Advances a framework for teacher-assisted computer implementation based on Vygotsky's theory of socially mediated cognitive development. The approach suggested by this framework acknowledges critical roles of adults or more skilled partners in task performance and knowledge construction. Describes an application of the approach used to provide…

Describes the Global Thinking Project, a collaborative effort between Georgia State University and the Russian Academy of Pedagogical Sciences to develop strategies, methods, and teaching materials to help students think globally. Students are connected through the AppleLink network. Student and teacher attitudes toward the project are reported.…

Online education may help address the challenges of growing student enrollment, overcrowded schools, outdated buildings, teacher shortages, scheduling conflicts, limited educational opportunities (especially advanced-placement classes), and other equity concerns. Snapshots of virtual high schools in Florida, Kentucky, and West Virginia are…

The Child Care Initiative Project, a public-private partnership designed to build the supply of child care throughout California, has achieved remarkable success in recruiting and training providers and increasing the number of child-care spaces in family day-care settings. Community-based organization and strong evaluation instruments have been…

Arizona State University has created longitudinal student files capable of tracking each student's curricular and financial aid history from entry until graduation. The structure of the files, their creation and maintenance, and their evolution over the years are described. Uses of the files to conduct different kinds of studies to inform…

Describes a Michigan City, Indiana initiative called "Kaleidoscope," a multilayered school improvement plan encompassing four goals: (1) to infuse arts into language arts and math curricula; (2) to foster collaborations between classroom teachers, arts specialists, and the community; (3) to build greater multicultural connections and…

A Central Michigan University course in African-American literature, attended mostly by whites, is joined by black students and their professor at the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, for lectures and discussions by teleconference. Technology is the tool used for increasing diversity in the teaching/learning experience. But, team teaching…

Three Arizona programs aim to train culturally and linguistically diverse general and special educators who understand the needs and strengths of rural communities. Native Americans and Mexican Americans from rural areas who want to work with special needs populations are recruited, as well as whites. Many are paraprofessionals, working full time…

Developing mathematical talent at the elementary level is a complex issue--one that is influenced by many components. The three main factors are: (1) levels of Math giftedness; (2) teacher background; and (3) appropriate resource materials. Keeping these issues in mind and knowing that each district and, indeed, each student is unique, this…

Advances in information and communication technologies give us the ability to reach out beyond the time and place limitations of the traditional classroom. However, effective online teaching is more than just transferring traditional courses to the World Wide Web (WWW). We describe how we have used "off the shelf" software and the infrastructure…

Many international schools include a host country programme as part of their curriculum. Such programmes range from the study of local culture through to local language instruction. The administration and teachers of an international school (ISXX) felt they wanted to move beyond the traditional approaches to host country integration as well as…

Working with special education teachers in elementary settings student instructional designers created three instructional tools based on the concept of "Learning Objects." Graduate and undergraduate students under the supervision of two faculty members in their university's Department of Teaching and Learning worked with local teachers to produce…

In late 2003, the regional campus of the University of South Australia initiated a peer-mentoring program aimed at assisting the smooth transition of new students to university life. In particular, the Nursing and Rural Health unit envisaged a program that would be effective and rewarding for both student mentees and mentors. This paper presents…

In the United States, there were more than 500,000 enrollments in online courses in grades K-12 and more than one-third of public school districts offered some type of eLearning during the 2005-2006 school year. Research has been done on several virtual schools in North America; however, little information is available about current K-12…

Most large enterprises now have some type of portal to organize their internal information services. Few, however, have the long history of the SPIKE project at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Originally developed during the 1994-1995 school year, SPIKE was an intranet information portal before the term "information…