The Australian university system can fund the creation of a scholarly collection of serials for use by the nation by increasing the average expenditure on libraries from 5.1% to 5.3% of total university expenditure. Once the national collection has been built, virtual access can be provided using a Web-based model called MEADS (Monash Electronic…

In an interview, Lucinda Roy, a professor of English at Virginia Tech who teaches online courses in creative writing, the civil rights movement, and literature, discusses the risks and dynamics of this style of teaching and the need to maintain some personal interaction with students. She notes that technology liberates learners, giving them a…

Discusses using peer support to deal with role ambiguity and role conflict for early care and education directors. Examines causes of role conflict development. Suggests developing a support system with other incumbents of boundary jobs that provides for sharing, communicating, listening, letting off steam, and joining together to initiate…

Describes a "virtual" magnet school in Massachusetts for high school math and science that uses telecommunications to link students, universities, and corporate advisors. University and corporate roles are discussed, a summer institute is described, and sample research activities are included. (LRW)

Examines the effects of electronic mail and bulletin boards on teachers' perceptions, instructional practices, and student involvement in an elementary social studies program. Although responses were generally positive, the study suggested mandating teacher team leaders to facilitate integrating the technology into the curriculum. (MJP)

Describes the results of a survey of school librarians that investigated satisfaction with their selection of library automation systems. Discusses purchasing decisions; networking; Web-based systems; user friendliness; efficiency and usability; vendor integrity; technical support; training; documentation; authority control; links to Internet…

Parenting is a subject about which people typically hold strong opinions, but about which too little solid information or considered reflection exists. And clearly critical questions about parenting abound. Moreover, the family generally, and parenting specifically, are today in a greater state of flux, question, and re-definition than perhaps…

In the 1980s, the National Geographic Society launched a multi-million dollar campaign to improve teachers' knowledge of geography through the establishment of geographic alliances--networks of geography professors, teacher educators, and elementary and secondary teachers. To coordinate reform efforts in geographic education, the Society provides…

Girls and young women are bearing the heaviest burden of the rising HIV epidemic in the English-speaking Caribbean. Previous research has highlighted the importance of understanding geographical and sociocultural factors in the spread of HIV among this population. This paper reports an exploratory case study which assessed the role of social…

NonStop University is an online university community application service designed, developed, and deployed by Hewlett-Packard (HP) to serve the computer product training needs of 2,500 staff members in more than 50 countries. By identifying a set of learner characteristics that supported a set of key elements while using technology and focusing on…

Comparing Ute Mountain Indians, Hispanics, and Anglos within several communities, this study examined: (1) ethnic differences in the structure and function of parents' support networks; and (2) the relation of social support to parental feelings of competence and parenting behaviors. From 4 sites in Colorado, 484 parents or guardians of 2- to…

Drastic social problems challenge teachers looking to increase parental involvement in schools. Traditional strategies to involve parents, such as inviting parents to meetings and school events, do not promote genuine interaction between home and school. Instead, they separate parents and teachers. Two-way communication between home and school is…

This document contains all of the articles from an "Education Week" special report examining technology's role in bringing schools and homes closer together. Articles include: (1) "Homeward Bound" (Peter West), about one of the nation's first "virtual teachers" and the effect of the changing dynamics of the…

This special issue of the Family Resource Coalition Report presents personal experiences and reflections regarding parent involvement and leadership in family support. Articles in this issue are: (1) "The Vaughn Family Center: It's My Story" (Jorge Lara and Matt Oppenheim); (2) "Asking the Right Questions is Key to Developing Parent…

Bringing the electronic classroom to the traditional classroom is a challenge--especially if students do not have access to computers. There are, however, some exercises that can be conducted in the classroom while the computer grant is being processed. Many computer and writing theorists argue that computer-mediated writing classes tend to be…