Children's media have the capacity to prepare young learners to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to contribute to a more peaceful world. Research suggests international coproductions of Sesame Street and other children's media efforts are linked to positive impact on how viewers perceive themselves and their own cultures, as…

What happens when a university-based education policy center uses the Standards for Professional Learning to design purposeful professional learning experiences for teachers, community members, principals, central office administrators, superintendents, and university faculty to re-engage in the meaning and creation of equitable and excellent…

The vision for science teaching in the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards requires a radical departure from traditional science teaching. Science literacy is defined as three-dimensional (3D), in which students engage in science and engineering practices to develop and apply science disciplinary ideas…

As we strive to provide quality and sustainable online learning experiences, we must frame instructional design decisions around learners' current needs and interaction with technology. This article explores the implications of technology transience on instructional design. We provide numerous examples of programs assuming a purposeful approach to…

When architects discuss the educational facilities of the next century and beyond, the conversation turns to collaborative spaces. They envision flexible and fluid spaces that will encourage creative and critical thinking, and free students to communicate clearly about the task at hand. While these are admirable ideals, there are some fundamental…

This article describes a process one librarian discovered and implemented as she observed the changing role of the librarian and the library. Frustration was growing due to the gradual erosion of school libraries as they struggled to remain, with electronic books, video streaming, and databases supplanting many of the physical resources in the…

School librarians play an important role in developing a technology plan for the school library program that reflects teaching and learning for today's education. The school librarian's leadership in the overall process and the written plan itself can influence future strategies for teaching and learning with technology that can go well…

Teacher candidates have few opportunities during their teacher preparation coursework to investigate practices associated with eliciting and responding to student writing. This article describes an attempt to address this problem with a searchable online digital archive of student writing, with and without teachers' written feedback, as well…

Students of every age have their own ideas about things...and they certainly have their own ideas about the best ways to learn. Project Tomorrow's annual Speak Up survey asked students from kindergarten through the 12th grade a simple question: "If you could create the ideal mobile app for learning, what would it look like?" Researchers received…

Presents an overview of the fundamental principles of school office design that remain constant despite changes in building technologies, and technological and spatial flexibility. Principles discussed include the school office and traffic patterns, security, and visitor reception requirements. (GR)

Explains how to create slide shows via computer using common software programs such as ClarisWorks. Highlights include identifying the audience, organizing the information, becoming familiar with technical specifications of the equipment, the use of text, style consistency, the use of graphics, and the use of color. (LRW)

Describes an Educational Products Information Exchange (EPIE) study which evaluated 163 elementary and secondary education microcomputer courseware programs for intent, content, methods and approach, and evaluation, to discover whether trends existed across areas and courseware types, and to determine strengths and weaknesses of available…

Summarizes a discussion by the authors of this special issue that took place after the five instructional designers created lesson plans for the same design task. Highlights include the specified content's convergent effect on the designs; design philosophies; things that surprised the designers; and their favorable responses. (AEF)

Addresses the design of highway vehicles as one means for students to learn about forms of three-dimensional art. Focuses on the Corvette, mass-produced cars like the Chrysler Concorde, the modern semi-trailer, and an antique 1931 Dusenberg Model J Murphy Aluminum Top Coupe. (CMK)

Discusses design elements of a 21st century school library, including space, books and shelving, seats, tables, technology (computers, scanners, projectors), building materials (wood, metal, plastic, paint, glass, fibers), and light and color. A sidebar describes the L!BRARY initiative to creatively design, professionally staff, and…