The packaging of history, science, and most other classroom subjects lack the excitement for students that the stylish, artful presentation of items on television and in magazines contain. The world is more distracting outside of the classroom than earlier in the century, yet the instructional materials have changed little over the decades. The…

To increase interactions and to improve communication between the school and home, the TransParent School concept was developed. The TransParent School Model (TSM) includes computer-based calling from the school and uses electronic mailboxes so parents can call and hear a message from the teacher every day. The model, first implemented in a school…

In the coming century, the ramifications of computer technology will affect virtually everyone. Teachers and parents can help students reach their full potential by encouraging them to use and apply the computer at home and in school. (JL)

Containing four sections of materials for workshop presenters to teach phonics and word recognition, this guide assists early reading program educators (grades K-3) in enhancing the Reading and Language Arts knowledge and skills of Texas students. Section 1, an introduction, defines the purpose of the guide and outlines six goals. Section 2,…

Research on special needs education is often very complex and puts specific demands on the methodology used. Data-triangulation, at the very least, is required. In most of our recent research projects on the development of special needs education in Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium), we have made use of qualitative case studies to…

An electric preschool is a classroom or center for children 3 to 5 years of age in which the curriculum with its supportive activities, materials, and equipment depends more on technology that is powered by electricity than on manually operated objects. Certainly, preschoolers need stimulating and safe environments managed by adults who allow them…

Aimed at primary-age children, this book brings William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" to them, recognizing that children, properly guided, will take to Shakespeare's characters and stories like "ducks to water"; in the process they find their inner voices, they collaborate, they improvise, and they communicate. Illustrated with…

The New Haven Initiative for Excellence in Education is a private sector endeavor to support public schools in New Haven (Connecticut). The Initiative's premiere program is the Grants for Excellence program. Grants of up to $500 are available to teachers, administrators, and parents to fund special innovative teaching projects not normally funded…

This handbook presents annotated "snapshots" of 10 innovative family literacy programs, almost all of which were begun by an individual with a vision of a new way to solve a demanding educational problem. Profiles depict, in terms of background, characteristics, evidence of success, and advice to policymakers and practitioners, the: (1)…

This book is the story of the founder of the Awakening Seed School, who reveals how her childhood interests and experiences have influenced what she has created in her own school and classroom. Using the metaphor of a quilt, the book shows how teaching can be approached as a "handmade" process and how the materials of everyday life can…

Noting the fragile relationship between parent participation and school reform, this book tells the story of the Charquin Program, an alternative public school program in Hayward, California, dedicated to parent participation and notable for its open classroom structure and intensely democratic practice. The introduction relates the history and…

Nationally, interest in family life and parenting programs has grown amidst concern for "basic education." Parenting education in today's schools may be justified because of increased family stress and deteriorating family support systems. Most parenting and family life courses are offered within home economics departments, have a narrow…

This report is the first in a series exploring a variety of the organizational spaces being developed under strategies to change and improve K-12 education in Minnesota. One strategy seeks to create an environment that focuses on creating new and different schools and with them new choices for students and families. These reports are designed to…

This book focuses on brain-based research to explore why boys and girls learn differently and how educators and parents can use that information to create the ultimate early childhood, elementary, or secondary classroom for both boys and girls. Part 1 of the book presents research findings from three primary points of view: (1) neurological and…

Principals from the 1991-1992 Blue Ribbon Schools--those schools selected by the U.S. Department of Education that have demonstrated an unusual ability to create an atmosphere that promotes learning for "everyone"--were asked to share a "best idea" that they had put into practice in their schools. Selected from over 100 submissions, the "best…