A major problem of accommodating computer technology in today's classrooms is space availability and the general design and construction of most traditional classrooms. This document addresses the types of classroom architectural and interior considerations believed necessary in order to create a more amenable environment for classroom computers.…

The legal requirement that special needs students have access to a balanced and broadly based curriculum carries implications for accommodation in special schools. This document offers advice and guidance on the provision of accommodation which takes account of the special educational needs of the pupils, and also explains those factors relating…

This pamphlet describes "learning challenges," a method of classroom organization designed to meet the needs, strengths, and interest of children at all levels of development. These challenges are a means by which teachers can individualize their programs and invite their students to explore, think, create, and respond. The pamphlet…

This publication provides suggestions and considerations that may be useful for school jurisdictions developing facilities for computers in schools. An interim report for both use and review, it is intended to assist school system planners in clarifying the specifications needed by the architects, other design consultants, and purchasers involved.…

In Canada today, more than a million children spend a large portion of their preschool years in child care outside the immediate family. The design of a child care center's physical facility has a major impact on the quality of interactions that take place within it. Intended to assist design and child care professionals who are building a new…

Schools have been faced with design and technology changes over the past few years, raising issues when planners consider both new and existing school accommodations. This document illustrates typical design examples and suggests an approach which individual schools can use to assess their own design and technology accommodation requirements.…

The Reggio Emilia preschools in Italy have much to offer U.S. early education practitioners. If adapted, based on an understanding of American culture and of how American children learn, four components of the Reggio Emilia model can be useful in American early childhood settings. First, projects based on the interests of children can be used to…

Emphasizing the importance of developing a social classroom climate, this book addresses the organization of the reading/writing classroom. Nine sections: (1) present a statement of principles based on this concept of classroom organization (J. Steinle); (2) discuss scheduling the school day as an important area of teacher planning (P. Sloan and…

This booklet provides suggestions for reassessing, modifying, and arranging child care center environments to best serve the needs of children and staff. The booklet notes that a well-planned environment can provide young children with appropriate and challenging learning experiences within a consistent and secure setting. Such an environment also…

This booklet, revised from the March 1990 version, provides suggestions for reassessing, modifying, and arranging child care center environments to best serve the needs of children and staff. The booklet notes that a well-planned environment can provide young children with appropriate and challenging learning experiences within a consistent and…

Articulates the ideological and social relationships reinforced by the spatial design of urban children's schools in the early 19th century. Describes the purpose and function of the four types of schools: Sunday, monitorial, infant, and workhouse. Includes numerous illustrations from a variety of sources. (MJP)

This paper provides a focus on the successful and positive facets of schooling from a series of case studies. The study involved 13 researchers in over 500 hours of intensive classroom observation of 20 exemplary teachers and a comparison group of non-exemplary teachers. The qualitative information was complemented by quantitative information…

Describes a study designed to explore sources of influence on the judgements made by science teachers related to school characteristics, classroom features, and properties of a science curriculum. Results suggest that teachers' judgments center around concern for student ability and interest, teaching methods, and school spirit and morale. (TW)

This working paper describes the development of a child care center in Berlin, Germany, focusing on how the program's pedagogical principles support children's learning, how respect for diversity is integrated in everyday practice, and how program quality and accessibility are defined within a multicultural context. Chapter 1 describes the…

As the world becomes more diverse socially, culturally, and economically, there are growing expectations that the individual's differences and rights will be recognized, respected, and responded to in positive ways. This book provides teachers of both multi-age and diverse single-age classrooms guidance on classroom organization, curriculum…