Describes an undergraduate religion course at Brigham Young University (Utah) in which seven learners pursuing an online baccalaureate degree were invited to join 49 on-campus students. This case study presents an evaluation of the course based on interviews with distant learners, on-campus students, and instructors. (MES)

Features a self-quiz on school readiness introducing the skills children need to succeed in school. Discusses the caregiver's and teacher's role in creating an environment where children can develop the necessary traits of independence, compassion, trust, creativity, self-control, and perseverance. Delineates how these readiness skills also…

Considers 3- to 6-year-olds' work cycle, looking first to the Montessori concept of normalization, manifest as increasing depth of concentration. Offers guidelines for a "protected lesson," designed to foster independence. Discusses interest and purpose as the basis for work, work "curves," control of error, presentation…

Surveys of Australian college faculty, conducted in 1977 and 1993, provide data for tracing trends in workload. While time devoted to teaching and research have remained stable, changes at the margins of academic workload are considerable. These tasks are largely generated by demands of institutional competition, accountability, and quality…

Presents a framework for assessing kinship homes that differs from traditional family foster home evaluation due to the differences between kinship homes and those of other prospective foster parents. Argues that distinctive criteria for approving placement of children in kinship homes are needed in the areas of home evaluation before placement…

Discusses the needs for restructuring the curriculum, instruction and environment of middle schools to better meet the needs of learners and teachers. Suggests that most reform today is moving toward a developmentally appropriate, child-centered approach. Issues under consideration include a definition of developmentally appropriate programs at…

Explores the attrition rate of instrumental music students between the initial grade level of instruction and grade seven. Compares retention rates between those programs that housed grades five and six in the same building and those that housed them in separate buildings. Considers implications of these findings. (MJP)

Compares the effectiveness of Nihongo-CALI (Japanese Computer Assisted Language Instruction) with non-CALI workbook instruction. Findings reveal that given the same grammar notes and exercises, ongoing intelligent computer feedback is more effective than simple workbook answer sheets for developing learners' grammatical skill in producing Japanese…

Reviews two software programs, "PhoneDisc Business95" and "BusinessMAP LTF," that offer user-friendly, low-cost, and quick methods of identifying and mapping patterns of the names of U.S. businesses. This software can be used to help students understand how populations see and define themselves regionally and visualize the demographic spread of…

Reviews recent theoretical advances in political geography, particularly those that stress the political conflict behind the production of space. Discusses how this has impacted the study of environmental phenomena such as hazards, human-land relationships, development, and international environmental governance. Suggests ways that political…

Recounts a little known episode of World War II: the imprisonment of 28,000 anti-Nazi Jewish refugees in Great Britain. Explores how the refugees created a rich cultural and educational life out of these circumstances. They ran internment camp education programs, put on theatrical shows, and published a camp newspaper. (MJP)

Defines remote sensing as the examination of something without touching it. Generally, this refers to satellite and aerial photographic images. Discusses how this technology and resulting knowledge can be integrated into geography classes. Includes a sample unit using images. (MJP)

Observations and interviews with white high school physical educators and minority students examined perceptions of power and conflict. Both groups noted conflicts of interest related to the value of an educational focus for the class. Both parties attempted to use their resources and power to achieve their valued goals. (SM)

Mathematics achievement was used to distinguish between resilient and nonresilient Latino middle-school students, primarily immigrants from working-class families speaking English as a Second Language. Resilient students had greater involvement and satisfaction in math class, academic self-concept, and achievement motivation than nonresilient…

Women from three teacher education programs discussed their experiences as student teachers in high schools. Their stories highlighted frequent harassment of female student teachers by male students, and the fact that viewing women as sex objects was commonplace. Recommends incorporation of ideas from Carol Gilligan and others in student teaching…