How can the new information technology (computers and telecommunications systems, for example) be used in education? Based on a study of recent technological developments in the United States, Japan, and other countries, the author attempts to answer this question and to show how technology can be used to improve instruction. His book is for teachers, administrators, and other educators. Part I surveys the new information technology, its functions, manufacturers, users, and systems. Part II provides examples of its functions in homes, schools, colleges, adult-education classes, and teacher-training programs. Part III examines the educational, social, political, and economic problems the technology introduces. And Part IV discusses the future of information technology in education. Mr. Hawkridge is professor of applied educational sciences and director of the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University in Milton Keynes, England.
The Imperfect Union: School Consolidation and Community Conflict, by Alan Peshkin (The University of Chicago Press, 5801 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60637; 217 pages, $17).
Using an Illinois community as the basis for his study, Mr. Peshkin analyzes the effect of school consolidation on the community. In recounting the reasons the school board decided to close the only elementary school in Killmer, Ill., in 1975, he examines the community’s reaction of rage and the feelings of citizens that they had lost control, autonomy, and what Mr. Peshkin calls a “structure of meaning” in their community. Mr. Peshkin is professor of comparative education at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
Guides and Directories
Increasing the Effectiveness of Inservice Training for Desegregation: A Synthesis of Current Research, by Mark A. Smylie and Willis D. Hawley (National Education Association, 1201 16th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036; 48 pages, paper $4.75).
Based on three studies of inservice training for desegregation, the authors explore strategies for planning and conducting such inservice efforts for teachers in desegregated schools. They stress the importance of involving the participants, providing training for administrators also, and maintaining continuity in training, all to achieve better results.
Looking in on Your School: A Workbook for Improving Public Education (The National PTA, 700 North Rush St., Chicago, Ill. 60611-2571; 36 pages, paper $3).
The editors identify the qualities of an academically effective school by exploring the roles of administrators, teachers, students, curriculum, and the budget, among other topics, as they relate to the question of effectiveness. Analyzing these areas, the editors suggest, can form the basis for a useful school evaluation. For parents, teachers, and administrators.
The Black Student’s Guide to Colleges, edited by Barry Beckham (E.P. Dutton Inc., 2 Park Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016; 336 pages, cloth $15.95, paper $8.95).
Compiled by black students for black students, this book provides an overview of 75 selective residential colleges, 24 historically black colleges, and 12 others chosen on the basis of their proportions of black students and geographic diversity. Each college profile includes information on enrollment and the percentage of blacks receiving financial aid, as well as a narrative written by a student at that college providing information on black-white relations, black-study courses, black societies on campus, and related subjects. The guide contains several chapters on such topics as the application process, federal student aid, study skills, stress management, and black college athletes. Also for guidance counselors and parents.
Other Resources
Business-Education Cooperation: A Review of Selected Urban Programs, by Antonia R. Neubauer (Research for Better Schools, 444 North Third St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19123; 35 pages, paper $5).
How can the business community help the urban public schools? Some possible answers are offered in this review of 10 selected cities where business and education are cooperating. The publication summarizes the research data and provides specific program descriptions for each city in the study, listing the city’s history, school-business programs, and the city-government administration.
Parents Guide to More Effective Schools (Association of American Publishers Inc.,rk Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016; 12 pages, paper, free).
Parents are shown how they can contribute to their children’s schooling by providing a stimulating environment in the home, by participating in specific school programs, and by becoming active as local citizens in the community.
--Anne Bridgman
