Demonstrates how introducing students to African literature can appeal to their imaginations and encourage them to develop their insights into African culture. Outlines the procedures in a middle school class where the students are transformed into anthropologists as they read Chinua Achebe's, "Things Fall Apart." (MJP)

Investigated the evolution of electronic portfolios by preservice elementary teachers, examining how they constructed and thought about electronic self-assessment portfolios. Data from portfolios, interviews, and surveys indicated that creating portfolios allowed participants to be reflective because of how the portfolio development process…

Describes the various direct and indirect effects of HIV and AIDS on children's development and the implications for early intervention assessment. HIV and AIDS effects include disorganization during the neonatal period, failure to thrive, motor difficulties, cognitive dysfunction, expressive language behavior, attention problems, and…

Relational education addresses social as well as academic aspects of student development. The core elements of relational education as used in the Community School, a Maine alternative high school, are trust, paying respectful attention, teacher-student relationships, a sense of belonging, student responsibility for behavior and physical plant…

Advocates the assessment of teachers' technology skills by school media and technology specialists who are involved in staff training. Discusses what should be assessed, including level of curricular integration and attitudes; assessment objectives; informal assessments; formal assessments; assessment tools; and administrators as role models for…

This article explores some of the relevant features of the integration of technological tools into both regular and special education, seeking to determine those positive and negative features that would impact the usefulness of new technologies as aids to the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classes. (SM)

Presents a comprehensive report of material collected over five years for advocating to improve the education of language minority children. The essay argues that the attempts to help immigrant schoolchildren deficient in English are misguided in the assumption that these children cannot learn English quickly and must be taught academic subjects…

Focuses on the employment-related aspect of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes at the intermediate and advanced levels. Activities described include researched pair presentations, company research, working through occupational modules and an exercise to enhance self-image. Networking with colleagues and the community helps in the…

This article critiques the "Research, Development, and Dissemination" model for development of innovations in special education and urges greater recognition of the cultural perspective for understanding resistance to change by teachers. Difficulties teachers have had in implementing Direct Instruction principles and their reactions to…

This volume's topics include librarian role and ethical issues in Internet searching, strategies for locating career resources on the Internet and World Wide Web, career information for "Generation X" and for alumni, collaboration between libraries and university career services, career information gophers, and electronic privacy and…

Details various ways music teachers can provide children with the emotional resources to rescue and heal themselves. Primary among these is the establishment of trust. Recommends modeling stability, consistency, benevolence, flexibility, and a healthy perspective. Discusses the challenges and problems of being a surrogate parent. (MJP)

Presents a piece-by-piece description of everything an educator needs for a one-computer music classroom. Provides detailed comparisons between the Macintosh and IBM compatible and gives current prices for all pieces of equipment. Defines and describes related software and provides some beginning instructional advice. (MJP)

Physical educators compared the effectiveness of peer, teacher, and video feedback during elementary students' skill development units. Groups of students received one of the types of feedback. Pretesting and posttesting indicated that teacher-directed feedback was best for younger students and video feedback with teacher cueing was best for older…

Recommends using literature, Supreme Court cases, and moral dilemmas in a debate format as means of instruction for character education. Includes a rationale and examples for each approach. Explains several guiding values (respect for persons, justice, telling the truth) and their relevance to character education. (MJP)

Presents a diagnostic teaching unit designed to identify effective teaching strategies for fourth- or fifth-grade students with learning or behavior disorders. The unit uses "The Popcorn Book" (de Paola) for activities to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies across the content areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. (CR)