In this document conference participants consider characteristics of the communications network for diffusion of new instructional materials and practices. Responses to these questions are presented: What are the communication mechanisms within the diffusion system that encourage or discourage the diffusion of innovation? What role do journal…

Change agents are those who introduce innovations into a society or organization. Their function and method has been studied in various cultures and professions, and this book applies those findings to schools. It is addressed both to administrators and to "change agents working from below." After presenting four case studies of change agents in…

Describes a five step mechanism for promoting change and illustrates it with a case study from the Telecommunication and Broadcasting Training Institute (TBTI) in Saudi Arabia. The steps outlined are: (1) organizational analysis; (2) determining receptivity to change; (3) implementation strategy; (4) implementing change and overcoming resistance;…

Discusses attributes of the microcomputer that give it advantages over other types of media equipment for large-group classroom instruction and factors contributing to teacher adoption of technology. The discussion is based on the research literature and on statistical analysis of a questionnaire answered by teachers. (Author/MBR)

Highlights of this article include the role and characteristics of videoconferencing; a model for analysis and preparation of an existing on-campus course for videoconferencing generated from Gilbert's discrepancy analysis; technology's effect on outcomes, presentations, and assignments; and the effect of class management styles on learning and…

This study examines changes in parents' marriages following older-child adoption, using in-depth interviews with seven couples prior to and following placement. The interviews indicated that parents' experiences followed similar patterns. Children's acting-out behavior and their ability to exploit parents' vulnerabilities placed stress on the…

This manual for child welfare staff and foster/adoptive parents is intended to provide guidelines for serving abused and neglected children who are in family foster care and adoption. The first section is on substitute care and permanency planning and offers an historical perspective on substitute care and definitions of family foster care and…

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) recognizes tribes' rights to exercise authority over the welfare of Native American children. Although the ICWA was passed more than 20 years ago, its implementation in Minnesota has been uneven. A conference was held to rectify that situation, and these proceedings provide, among other things, information on…

In "The Invisible Computer," Donald Norman illustrates his theory of invisible computers turning into information appliances with examples of past inventions like the radio, automobile, and phonograph. Second generation computers have evolved as far as technology will allow. At the present time, the technology itself is the driving force…

This workbook is designed to help children deal with issues they might be forced to confront because of certain circumstances in their lives. These are often tough issues that deal with strong emotions. Children who are hurting emotionally often have to deal with life issues before they have attained the developmental level where they would…

This book is a study of the diffusion and transformation of the kindergarten around the turn of the twentieth century, concentrating most centrally on the power of local cultures to respond to and reformulate borrowed ideas. Eleven case studies represent western and nonwestern national histories, various religious traditions, and a range of…

Theories concerning the reasons teachers do or do not adopt recommended teaching practices are discussed. Recent classroom-based experiments are examined, and suggestions are made for additional research into the process of teacher behavior change in the classroom and for the promotion of teacher adoption of change proposals. (JN)

Criticizes "On What Basis Hope? Modern Progress and Postmodern Possibility" (Danforth), which discusses the difficulty educators and special educators have in making arguments that do not conform to the language and conventions of science. The article cites Danforth's failure to acknowledge that people with disabilities themselves have challenged…

Compared activity and behaviors of 36- to 82-month-olds adopted from Romanian orphanages and with varying lengths of institutionalization (more than 6 months or less than 2 months) with those of age- and gender-matched American-born control groups. Found that each Romanian group exhibited more problems in activity level, organization, and…

Explores two historical periods that preceded the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978: the boarding and mission school era (1880s-1950s) and the Indian adoption era (1950s-70s). The assimilationist social welfare policy of those two eras led to the eventual need for special legislation that protects tribal self-determination, heritage, and family…