Blended learning holds the potential of improving the way we educate students and of making them more motivated. Blended education--the melding of information technology based distance learning with school attendance--is perhaps the best way to educate students for 21st century skills, says Michael Horn in a "Kappan" interview. Horn points out…

The maker movement consists of a growing culture of hands-on making, creating, designing, and innovating. A hallmark of the maker movement is its do-it-yourself (or do-it-with-others) mindset that brings individuals together around a range of activities, both high- and low-tech, all involving some form of creation or repair. The movement's…

Why didn't China celebrate its stunning PISA performance? Why does Singapore blame its education for its inability to cultivate creative and entrepreneurial talents? Why don't the world's top scorers in international tests have the same level of entrepreneurial activities and capabilities? This essay uncovers the inconsistency between academic…

The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard, ignored since its introduction in 1932, can be mastered in half the time required by the standard keyboard, with a 75 percent increase in productivity. Interest among Oregon's state agencies may lead to acceptance of the keyboard, cited by educators for its promotion of writing skills. (Author/PGD)

Educational research has not accomplished all it should because it has failed to communicate its ideas to the right people. (RA)

Examines correlation between national test scores in mathematics from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Current Competitiveness Index (CCI). Finds, for example, that while the United States ranks 29th in TIMSS mathematics, it ranks second in competitiveness on the CCI. Korea ranks 3rd in mathematics, but 27th in…

Describes examples of "disruptive technologies," some of which may affect teachers and students, such as Instant Messaging and CDN (Content Delivery Network). (PKP)

Presents a flow chart for turning good ideas into complete proposals before proposing them. The process involves clarifying the idea and assessing its current practicality, value for the program, compatibility with policy, implications, costs, funding sources, and implementation time requirements. (PGD)

A rationale for and a description of existing programs in career education. (Author/JN)

Time is running out for social studies revision. If the social studies profession hopes to resurrect credibility with youth, every teacher must consciously move to relate his courses to the value dilemmas of youth and the value-laden issues of our time. (Author/JN)

The authors suggest that, in the future, career educators should attempt to discover to what extent career education enhances the principle of maximum possibilities in occupations; how it can obliterate the distinction between work and leisure; and how it can be more concerned with human services. (Author/JN)

Challenges the assumption that bureaucracy is bad for charter schools. Examines perceived autonomy, governance structures, leadership, and perceived culture of community-charter schools in Ohio. (Contains 15 references.) (PKP)

Just as testing generally is not the answer to the multifaceted problems facing contemporary American education, performance assessment is no panacea. Before embracing this new evaluation method, educators should assess the movement's claims, costs, and characteristics. At present, both goals and costs are uncertain. (30 references) (MLH)

How did educators become enslaved to networked computers and mesmerized by iridescent screens? The computer encourages endless acquisitions, some motivated by intellectual avarice, others by petty jealousies incited by colleagues raving about the latest "innovation." How much computer literacy is sufficient? What other literacies must…