Shows how the library/media resource center can become the centerpiece for active social studies learning in the middle grades. Briefly outlines a program beginning with an introduction to the library, followed by some rudimentary bibliographic instruction, culminating in group and individual projects. (MJP)

Suggests a number of questions that can be used to structure a small-group discussion about the interpretation of visual images. Argues for the necessity of critical interpretation of visual information as an increasing degree of geographic information becomes visualized. Includes several teaching tips. (MJP)

Two teaching ideas integrate mathematics and business. The first discusses consumer deception by such ploys as false bottoms on containers and simple rather than compound interest on investments. The second describes a business mathematics course in which students are motivated by contracting for certain jobs and potential bonuses. (MDH)

This bibliography lists articles from 11 journals of interest to school library media specialists. Topics include information service, including censorship, classification, collection development, and professional development; instructional consulting; literature; management, including automation and public relations; notable authors,…

School-based media provide information, help organize information and ideas, help create values and attitudes, help shape expectations, and provide models for action. Schools should continuously involve students in analyzing media message systems and help students develop critical thinking (including media literacy). (RLC)

Reports on an interview with the president, past president, and president elect of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) about the impact of the national standards movement and the future of social studies education. Discusses the Goals 2000 national standards projects and their relationship to NCSS Social Studies Standards efforts.…

Describes the findings of a 1991 survey of automation in Iranian academic libraries. Findings about libraries participating in the study, including subject area focus, library size, users, staffing, services, and budgets, are presented as a context for information about computer facilities. Copies of the survey in English and Arabic are appended.…

Describes a study based on data from a national survey of elementary and secondary school teachers that identified exemplary computer-using teachers and examined differences between exemplary and other computer-using teachers, including school environments, personal backgrounds, and teaching practices. Collegiality, school support, resource…

Discusses the changing library environment, with greater reliance on technology; and describes relevant skills for librarians, including communicating with nonlibrarians, working with group processes, understanding the capabilities of information-handling technologies, and developing management and marketing abilities. (21 references) (EA)

Presents a collection of 100 creative teaching ideas from educators nationwide. The suggestions cover across-the-curriculum teaching tips for language arts, math, science, and social studies; tips on classroom management, cooperative learning, computers, thinking skills, and self-esteem. A bonus page for students is included. (SM)

Focuses on movement: movable art, relocating families, human rights, and trains and cars. Describes educational resources for elementary and middle school students, including Web sites, CD-ROMs and software, videotapes, books, additional resources and activities (PEN)

Surveys the reading and viewing habits of British teenagers. Discovers that, although U.S. horror fiction (R. L. Stine, Stephen King) tops the lists, a wide diversity exists among the less popular authors. Reveals marked gender differences in amount of time spent viewing videos, television, and computer games. (MJP)

Vertical connections, constructed using inquiry, give students the skills to reach new heights in both their academic and local communities. In this article, the authors present inquiry projects, developed by middle level teachers, to ensure that students use higher-level thinking skills to improve the community. Each project is connected to the…

The study of video game effects has been marked by two very different approaches. The first approach is represented by social scientists, who, with some exceptions, seek to understand the effects of games on users. The second approach is favored by humanists, who seek to understand the meaning and context of games. To date, these two groups have…

In order to match the customary strengths of the still dominant face-to-face instructional mode, a high-performance online learning system must employ synchronous as well as asynchronous communications; buttress graphics, animation, and text with live audio and video; and provide many of the features and processes associated with course management…