The fact that small organizations have been slow to adopt elearning is not because of a lack of need--in fact elearning offers tremendous benefits for small organizations in the form of time savings, captured expertise, improved workflow and improved staff development--but rather because small organizations tend not to have the right components…

"Class Construction" explores class, racial, and gender identity construction among white, working-class students. Delving into River City High School, Freie asks what happens to the adolescent children of working-class families when economic changes such as globalization and technological advancements have altered the face of working-class jobs.…

The Mission of the National Writing Project (NWP) is to improve writing and learning in the nation's schools. Through its professional development model, the National Writing Project recognizes the primary importance of teacher knowledge, expertise, and leadership. This annual report features seven educators from urban, rural, and suburban…

The purpose of this white paper is to put forth a proposition that technology has not only mediated communication in numerous ways, but that the ways we communicate, including the ways we talk and think about communication, are changing as a result. Mediated by new tools and new technologies that have made the marginal cost of long distance…

Many studies provide evidence for the strong influences of same-race peer networks on Black student achievement and racial identity in private and elite schools; however, research is lacking regarding these influences for Black achievers in predominantly White public schools. In this article, the author examines how nine high-achieving Black…

This study examined the relationships between social network position and the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants in a sample of 1,119 sixth-grade youth. Social network analyses of peer nominations were used to categorize youth as "members" of social groups, "liaisons" between groups, or social "isolates." The results revealed that…

"Guanxi," the Chinese word for personal bonds or connections, is a recurring theme in the research forum, and researchers tend to agree that it is essential to establish "guanxi" with Chinese businesses. Much has been written about "guanxi" regarding doing business in the Chinese business economies such as Hong Kong,…

As principal of the School of the Arts in San Francisco, Donn Harris is passionate about protecting his students' experiments in free expression. But about two years ago he encountered an example of creative student speech he couldn't support--a nasty post on the MySpace.com Web site that targeted some of the school's students. Deciding that his…

Social network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture. They have so permeated young lives that it is hard to believe that less than a decade ago these technologies barely existed. Today's youth may be coming of age and struggling for autonomy and identity as did their…

Web 2.0 and its associated applications and tools have, in many areas, brought about and are continuing to bring about significant shifts in the way people communicate, create, and share information. Pervasive access to broadband Internet connectivity and communication services has created new forms of relationships and patterns of communicating…

In this article, Elizabeth Birr Moje, Melanie Overby, Nicole Tysvaer, and Karen Morris challenge some of the prevailing myths about adolescents and their choices related to reading. The reading practices of youth from one urban community are examined using mixed methods in an effort to define what, how often, and why adolescents choose to read. By…

Students today network with each other using technology as much as, if not more than, face-to-face communication. College administrators must not only recognize this phenomenon, but learn to use the variety of electronic media available in positive ways: to stay connected to college social networks, promote relevant events, and help students feel…

This chapter reviews technology use patterns and the social impacts of technology on well-being among college students. It provides empirical evidence delineating the processes through which Internet use affects well-being among college students, and provides suggestions for ways to advance future studies in this area and for higher education…

The research reported here was funded by the UK Department for Education and Skills to consider the influence of the school on the decision by young people to participate in learning on completion of compulsory schooling. A national sample of 24 schools across England participated in this study. Research methods included focus group interviews…

With all the new advances in library technology--including metadata, social networking, and Web 2.0, along with the advent of nonlibrary and for-profit digital information companies like Wikisource and Google Print--librarians have barely had time to reflect on the nontechnical implications of these innovations. They need to take a step back and…