Brave New Schools

Declaring that McLuhan's ``global village'' is upon us, the authors of this discerning report describe a revolutionary pedagogy that is already having widespread impact in the classroom of the Internet. They advocate ``long-distance teaching partnerships across cultures'' that will take advantage of the latest technology to promote academic achievement. Their prescription for educational reform, they claim, encourages student sensitivity to a variety of cultural perspectives. The eight models viewed here focus on two active networks and portray students in pursuit of knowledge as ``border crossers'' in a multicultural environment. Educators are challenged by these findings to harness technology to address school reform. Part two, about half the book, is a guide to the Internet for parents and teachers. It includes a 100-page list of Internet resources. Cummins is professor of modern languages at the Ontario Institute in Toronto; Sayers directs the bilingual education program at New York University. (Nov.)