A large number of alligators, flushed down toilets as babies, have grown up and proliferated in the bowels of New York City. Over the years, they have grown in number and size and frequently terrorize those foolish enough to visit the subways. This tale has been making its way around the Internet ever since there's been an Internet. It's wild…

Personal learning networks (PLNs) are not new. People have long relied on their families, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances to supplement their knowledge about the world. But the times are changing. Information and communication technologies (ICT), including an ever-growing repertoire of open source applications, have freed content from the…

Web 2.0 tools should be an important part of every district's communication strategy, creating environments for collaboration in ways never possible before. Most of them are free, inexpensive, easy to use, and require little set up. When combined with basic communication principles and careful planning, they can expand a district's reach, increase…

This article discusses a new design for the classic Bloom's Taxonomy developed by Anderson, L. W. & Krathwohl, D. (2001), which can be used to evaluate learners' technology-enhanced experience in more powerful and critical ways. The New Bloom's Taxonomy incorporates contemporary research on learning and human cognition into its model. The…

E-mail has become a significant means of communication between teachers, students, parents and administrators in many school systems. The increasing amount of SPAM e-mail threatens to overload school email systems. The experience of Lake Forest, IL School District #67 in fighting e-mail spam is described. Spam basics, spam fighting tools, and…

Computer technology has become an indispensable tool in writing. Those of us who have spent any time in schools can attest to the prevalence of word processing, concept mapping, Web editing, and electronic presentation software, all deployed, to a large extent, in the collective effort to enhance student writing. The degree to which such tools…

For the last year the authors have been gathering examples of how perceived "threats of security" are hampering the integration of technology in teaching and learning. They hope that educators will examine both the challenges of increased security demands and ways in which security might enhance, rather than detract from, the use of technology for…

Describes the Electronic Emissary Project, an Internet-based interpersonal resource coordinated from the University of Texas at Austin, which matches students and teachers via e-mail with subject experts from around the world. Presents sample projects, and discusses challenges, the role of the online facilitator, and guidelines for implementing…

Considers ways in which technology can be used by teachers to improve the quality of homework assignments and to positively affect students' home learning experiences. Topics include using e-mail; types of homework; technology-based assignments; homework management; and rules for teachers and students. (LRW)

Discusses netiquette, or rules of etiquette when using computer networks, for online communications such as electronic mail and public online forums. Print and online sources for netiquette are given, and examples of poor communication are included. (LRW)

Describes and defines the Internet from a classroom perspective as a place to talk, a place to get organized information, and as a place to organize and put information. Two World Wide Web projects in Syracuse, New York, that support school curricula are described in a sidebar. (JKP)

In this article, the author details the use of electronic mail server in their school. In their school district of about 7,300 students in suburban Philadelphia (Abington SD), electronic mail list servers are now being used, along with other methods of communication, to disseminate information quickly and widely. They began by manually maintaining…

Describes the implementation of electronic bulletin board systems (BBSs) at the Garfield High School Computer Science Magnet Center (Los Angeles) and the Educational Technology Program at California State University. Reviews advantages and disadvantages of BBSs and recommends that high schools and teacher education programs consider setting up…

The Internet offers high schools access to a variety of up-to-date information on any subject and the ability to communicate worldwide. Discussion includes electronic mail; Telnet, Gopher, and Veronica; the World Wide Web; types of Internet connections; and problems with Internet use. (AEF)

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…