Those who work in schools understand the demands placed on teachers in the face of mounting pressures from parents, administrators, and standardized tests. It would be foolish to assume these demands do not overshadow aspirations to remain current in educational technology trends and tools. That is why it is more important than ever for ed tech…

In this article, the author describes the Jazz Workshop, a unique blend of collaboration and constructivist learning using videoconferencing and Web 2.0 tools. Each summer it draws about 400 participants--mostly teachers, technology facilitators, teacher librarians, and videoconferencing coordinators--who convene in 20 locations across three…

Technology has changed people's lives. In fewer than 30 years, people have gone from barely hearing about cell phones, laptops, and MP3 players to almost not being able to live without them. Digital citizenship describes the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use. In this article, the author presents nine elements…

How can teachers teach digital citizenship when the digital landscape is changing so rapidly? How can teachers teach proper online social interactions when the students are outside their classroom and thus outside their control? Will encouraging students to engage in global collaborative environments land teachers in hot water? These are the…

Learning is becoming more personal, yet collaborative and networked, portable and situated, ubiquitous and durable--and increasingly at odds with formal education, as more and different types of learning are happening outside of the classroom. In this article, the author provides a glimpse of what the not-so-distant future of education might…

Standards are a reality in all academic disciplines, and they can be hard to measure using conventional methods. Technology skills in particular are hard to assess using multiple-choice, paper-based tests. A new generation of online assessments of student technology skills allows students to prove proficiency by completing tasks in their natural…

Discusses the use of computers to help with problem solving. Topics include information science, including effective procedure and procedural thinking; templates; artificially intelligent agents and expert systems; and applications in education, including the goal of computer literacy for all students, and integrated software packages such as…

Describes activities and benefits of a series of summer technology workshops for librarians and teachers offered by the Houston Independent School District. Sidebars list software programs provided to workshop participants, basic steps of the "Big Six" skills, and Web site search tutorial. (AEF)

Four years ago, the staff at our school (Marie C. Graham Elementary School in Harrison Township, Michigan) agreed to take an evaluative look at the use of technology in the classroom. Through a self-study process and a district technology initiative called Project 2000, teachers had the opportunity for change relative to technology integration.…

In 1999, funding from a federal technology innovation challenge grant and the state of Maryland enabled the creation of the Maryland Technology Academy (MTA). The MTA is a collaboration of Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, and the Maryland State Department of Education formed with the goal of developing a network of knowledgeable and…

To provide college students with a conceptual model of how their network connects to the Internet, and enable them to understand the principles of sending e-mail and using other telecomputing resources, signs were created using a graphics program with different icons representing each network component. The signs were then attached to students who…

Discusses computer competencies for special needs educators. Highlights include the ability to evaluate and match appropriate software to a learner's skills and abilities, helping students use computers as a personal productivity tool, assessing individual needs, integrating technology into multiple environments, and an example of helping a…

Discusses four educational goals for short-term computer camps based on the experiences of a camp in which 37 African American middle and high school students used a university's computer lab for 1 week. Highlights include teaching specific content knowledge, developing student interests, instilling positive student attitudes, and exposing…

Desktop Adventures are computer-based scenarios incorporating the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics for practicing problem solving across the curriculum suitable for whole class or cooperative group instruction. Reviews problem solving steps and approaches and describes introducing, creating, and extending desktop…

Provides a model for task computing for fifth graders that meets educational technology goals and challenges students to take full advantage of available hardware and software. Highlights include task rotation; assessment; benefits, including integrating technology into the classroom, computer literacy skills, peer tutoring, cooperative learning,…