America's appetite for informal learning comes as no surprise to WGBH, the public broadcaster that invented "how-to" television with Julia Child's The French Chef and extended the learning with programs like This Old House and The Victory Garden. At the same time, developing resources for more formal learning is a high priority.

"WGBH began as 'educational' radio and television," says Michele Korf, executive director of the Educational Programming and Outreach unit that creates television, Web, and print resources that enhance classrooms from coast to coast. "Today, we're helping teachers develop active citizens who think critically, ask good questions, examine all sides of issues, and discern fact from opinion. We're also helping educators advance their own skills."

The latest project to do that is Social Studies in Action, a 32-tape, K-12 teacher-training video library being filmed in schools around the country. College-level Learning Math and Teaching Math courses are in the works, as well. These will be distributed online, offering streaming video clips, interactive problems, and links to related resources that develop effective classroom techniques. "The Web's 'learn anytime, anywhere' benefit is a tremendous boon to busy teachers," Korf says.

Innovative civics teaching is the focus of Student Voices, a videotape series completed this year that follows high school students participating in the mayoral campaign in Los Angeles. Student voices also are prominent (alongside those of teachers) in a project created in response to the September terrorist attacks. Beyond September 11: Resources for Teaching in Times of Crisis is being distributed on CD-ROM and on the Internet (at Apple Computer's QuickTime TV site). "We're working with Frontline to develop teaching strategies for the classroom," says Korf, "and we're developing a comprehensive Web site that will bring all these resources together. "Students need to experience the world in a more thoughtful, informed way," she notes. "Our programs and our educational outreach keep that goal front and center."