Offers 10 suggestions for improving professional development courses to encourage teachers to use technology in the classroom: offer training, give them technology to use at home, provide on-site technical support, support collaboration with colleagues, allow attendance at conferences, increase access time, encourage research, provide online…

Examines the impact of technology on educational effectiveness in the United States as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Presents five items from NAEP and TIMSS tests that may favor students with technology experience. Concludes that further…

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…

Computer studies courses should incorporate as many computer concepts and programming language experiences as possible. A gradual increase in problem difficulty will help the student to understand various computer concepts, and the programming language's syntax and structure. A sidebar provides two examples of how to establish a learning…

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…

Discusses answers to four questions school districts should consider in assessing technology's contributions to education: How should students learn technology skills? Should technology-enhanced learning replace paper-and-pencil knowledge? Will appropriate student use of technology lead to higher test scores? How do we obtain or produce teachers…

Because few teachers in Qwaqwa, South Africa know how to use computers and many view computers with disdain, the government mandated that schools create computer/media centers in schools. Describes Qwaqwa; its educational system; and the Boitjhorisong Inservice Training Centre. Discusses program implementation, and the training of clerical staff,…