Indicates a need for updating personnel practices involving continuing education instructors. Describes the questionnaire used to ascertain continuing education personnel practices. Reviews the following areas: recruitment, selection, orientation, supervision, evaluation, compensation, and demographic data. Focuses on practices toward credit,…

Seven articles in this issue focus on the use of realia in instruction. Authors discuss reasons why realia effectively motivate students and enhance learning; the place of realia in supervised occupational experience programs; the importance of real-life experiences to vocational agriculture; and student teaching as a reality experience. (SK)

Cites advantages of a Directed Individualized Reading program, including ways such a program can shape the reading curriculum to meet students' needs and interests. Discusses how educators can help students select the best books, can establish and evaluate the program, and can get students to carry reading beyond the classroom. (FL)

Describes an interdisciplinary college course on the Plains Indians, team-taught by history and literature professors. Outlines issues related to team teaching, organization of course content and selection of print and video instructional materials, classroom practice, and lessons learned. A course outline and exam essay questions are appended.…

Two-way compressed video, a new technology that allows video communication between sites, promises to revolutionize teaching, faculty hiring, and intellectual exchanges. Its potential for almost unlimited connectivity among institutions, groups, and individuals is enhanced by its relatively low cost in comparison with other video technologies.…

Divides musical composition selection for student orchestras into two categories, teaching repertoire and concert repertoire. Provides a number of helpful hints and criteria for selecting both. Includes "Ten Terrific Titles,""Super String Selections," a list of premiere selections for grades two through six, and a list of selected resources. (MJP)

Uses response journals to explore the ways fourth-grade students respond to literature. Finds factors necessary to mesh text and a reader's personal experiences: a classroom atmosphere that encourages risk-taking; daily opportunities to read and respond; a wide variety of choices in reading materials; modeling of good reading strategies; and…

Discusses problems with the use of technology, especially the Internet, for providing inservice teacher education. Highlights include the gap between available technology and the expertise to use it; antiquated hardware; the rapid growth and acceptance of the World Wide Web and graphical browsers; and the expertise gap between rural and urban…

A study of 4,687 White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic students at four highly selective colleges found Blacks often entered with strong science interest but had the highest attrition from sciences; Asians had the lowest attrition rate, and Whites and Hispanics neared the average rate of 40%. Ability and achievement variables were also studied. (MSE)

In an interview, Blenda J. Wilson discusses aspects of her role as president of the University of California-Northridge, including decision making in the face of an earthquake and of controversial campus freedom-of-speech situations, the preparation and selection of college presidents, the threat to affirmative action policy, and being a role…

Reviews a number of educational materials that provide background information on issues related to the environment. Highly recommends the book "Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Environmental Issues" and the periodical "The Green Teacher." Specifically discusses how these materials can be used in the classroom. (MJP)

The Boehringer Mannheim Library (Germany) switched its loose-leaf pharmacopoeias from printed versions to electronic media. Discusses the decision-making and implementation process, and considers costs, technical requirements, availability of databases, user acceptance, installation, maintenance, and skills needed. Found that electronic media…

Structural equation models reanalyzed data from the 1969 Westinghouse Head Start evaluation and extended the analysis to blacks and full-year programs. Results showed that the selection bias for summer program whites was absent for blacks and full-year program whites, and that Head Start helped the most disadvantaged children. (SLD)

Presents an annotated bibliography of trade books by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the Children's Book Council (CBC) for grade K-8 students. Includes information about the thematic strands of the NCSS social studies standards and discusses the criteria used to select books for the list. (CMK)

Discusses the role of information professionals in the future, based on a session at the Online Information 96 conference in London (England). Topics include equipment and software needs; technological advances; a trend toward distance education; how library users are adapting to change; interlibrary loans; online public access catalogs; and…