In today's culture, some of the most commonly shared experiences involve the mass media. The media--film, television, radio, newspapers, magazines, music, advertising, and software industries--have become primary avenues through which most come to know about the world, both near and far. They help frame the world, elevating certain issues, and the…

Group discussion allows students to learn how to "talk to someone." Through group discussion, students can acquire or refine a broad range of attributes, from basic oratory skills to a more sophisticated development of communicative competence to embracing and valuing dialogic interchange and reflexivity. In this article, the author explains how…

Chautauqua (1874-present) was founded in western New York state, USA. It developed into a centre for education, religion, arts and recreation. Examined here is the philosophy of its programmes: liberal education for adults, regardless of background. The backdrop for Chautauqua was the US tradition of popular self-improvement; local clienteles were…

Barbara Petzen began working as a part-time outreach coordinator at Harvard University's Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) a week before September 11, 2001. She was finishing her dissertation in Middle Eastern studies, specializing in the Ottoman Empire and Arab history, and thought it would be a good job to have while she completed her…

The focus of this article is on the war rhetoric of the Bush administration as reflected in the speeches of President Bush. What was explored is how presidential speeches drew on a variety of rhetorical techniques, from role-taking and punctuation to the adoption of the paranoid style. The purpose of these techniques is to nullify voices of…

In this article, the author deplores how the No Child Left Behind Act has caused schools throughout the nation to dramatically reduce the number of curriculum hours for science, art, music, and history and social studies. The author contends that there is nothing wrong with these standards but he observes how teachers are being threatened by NCLB…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the construction of virtual community identities among Chinese internet users and their motivation for lurking, posting or flaming. Design/methodology/approach: Taking Qiangguo Luntan as an online study site the authors apply an ethnographic approach for the research, a method that is becoming more…

This publication analyzes the reform movement in China before and after the Tiananmen Square demonstrations of 1989. In the aftermath of the cold war and because of recent mutual hostility, U.S.-Chinese relations are at a critical juncture. The events leading up to and encompassing the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square and the brutal manner in…

Since the end of the Cold War, those teaching about developing democracies in Central and Eastern Europe have taken on new responsibilities: dispelling cultural attitudes formed and taught during the Cold War, helping students to understand the concept of democracy, and analyzing the effects of these events on the world. This high school lesson…

The major goal of social studies education is to provide students with the skills and knowledge essential for effective participation in society. As a supplement to more traditional social studies material, newspapers can help students make the connection between the classroom and real life. The social studies activities suggested in this guide…

The major events and trends in U.S. teacher education which occurred during 1990 are summarized. The following topics are discussed: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); Holmes Group; Goodlad Teacher Education Study; Alternative Routes to Teaching; Regional Teacher Certification; Massachusetts' Fifth Year; National…

In one county in Maryland, less than one-third of the eligible citizens chose to participate in primary elections held in 1990. The response mirrored the rest of the nation. The participation of U.S. citizens in the policital process depends on the development of a social environment that stresses the transformation of all political subjects into…

This book is intended for use as a supplement to a five-unit instructional series, "The Shaping of Modern Hawaiian History." It presents information on land use, population and ethnic diversity, government, politics, the economy, and Hawaii's place in the Pacific. Provided are many graphs, tables, readings, documents, and maps, which…

Nuclear winter, a term used to describe potential long-term climate and environmental effects of nuclear war, has been a subject of debate and controversy. This report examines and presents scientific and policy implications of nuclear winter. Contents include: (1) an executive summary (highlighting previous and current studies on the topic); (2)…

Current Affairs is offered as an option to literary texts for students of French working toward the Victorian Higher School Certificate. (Author)