A $13-million gift of William Gates III to the University of Washington has enabled establishment of the country's first department in molecular biotechnology, a combination of medicine and molecular biology to be practiced by researchers versed in a variety of fields, including computer science, computation, applied physics, and engineering. (MSE)

This paper describes use of a folklore and community history collecting guide, appropriate for use with gifted children, called Golden Days. The Golden Days form covers demographic variables and major genres of folklore. Procedures are outlined for conducting a sample classroom interview, identifying interview subjects, conducting interviews,…

Gifted intermediate-level students in Greenville, South Carolina, held a Future Fair in which students completed projects and developed critical and creative thinking skills as they investigated real problems. Projects such as models, inventions, photo essays, and creative writing focused on future schools, art, fashions, space travel, and other…

Fund-raising campaign experience at the University of Iowa Foundation suggests that attention to three planning areas (the intended audience, budget, and project requirements) and seven kinds of materials (campaign name and logo, case statement, letterhead, pledge form, return envelope, folder, and carrier envelope) facilitate program…

Offers seven research-based guidelines to reduce the risk for at-risk learners and help schools implement early childhood programs with a literacy-enriched focus that fosters greater understanding of written language. (SR)

Techniques used by the Special Visual Assessment Clinic for the Handicapped at the University of California-Berkeley School of Optometry are designed to serve handicapped children and adults generally considered "difficult to assess." This article describes the clinic's assessment goals, clientele, and methods for assessing visual ability and…

This article reports the findings of a survey of 37 orientation and mobility specialists who serve preschool-age visually impaired children. It presents demographics of the children and the specialists involved in long cane instruction and identifies the factors related to the decision to begin this instruction. (Author/DB)

This article presents the University of New Hampshire's approach to ongoing training of computer users and argues that training is an investment with a large payoff. The article considers factors affecting training success; computer support; academic computing training; and administrative computing training, including developing a user services…

This paper argues for increased universitywide research planning, with emphasis on collective identification of priorities, open communication at all levels, careful allocation of resources, and long-range strategic planning. (DB)

Discusses design objectives for a project under development at Cornell University that will marry high-bandwidth networking to digital hypermedia databases to permit engineering students at distant sites on a single campus to work together concurrently and to improve the quality of engineering education. Pedagogical and technical concerns are also…

Describes the environmental activities of two PTA members, noting the responsibility and power of the PTA to join their environmental efforts. The article discusses the PTA's leadership role and provides a sample of ideas for ways children and PTAs can help save the environment. (SM)

This paper argues that behaviorism has utility in the design and implementation of early childhood special education services. It explores criticisms of behaviorism, describes critical features of the behavioral approach, and provides examples of the influence and application of the behavioral perspective in early childhood special education.…

This article provides research-based suggestions for developing educational options based on acceleration to meet the needs of gifted students in rural areas. Accelerative options offered by both the home school and universities in Iowa are described. (DB)

Describes the development of a project designed to build a positive role for peer observation in a language program, reports the reactions of the participants, and gives guidelines for the use of peer observation in a language program. (seven references) (GLR)

The experiences of a number of institutions using a variety of approaches show that distance education by television can be both instructionally effective and cost effective. Careful attention to five steps in course development (planning, preparation, rehearsal, presentation, and review) can help colleges save time and avoid pitfalls. (MSE)