Suggests that "digital differences" is a more appropriate view of the situation facing educators than the concept of the "digital divide." Introduces five principles providing direction for the design and development of technology-enhanced educational activities appropriate to the diversity of students-with-computer-access:…

This article describes the development of TEChPLACEs, a collaborative Web site developed by an inclusive kindergarten class and a university development team, to test the feasibility of incorporating communication technologies into the early childhood curriculum. Contents of the Web site and the benefits to students, teachers, and families are…

Focuses on the several levels of questions that need to be considered before planning and implementing a distance education program. Discusses systems procedures to be followed in developing pilot lessons (modules) prior to "rapid prototyping." Concludes by providing a generic research plan for ensuring the development of sustained quality…

Provides background on ThinkQuest, the world's largest Internet learning competition. Describes the experience of H.D. Perry Middle School in Miramar, Florida, where students designed a Web site about one of their hobbies--juggling. Includes the 1997 ThinkQuest Category of First-Place Winners. (AEF)

Preservice programs often lack resources, time, and faculty expertise to instruct teachers in new technology. At Central Washington University in Ellensburg, faculty volunteers overcame these deficits by using the Internet to present technology in small doses. After just one year, Internet activities were incorporated into almost every preservice…

Describes the use of George P. Landow's hypertext, "The Dickens Web," in an advanced undergraduate literature class and analyzes its practical and theoretical implications. Debates some of Landow's claims about the ease with which learning from hypertext occurs and examines difficulties encountered in using hypertext in the classroom. (DSK)

Libraries' dependence on computers can lead to frustrations for patrons and staff during downtime caused by computer system failures. Advice for reducing the number of crashes is provided, focusing on improved training for systems staff, better management of library systems, and the development of computer systems using quality components which…

A physics professor ponders the advantages and possibilities of the Internet in graduate education and shares his own experiences delivering graduate courses and individual lectures online. Discusses accreditation and costing between institutions, the nature and extent of copyright problems, and the most useful forms of student interaction. (PVD)

Describes the Proffit Mountain project, part of a senior-level class in applied geophysics that provides students with hands-on experience in applying principles and techniques learned in class. Students conduct magnetic, gravity, and radiometric studies over a diabase body which intrudes rhyolite at Proffitt Mountain in southeast Missouri.…

Provides some cursory guidance on the mechanics of establishing and instructing in a virtual classroom. Briefly discusses the history and central issues of distance education, describes how to teach an online virtual seminar, and offers recommendations for future courses. Discusses such issues as instructor availability, directing discussions,…

Summarizes the findings of a study of the conditions associated with introducing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into precollege curricula. Principal data sources included questionnaires, field observations, and interviews. Concludes that GIS will rapidly, and inevitably, become the tool of choice for exploring spatial concepts. Includes…

Provides brief descriptions of Internet sites for teachers wishing to access various hazard warnings, satellite images, hazard vulnerability maps, reports, and other data concerning geophysical, hydrologic, and meteorological hazards. Includes suggested classroom strategies and references to past articles in the "Journal of Geography" containing…

Illustrates how a computer software symbolic-processing program can be easily incorporated into an advanced undergraduate microeconomics course. Symbolic-processing programs are relatively sophisticated software packages that combine numeric, symbolic, and graphic computation in a single unified computing environment. Includes examples of…

The authors recount some challenges associated with teaching poetry to high school students and describe how an interactive software program to generate "found" poetry based on student input helped simulate dialogue about words and word choices. (AEF)

Reviews the role of computer technology in promoting the education of children with special needs within regular classrooms, discussing: technologies for students with mild learning and behavioral disorders, speech and language disorders, hearing impairments, visual impairments, and severe physical disabilities. Examines barriers to effective…