Is the United States getting it wrong when it comes to educating tomorrow's innovators in critical fields? It has been known for years that the only way to compete globally in information technology, engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and other fields is to give students the best educational opportunities possible. But do individuals have a…

The Internet has become a powerful force in transforming organizations in both private and public sectors, including public education. Some educational reformers now view virtual schools, in which the majority of course content is delivered online, as a viable alternative and innovative means of educating K-12 students. As of September 2007, 42…

All students need a more robust education--and a refreshingly different kind of education--than most are getting today. The vision of learning individuals embrace focuses on teaching students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers and innovators; effective communicators and collaborators; and self-directed learners. This vision responds to…

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors which help successful equity initiatives that had been seeded in technical and further education (TAFE) institutes through short-term funding to take root and spread. The report concludes that many equity programs remain stuck in the seeding stage and fail to thrive and grow. It suggests that…

The Internet has made it impossible for higher education institutions to ignore technology in fulfilling their strategic mission and responding to the expectations of a diverse student body. In the Republic of Ireland, as elsewhere, the use of online technologies has become an increasingly important challenge in academic staff development, and on…

Schools are essentially expected to provide all students with the same educational opportunity despite where they live, or their ability levels. Education Action Zones (EAZs) and Zones d'Education Prioritaire (ZEPs) have been implemented to help eradicate the issue of student equity, promising innovation and a solution to inequalities evidenced in…

Pedro Hernandez-Ramos, James L. Koch, Albert Bruno, and Eric Carlson describe the online collaboratory planned for the Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI), an international education program designed to serve social benefit entrepreneurs working in the fields of education, health, economic development, the environment, and equality around the…

If the modern conservatorium is to prosper in a rapidly changing cultural and economic landscape, it will need to provide a learning experience that produces multi-skilled and adaptable graduates who are self-monitoring and self-directing. By implication, teaching practices that have dominated in the past will need to be re-thought, and…

This paper reports the use of Rogers' diffusion of innovation perspective to understand the factors affecting educational innovation decisions, specifically in regard to in class electronic response systems. Despite decreasing costs and four decades of research showing strong student support, academic adoption is limited. Using data collected from…

For a generation of students raised on television and video games, technology will need to play a crucial role in their learning. Understanding how to best use technology is the key to successful outcomes in the classroom for students, teachers, and administrators. The key to successful implementation of educational technology in the classroom is…

In September 1989, Masconomet Regional High School in Topsfield, Massachusetts, initiated a school-restructuring program called the Renaissance Program. Although the program was highly successful, the school committee voted to discontinue it in October 1990. This paper, written by a teacher at the high school, tries to understand why the program…

This paper, the fourth in a series, looks at the critical role that teachers play in the success or failure of educational change. The most powerful impact on learning occurs when teachers change their practices and beliefs. The paper describes the experiences of two K-6 Pacific schools--Waialae (Honolulu) and Blanche Pope (Oahu) with systemic…

Leaders within the professional practices of law, medicine, business administration, and school leadership share the common challenge of designing, implementing, and evaluating programs of study that integrate sophisticated levels of knowledge of content and deep understanding of the strategies and skills required for practice problem solving.…

Based on descriptions submitted to a national panel on exemplary Distance Education (DE) programs, this monograph describes state-of-the-art DE programs at 16 community colleges. First, an introduction reviews the history of DE systems and DE in community colleges, describes the importance of revising curricula for distance delivery, discusses…

SERVE, the SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education, is a consortium of educational organizations whose mission is to promote and support the continuous improvement of educational opportunities for all learners in the southeastern United States. This handbook is a compilation of various approaches, strategies, models, and programs that schools…