, thinking curriculum in specific disciplines; success should be judged by whether increasing numbers of students reach agreed-upon performance goals. Initiatives should be…

Compares hypertext to an encyclopedia of nonsequential writing or collection of writings through which the reader is free to move in any sequence. Discusses the advantages and problems involved in hypermedia systems. (NH)

Profile of demographic structure and family relationships among national sample of three-generation African-American families revealed important variation across generations in demographic (age, gender, marital status, socioeconomic status, and region) and family (affection and support) factors. One of most unique features of three-generation…

Describes the National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH), a membership coalition of 65 cultural organizations and institutions, including arts, humanities, and information technology communities, committed to successful integrated networking of cultural resources. The NINCH Web site, strategic community-wide meetings,…

Learning communities require diverse expertise among members, continual advancement of collective knowledge and skills, emphasis on learning how to learn, and mechanisms for sharing understanding. This article analyzes three learning-community models (Fostering a Community of Learners, Knowledge-Building Communities, and Lampert's Mathematics…

Surveys of subscribers to the electronic Journal of Extension in 1996 (n=534) and 1998 (n=526) showed that Web access doubled in 1998, feature articles were accessed the most, and readers liked easy, quick access; archival searching; and networking with authors. A small number still preferred print format. (SK)

Through its Challenge 2000 program, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network's 21st Century Education Initiative has been working with K-12 schools to improve student performance in literature, math, and science. Clearly stated standards, appropriate assessments, formal monitoring, critical friends, and systemwide accountability are keys to success.…

This study sought to find an efficient and optimal sound format for the development of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in the network environment and to provide some useful suggestions to the developers of CALL software who are interested in optimizing performance while maintaining an appropriate sound quality in the network…

Educators from Scotland and Spain met to exchange ideas about popular education and the role of university departments of adult education. The meeting resulted in formation of the Popular Education Network to continue the international dialog. (SK)

Analyzes the recent evolution in higher education linkages between northern and southern countries from individual academic projects toward broader development cooperation. Reviews different linkage programs in Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Focuses on key issues concerning organization, procedures, and support mechanisms, and raises…

Study aims to examine the linkage between social support provided to children in the context of the family and the quality of children's friendships outside the family and to then determine whether family support and friendship quality contribute to the child's self-esteem. Across ethnic groups, family support was predictive of friendship quality…

Claims organizational or management communication finds itself in a difficult rhetorical dilemma. Suggests that even evolving and outward-looking networks have a tendency toward closure, self-affirmation and self-legitimation. Claims repeated and conscious decisions--affirmative action as understood in its older sense--are needed to push beyond…

This teacher tells her story of venturing into technology-assisted learning and becoming a mentor for others. Highlights include project-based initiatives and professional development; the National Information Infrastructure and the Global Information Infrastructure; PowerUp and the Council of Regional Information Technology Associations(CRITA);…

Discusses the geographic diffusion of telecommunications services, particularly the Internet, and analyzes the development of Internet backbone networks. Focuses on the intermetropolitan links, network capacity, and network links, and suggests the need for experimentation with empirical techniques and measurements to study the relationships…

Surveys of Iowa secondary agriculture teachers in 1994 (n=102), when the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) began, and 1997 (n=141) showed that increased access to ICN did not increase its use. In both years, teachers identified obstacles to its use, including scheduling coordination, training, and preparation time. (SK)