Describes a collaborative software system that allows students from distant schools to share claims derived from their concept maps. Sharing takes place by accessing The Knowledge Soup, a repository of propositions submitted by students and stored on a computer server. Students can use propositions from other students to enhance their concept…

Describes ENFOR (environmental forestry) and initiative of the New England Governors' Conference, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the U.S. Forest Service that is exploring whether distance learning through home computers can be used to improve the management of New England's 700,000 privately owned nonindustrial forestlands. Courses and…

Examines criticisms of educational computer use, considers how society and schools have reacted to previous technological trends, and outlines relationships between diverse approaches to computer use and the outcomes that can be expected. Describes two approaches to media use, representational and generative, to identify instructional approaches…

Identifies benefits of technology access in Head Start classrooms for children, teachers, and parents, and presents guidelines for using computers in the classroom. Maintains that technology simplifies teachers' jobs, giving them more time to devote to children. Argues that quality training is the key to teachers' and parents' comfort with…

Provides educators with a basic understanding of what networks are and how they can be used in educational settings. Topics include issues, policies, and equipment involved in setting up a network; software; telephone service; a computer facilitator; and the Internet and the World Wide Web for elementary and secondary education. (LRW)

Describes a three-day technology academy that focused on topics and technologies for immediate use by teachers. Topics include location, budget (with a chart breaking down all costs), enrollment, and sessions held. A sidebar offers tips for running a technology academy. (JKP)

Considers some of the problems posed by electronic mail systems when the identity of the user is protected by the server. Suggests that high school instructors and administrators have good reason to circulate electronic messages through a central site, as students need to be protected from exploitative users and prohibited from sending abusive…

Shawnee Mission, Kansas, schools' technology plan includes a 4-person training staff and a $300,000 budget to make sure teachers will be ready to use high-tech tools in their classrooms. All teachers in the Harlingen, Texas, district are loaned a laptop computer for the duration of their employment with the district. (MLF)

The International Telementor Center, founded by Hewlett Packard and housed at Colorado State University, facilitates e-mail mentoring between professional adults and students, under teacher supervision, in eight countries. Having an interested adult paying attention to them inspires students to improve communication skills, get more involved in…

Describes how Austin Community College in Austin, Texas uses information technology (IT) to leverage existing resources, develop solutions, and enhance academic offerings while focusing on their diverse community of students. Discusses organization of IT divisions and committees, distance learning efforts, network infrastructure, integration of…

Describes the design and assessment of a video-intensive case-based multimedia tool called HyperMeasure for educating prospective teachers about primary children's mathematical reasoning on linear, area, and volume measure. Reports on a descriptive study of the individual learning of preservice teacher candidates (N=12) using HyperMeasure.…

Describes Washington State University's (WSU) successful use of the World Wide Web to transform its student admissions process, highlighting: strategic administrative objectives that formed the context for transforming WSU's admissions process; Web services for prospective students (information pages, the Cougar TRACS transfer credit system,…

The authors describe and evaluate quality assessment methods in a health care course that utilized web technology and various active learning strategies. The course was judged successful by student performance, evaluations and student assessments. The instructors were pleased with the outcomes achieved and the educational pedagogy used for this…

Describes how children's play contributes to brain development. Details the importance of early experience for brain development, arguing that the optimal learning activities to promote brain development are complex, use many senses simultaneously, and are perceived as relevant, useful, emotionally engaging, and novel. Suggests that informal play…

Describes software for electronic visitor management (EVM) called EasyLobbyTM, currently in use in thousands of federal and corporate installations throughout the world and its application for school and campus environments. Explains EasyLobbyTM's use to replace visitor logs, capture and store visitor data electronically, and provide badges that…