In spring 2004, more than 1,200 teachers and principals in Tennessee participated in online professional development as part of the state?s Reading First grant. The opportunity also allowed the state to investigate the possibility of using online professional development to help teachers meet high-quality teacher requirements. Staff at the…

This article reports on the development of a teaching-learning package about information technology for teachers by the North-East London Polytechnic (Great Britain) and the University of Gronigen (Netherlands). Modules included in the package are described. (PP)

Describes the implementation of a competency-based individualized and mediated vocational training system, designed to attract and train native Saudis for an increasingly industrialized Saudi Arabian workforce. (SK)

Measures the impact of an instructional censorship unit on the book selection behavior of adults when selecting literature for a children's book collection. This study of undergraduate and graduate library science and education majors suggests that proper instruction may alleviate fear of censorship problems. A sample module is included. (RAA)

Describes research findings from a three-year curriculum research and development project involving developing English language materials for science education students at Ains Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. Materials concentrate on comprehension skills of listening and reading and are taught by a cassette tape player in conjunction with…

This article presents a rationale for using newspaper comics and cartoons as instructional materials to foster language skills, career skills, values clarification, and critical thinking. It provides ideas for creating games and learning activity packages (LAPs) based on comic strips. (SJL)

Describes the University of Illinois' independent study approach for presenting fundamental concepts of librarianship to entering master's program students. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach are contrasted as it evolved from four formal courses and an intermediate team-taught approach. (RAA)

The 24 reviews in this article include textbooks on journalism and media studies; multimedia kits on advertising, TV news, reporting, and the "grammar" of media; resources on making ad interpreting films in the classroom; supplements on writing for both print and nonprint media; and professional references on improving visual literacy. (Editor)

Given the constraints on educational development, the author sees the introduction of educational technology (broadly defined) as the only course for improving conditions. He describes a practical example in the Hungarian National Center for Educational Technology, which has broad functions in research and development, dissemination, and teacher…

Instructional development projects in Medical Terminology and Orientation to Hearing Aids are reviewed to demonstrate the procedural steps used and the interactive dynamics employed by development teams at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Six references are provided. (MER)

Outlines the characteristics of TRAINER, a computer-based system designed to aid individuals in learning and practicing the search skills needed in using online bibliographic retrieval services. (FM)

An alternative school for problem students in New York City successfully uses both diagnosis of individual learning styles and learning materials designed to respond to individual learning style differences. The students help each other overcome negative behaviors in the school they helped create. (Author/MLF)

Discusses modular courses in technology, their aims, materials used, resources, and the philosophy behind their design and implementation. (GA)

In response to interest from geography teachers in the United Kingdom, isoline drawing and surface drawing programs have been made available to them through an interface program in BASIC. The software has proved to be a successful aid in the teaching of geography. (Author/CMV)