School districts are integrating security and life-safety systems into school buildings to protect students and property. This proactive approach includes sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and security systems that monitor door movement. Some school districts that are incorporating the latest life-safety technology are in Missouri, Ohio, California,…

Presents results from empirical studies of physics learning for different age groups using a situated cognition perspective to construct detailed understandings of how individual learning processes unfold. Contains 35 references. (PVD)

Discusses how to use video in classroom projects. Highlights include: mastering simple camera work; using video as a teaching tool for demonstration, modeling, and student feedback; electronic publishing; and steps in pre- and post-production. Sidebars outline six reasons for using multimedia in the classroom, and solutions for dealing with…

Discusses the transition for faculty from teaching traditional classes to online courses, including new pedagogical approaches, assessment practices, group interaction, and student/teacher dialog. Describes a systems change approach being implemented at Southern Cross University (Australia) that includes a collaborative action learning model for…

An award-winning Alaskan elementary school is designed to blend into the landscape; capture as much winter daylight as possible; and generally accommodate safety, flexibility, practicality, and whimsy. In a sidebar, the architect explains the importance of architect/educator collaboration in designing a building that supports an educational…

Examines current academic culture and how it affects growth in nontraditional and distant student populations. Characteristics examined include goal ambiguity, limited flexibility in adapting academic programs to students' needs, low faculty interdependence, and high vulnerability because of decreased funding and societal demands. Examples of…

Argues that, even for young children, analogies offer conceptual models for supporting the development of understanding. Compared children's understanding of current electricity after instruction with and without the inclusion of analogies. Children receiving the analogies exhibited a broader understanding, especially concerning the process of…

Profiles the Psychoneurological Institute, a turn-of-the-century scientific education establishment. The Institute developed its own syllabi, introduced new courses, and waived tuition for low-income students. This freedom attracted scholars, students, and political controversy. After the 1917 Revolution the Institute became an accepted part of…

Describes an innovative doctoral program at Wichita (Kansas) State University that prepares students to become expert educational leaders. The program integrates curriculum through an applied-inquiry, clinically oriented, field-based model. Student performance is judged according to theoretically grounded categories and based on multiple evidences…

Candidates for the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto gain classroom teaching experience under the supervision of mentor teachers and attend professional development workshops in a nonthreatening, nonevaluative program that guarantees their acceptance the following year. The program has been successful in recruiting minority…

Charts the many ways teachers can use materials gathered during their vacation travels in the classroom. Details activities built around material objects easily accessible through museum gift shops or local stores. Recommends using newspapers for discussions of politics and economics germane to the area. (MJP)

Explains the technical operation of the World Wide Web in four simple steps. Includes a glossary of Web-related terms and an explanation of the components making up a universal resource locator (URL) address. Neatly contained on one page, this would make a perfect handout or flyer for a computer lab. (MJP)

Focus group research methods were used to investigate the alignment of inclusive education with other reform efforts at a targeted urban school with 347 students. Results found the teachers, principals, and the parents shared a commitment to sustaining a school community and breaking down the walls of segregation. (Contains references.) (CR)

Presents Rio Salado College as a case study of an institution that aligns itself with the needs of learners by altering its organizational values and practices. Emphasizes the need for institutions to embrace change and innovation to accommodate the needs of its learners. Contains 11 references. (YKH)

Argues that slide tests effectively evaluate students' understanding of geographic concepts. Discusses the purpose of using slides and outlines procedures for testing. Considers the qualitative results of three formal examinations and areas of visual confusion or misinterpretation; suggests improvements. Examines implications of computers for…