Recommends establishing literature study groups as early as the primary grades. Outlines the steps for implementing a group and describes several classroom experiences with them. Includes a discussion of follow-up activities, and a bibliography of related works. (MJP)

Describes the change from a traditional, paper-based collection to an electronic library at Bell Canada's Information Resource Center in Montreal. Highlights include universal desktop access for users; library Web site; decline in traditional services to increased use of online services; materials, including books, consultant reports, and…

This discussion provides an overview of the kinds of technological resources available to support language learning and of various approaches to using them, and explores some issues surrounding the trend. Topics considered include efficacy, availability, computer-mediated technologies, software acquisition and content, material evaluation,…

Discusses the formulation and findings of a nationwide survey which focused on materials selections concerns of school media centers: (1) whether a materials selection policy exists that is approved by the school board; (2) number of library media specialists; (3) whether library media specialists feel external pressure regarding materials…

Argues that textbooks legitimate selective forms of knowledge underlying supposedly democratic reforms heavily influenced by conservative economic/political forces and eclipsing the historical experiences and cultural expression of the less powerful. Views textbooks as part of social construction of reality. Calls for politicized, multiple…

Argues that conflicts existing within the professional value system of librarianship have made it difficult for librarians to fulfill their obligation to represent fairly the values and viewpoints of all segments of society. Professional goals and ideals that demonstrate such conflicts are discussed, and possible means to their resolution are…

Identifies issues that need to be addressed when planning combined school and public libraries. The importance of defining the role of the libraries and involving all participants in the planning process is stressed, and considerations relating to personnel selection, collection development, funding, and evaluation are discussed. (CLB)

Discusses problem areas in the development of school libraries in Nigeria, including lack of legislation, shortage of funds, poor accommodations, unavailability of trained staff, lack of relevant material, and apathy on the part of school administrators and the government. Recommendations for improving this situation are suggested. (17 references)…

Responses of 310 teachers in Florida to a survey about use of teacher-made tests, nationally standardized tests, and state minimum competency tests were studied. Results show that all three test types were used to some extent in eight decision categories, but none of the tests were clearly dominant. (SLD)

A former eighth grade reading and writing teacher considers how her experience in a classroom workshop for readers and writers has affected her behavior with her young daughter. Emphasizes providing children with adequate time to read, choice of what to read, and opportunities to respond. (RAE)

"Rotondo" presents a conflict situation between a superintendent and his board of education. The New Jersey appellate court ruled that a board of education need not accept the recommendation of the superintendent and can appoint its own candidates after doing its own interviews. Emphasizes the broad power of a local board of education to…

Describes the process of creating recordable CD-ROMs for faculty classroom multimedia presentations that combine the benefits of traditional overhead transparencies with the benefits of multimedia. Highlights include hardware; software, including presentation software, media integrators, and authoring software; image databases; file management…

Reports on a study of students' preferences for social studies, English, and science courses among 888 secondary students. Finds that seventh graders preferred social studies over science, but this preference weakened substantially as students advanced into high school. Finds that boys preferred social studies over English throughout high school.…

Reports on the reading interests of 450 Russian secondary school graduates enrolled in a mathematics and physics-oriented technical school in Moscow. Finds that students' interests changed during two periods in recent Russian history: (1) 1988-1990--the perestroika period; and (2) 1991-1992--the "market" period. (CFR)

When integrated appropriately into the curriculum, technology can support the achievement of specific learning outcomes. To help newcomers to technology, the paper lists professional journals, technology organizations, and quality software and multimedia catalogs and presents a list of strategies teachers can use to evaluate whether technology can…