Offers a biographic profile on the life of John Blacking who was a distinguished music scholar. Explores his approach to the study of children as a distinctive musical culture and the nature of their musicality; the role of physical movement and dance in musical experience; and the development of world music in education. (CMK)

Describes the sixth in a series of studies designed to explore factors that may affect pitch matching. Classifies undergraduate nonmusic majors enrolled in a music fundamentals class as uncertain, modulating, or certain singers. Reveals that there was a significant difference among singer types with uncertain singers being less able to match…

Focuses on the book "Civic Illiteracy and Education: The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of American Youth" (John Marciano) and Marciano's stated views. Explains that the book offers a starting point for addressing the state of civic education beyond the information gleaned from test scores. (CMK)

Examines social studies teachers educators' perceptions of character education selecting a sample of National Council for the Social Studies members (n=298). Focuses on perceptions of the common themes of character education, scope of character education, and inclusion of character education in methods courses. Includes references. (CMK)

Examines how teachers at a predominantly white, middle-class high school enacted multicultural education into the course, "Cultural Issues." Explores course examples which suggest that micro-political contexts of school and community-shaped curriculum and instruction are important, but in unacknowledged ways. Argues that attention must be paid to…

Provides eight concepts, with illustrative questions for interpreting the authorship of texts, that are borrowed from cultural studies literature: (1) representation; (2) the gaze; (3) voice; (4) intertextuality; (5) absence; (6) authority; (7) mediation; and (8) reflexivity. States that examples were taken from British Columbia's (Canada) social…

Describes the experiences of fifth and sixth grade elementary students and their teachers (n=3) who taught a social studies unit using the Engle-Ochoa Decision-Making Model, an issues-centered instruction model. Examines the reactions of the teachers and students. (CMK)

Responds to the article "Social Studies Teacher Educators' Perceptions of Character Education" (Andrew J. Milson). Disagrees strongly with the ideas presented by Milson in his article, stating that the survey discussed is attempting to promote a certain agenda. (CMK)

Responds to Alan Singer in his "Response to Milson on Character Education." States that Singer's account is flawed because his article is based on a misunderstanding of the purpose of the study presented in Milson's original article, "Social Studies Teacher Educators' Perceptions of Character Education." (CMK)

Argues against the standards movement. Believes that standardized testing has affected the teachers and students in public schools, the perception of education in general, and public education overall. Focuses on the impact of the standards movement and standardized tests in particular. (CMK)

Questions the findings from the civics portion of the 1998 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP). Instead of advocating a back-to-basics approach, believes that citizenship should be taught in ways that promote explorations of the social, political, and economic conditions in which the students live. (DAJ)

Explores the development of Arthur Bestor's ideas and his differences with progressives during the 1950's. Contends their differences, exacerbated by the Cold War, were matters of emphasis not principles. Concludes that ongoing post-Cold War battles among liberal social educators should be resolved in favor of their common social and educational…

Looks at how young people use historical knowledge, gained from media sources, to deal with current situations. A group of young African Americans draw on behavioral examples from the film, "Panther," instead of school-based learning, to give them ways to deal with the Ku Klux Klan in their neighborhood. (DAJ)

States that the Education Forum and Enterprise New Zealand Trust took exception to the lack of instruction on New Zealand's European heritage, expressing the curriculum lacked an explanation of capitalism. Reports the New Zealand Federation of Social Studies Associations complained about the lack of emphasis on decision making and critical…

Expresses concern that history as a school subject will continue to be manipulated by those with political power and will suffer by being diffused among other subject areas in the curriculum. Discusses the government role in the efforts to ensure the future of a history curriculum and the constraints of integrating history. (DAJ)