Children Now is an independent children's advocacy group that promotes solutions to problems facing American children, with particular attention to the needs of those who are poor or at risk. The group provides policy expertise and up-to-date information on the status of children. Children Now's Children and the Media Program works to improve the…

Many believe that America's children are exposed to negative messages by the media--violence, irresponsible sex, and materialism--making it difficult for parents to teach traditional values. Noting that what motivates parents is the desire to teach their children right from wrong while what motivates society is financial profit, this book explores…

CNN Newsroom is a daily 15-minute news program specifically produced for classroom use and provided free to participating schools. These classroom guides, designed to accompany the daily CNN (Cable News Network) Newsroom broadcasts for September 2-29, 1997, provide program rundowns, suggestions for class activities and discussion, student…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of OPTICA (Our Path Together Initiating Cultural Access) programs. For each program an information sheet indicates the goal, total participation, status of the goal, and activities of the program. Programs included: (1) Hands On: ASL Creative Story Telling, a program that used children's…

Discusses and defines media literacy. Topics include the pervasive influence of television; viewing habits; effects of media illiteracy; media education, including teaching critical viewing skills across the curriculum; media education and citizenship education; and the need for teacher education and community and parental involvement. (LRW)

Describes study that was designed to measure the social and spatial television viewing behavior of selected families in Kwara State, Nigeria. Topics discussed include values attached to television viewing, and the social effects of television on educational planning, moral reformation, policy making, and the adoption of innovations in society.…

Reports on a study of a BBC children's television program, "Corners," that was conducted to determine how suitable the program was for its intended audience. Three age groups of children (6-, 7-, and 11-year-olds) were compared, and child development factors and future production decisions are discussed. (10 references) (LRW)

Summarizes a meeting sponsored by the Scientists' Institute for Public Information (SIPI). Discusses the effects and problems that stem from the presentation of science via television to the public. Provides some suggestions for solutions to the problems. (YP)

Investigates relationships between television viewing and both the content and form of children's event representations. Examines two narratives, a "television" story and a "real-life" story, written by children in grades three, five, and eight, for the presence of particular kinds of content and for presentational style and…

A survey of students in 179 Missouri high schools found that rural, male, and minority students watched more television than their counterparts; that rural students' perceptions of environmental safety impacted the length of television watching; and that the difference in viewing time between white and minority students was smaller in rural areas…

Presents a series of activities using data collection and interpretation techniques designed for levels 1-8, 1-5, 3-6, and 4-8 that integrate mathematics and social studies through the common theme of television viewing. Includes an activity sheet for parents to use with their children, three class-activity sheets, and a data sheet. (MDH)

Describes the Salem, New Hampshire, school district's use of technology to prepare students for the future. Technological uses of CD-ROM databases, videodisc programs, satellite programs, a school television production studio, computer labs, cable television, and distance learning labs are discussed. (EA)

Provides background on distance education via television and computer, and lists resources to develop information services for teachers and students. The resource list includes background and history, journals and periodicals, cable and satellite resources, centers and support services, and related resources on distance education, e-mail…

Updates knowledge about the representation of occupations on prime-time network dramatic television using data on 14,902 television characters, and explores how these representations may be related to perceptions of over 3,000 high school students about their future work. Television may be doing young people a disservice in its portrayals. (SLD)

Surveys television cartoons for preschoolers to analyze how they present the female gender. Finds that infant, shrew, eccentric, mother, frump, vamp, and twin role models dominate; argues that these stereotypes limit children's imagination of other possibilities. Notes that the repertoire of female characters seems to have become more…