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The word Islam means submission, as in "submission to the will of God." Islam in China has been propagated over the past 1,300 years primarily among the people now known as "Hui." Hui teaching (Hui jiao) was the general term once used in China for Islam. The Hui are unique among the 55 identified minority nationalities in China in that they are the only nationality for whom religion is the only unifying category of identity, even though many members of the Hui nationality may not practice Islam. The Chinese government has made policy modifications for minority students so that each student can reach a certain "cultural level." Since many young people are eager to partake in modernization to obtain higher social status and living standards, Muslim religious study will have a difficult time attracting young members to practice the faith. A description of a traditional view of Islamic education and its scholars is outlined. Chinese Muslims and their education is compared with the philosophy of Islam. Chinese educational reform and the impact upon Chinese Muslims is discussed. (BT)

School architects, construction managers, and school administrators convened at a conference to examine the question of renovation or replacement of aging public schools, and to address issues from turn-of-the-century architectural features to sources of renovation financing. This paper contrasts the distinguishing characteristics of early-20th century and mid-20th century schools and addresses the unique design principles and materials typical of the facilities constructed during theses eras. Other topics include the evaluation and assessment of existing school buildings, the tools and techniques for condition assessment and management of K-12 renovation projects, construction management as a construction delivery method of school renovation, the role of the architect as construction manager, and construction scheduling. Final topics concern renovation programs that preserve valuable resources and alternative funding possibilities such as public/private development partnerships. Contains a list of conference speakers. (GR)

An important aspect of rethinking reading lists and anthologies is the realization that new arrangements require close reading to determine assumptions, biases, and concerns. Readers are challenged to acknowledge multiple points of view while reconstructing their own ideas of who belongs to a culture and what comprises its literature. Redefining the canon and expanding it internationally not only does justice to diverse voices too often ignored, but also trains students to identify the point of view of a particular piece of writing and, consequently, to develop an attitude of reflective thinking. Focusing upon point of view while deliberately selecting novels which reflect compromises with society (such as Carlos Fuentes'"The Good Conscience," F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart," Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man," and Nadine Gordimer's "Six Feet of the Country") contributed to critical thinking in a course on modern fiction. The context of this reconstructed canon of modern fiction expanded students' understanding not only of different cultures, but also of familiar ones, and opened dialogue concerning the seductions of conformity and compromise. Students learned to clarify the distinction between reading a character as the text defines him, and as the reader might prefer; and learned not to assume a novel shares their biases. Examining these novels allowed the students to see various cultures through the eyes of both members and outsiders, and of both proponents and opponents of wealth, stoicism, compassion, tolerance, and confusion. (PRA)

Highlights of the historical development of structured and creative/free dance experiences for children within the curriculum of early childhood education in the 20th century are sketched. Although some educators dissented with the practice, in the 1920s most dance activities for young children were structured. The following decade was characterized by a gradual shift toward freedom of movement and a recognition of individual rhythms. In the 1940s, during World War II, there was a hiatus in developing new creative movement programs. The 1950s brought an emphasis on freedom of movement that extended to the nursery school level. Exchange of ideas between early childhood educators and dance educators began to increase during the 1960s. In the 1960s and early 1970s, dance experiences were characterized by freedom combined with a small amount of structure. Presently, early childhood and physical educators agree with the idea that movement (1) plays an integrated part in the curriculum for the young child; and (2) should be construed as a way of knowing, finding out, testing, and expressing oneself that is reciprocally and causally linked with feelings. (RH)

Anzia Yezierska and Agnes Smedley grew up in the United States in poverty-stricken, working-class families. Both women became famous authors and participants in social movements of the early decades of the 20th century. Yezierska's "Bread Givers" and Smedley's "Daughter of Earth", published in the 1920s, were fictionalized autobiographies that detailed their growing dissatisfaction with the traditional role of women in society. The books contain several similarities. Both Yezierska's Sara Smolinsky and Smedley's Marie Rogers left home in search of a consciousness that poverty denied them and returned home again only to witness their mothers' deaths. The death scenes depicted a maternal bonding between mothers and daughters that had not existed before because the daughters had been trying to escape the harshness of their mothers' lives. While Yezierska only touched on subjects of marriage, sex, and motherhood, Smedley wrote a polemic against marriage, as she attacked women's financial dependence, frequent childbirths, and loss of self. Both characters rejected their fathers for failure to financially support their mothers and offspring. Each book contains a scene where the daughters meet their fathers again after many years of separation. Smedley's Marie again rejected the man, while Yezierska's Sara took her father home. Both women searched for father substitutes in selecting husbands, and Sara assimilated into society through her marriage, while Marie divorced twice. Smedley left the United States for China. She died in Europe in 1950 under mysterious circumstances following an operation. Yezierska died in California as she still searched for a home. A 5-item bibliography is included. (DJC)

This paper delineates conceptions of early childhood programs from the 18th through the 20th centuries, and reveals how the programs changed as the concept of what constitutes knowledge changed. Discussion begins with reading instruction and hornbooks in Colonial America, and national language learning in the knitting school of Jean Frederick Oberlin. Subsequent discussion focuses on empiricist approaches, including Owen's Infant School and Institute for the Development of Character, Froebel's kindergarten, and the role of American transcendentalism. Empirical models of early education related to the education of handicapped and disadvantaged persons are described; these include the pioneer efforts of Jacob-Rodrigues Pereire, Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard, Edouard Seguin, and Maria Montessori. The concluding section indicates how the emergence of the field of child study, progressive education, and theories of development influenced kindergarten programs. While knowledge of child development research and theory can be used to determine the appropriateness of a particular educational method for a particular group of children, such knowledge cannot be used to determine what should be taught to those children. (RH)

This document provides secondary education instructional materials for teaching about selected areas of Chicago (Illinois) history. Designed to support 19th and 20th century U.S. history lessons, it features a lesson plan developed to introduce students to the history and contemporary focus of Chicago's public works. The lesson plan contains: (1) themes; (2) objectives; (3) required materials; (4) a focus; (5) a suggested teaching plan; (6) a timeline of Chicago history; (7) suggestions for the study of selected Chicago history documents; (8) discussion questions and activities; and (9) five references. An appendix includes reproductions of nine Chicago public works historical documents, along with accompanying discussion guides. (JHP)

Recognizing that writing suicide stories is hard for reporters, a study examined 1,010 suicide stories from the 1879-1900 era published in 12 newspapers from around the United States to determine how American journalists at other times carried out similar assignments. The newspapers examined were the Atlanta "Constitution," Arkansas "Gazette," Chicago "Tribune," Dallas "Herald," Dallas "News," Los Angeles "Times," New York "Journal," New York "Times," New York "Tribune," San Antonio "Express," San Francisco "Examiner," and "Washington Post." The most surprising finding was the explicitness of many suicide stories. All of the newspapers surveyed, with the occasional exception of the Arkansas "Gazette," gave prominent display to suicide stories, and included mention of base motive and/or bloody detail. The message provided by suicide stories was straightforward: suicide was wrong, socially and theologically. Today, greater concern for invasion of privacy and awareness of potential lawsuits sometimes keeps journalists from being explicit in their judgment of suicide's rightness or wrongness, regardless of their personal feelings. Some reporters, influenced by the sociologist Emile Durkeim, stress societal and environmental causes of suicide, rather than personal failings. It is suggested, however, that journalists, when they approach their next suicide story, might keep in mind recent sociological studies that suggest religion is the central explanatory factor in suicide rate changes. (HOD)