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A study investigated the viewing behavior of a sample of public television supporters, specifically examining the relationship of their social characteristics to viewing and to knowledge about Africa as presented in the series "The Africans." Subjects, 120 District of Columbia adults drawn from the membership lists of a local public TV station, were interviewed by telephone six weeks after the first episode of "The Africans" was aired. A maximum of two follow-up calls were made after the initial call. Findings indicated some support for the belief that viewing "The Africans" contributed to viewers' knowledge about Africa, and that the viewing audience was active and interested in learning and apparently stimulated by the series to seek more information about Africa. Within this limited sample, learning and viewing were distributed somewhat broadly, suggesting that the series was not strongly perceived as a "black" program and had wider appeal. This supports the idea of the need for informational diversity in public television. Although this was a limited study, the role of viewing in predicting knowledge was strong and consistent with other research studies examining learning from well-structured television messages even under casual viewing conditions. (Tables of data and references are included.) (NKA)

This paper presents a case study as an illustration of the need to probe issues and assumptions that arise when outsider staff developers work with teachers from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. After tracing the historical and sociopolitical context of urban school reform, the paper examines the author/educator's experience of developing relationships and acting as a mentor to African American teachers in early childhood classrooms in an urban school. Using the framework of African American cultural values and communication codes, the author/educator reexamines and reconsiders her own beliefs and behaviors to better understand problematic staff development situations as seen from different perspectives. The case study illustrates challenges that face outsider staff developers in becoming aware of their own biases in forming relationships and communicating with different ethnic groups. The paper reinterprets specific early childhood practices, such as constructivist learning, caring, and choice, through a comparison of European and African American feminist values and assumptions. It presents implications for differentiating staff development practices to fit the individual, cultural, and sociopolitical contexts of schools and teachers. (Contains 38 references.) (Author/BT)

Lilli Lehmann, born Elisabeth Maria Lehmann, was a German operatic soprano of phenomenal versatility. She was also a voice teacher.<BR /><BR />She wrote: "Every serious artist has a sincere desire to help others reach the goal—the goal toward which all singers are striving: to sing well and beautifully." This is the 1915 second (expanded) edition of her book, and the accompanying <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/howtosingmeinege00lehmuoft" target="_blank">online book scan</a> includes many illustrations and diagrams, both physiological and musical, which the listener will find useful.<BR /><BR />Much of Lilli Lehmann's advice is complex and demanding - the standards which she set for herself were beyond the highest aspirations of most professional singers. However, there is still much in this book that is enlightening to all those who are interested in using their voice to best advantage, both in song and the spoken word. (Summary by Ruth Golding and Wikipedia)