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…

Excitement about handhelds must be tempered by an understanding of what is typically required when any new technology is introduced into classrooms. We know, for example, that to succeed, handheld initiatives will need clear educational objectives and a logical theory of action that guides implementation. We can anticipate that teachers will need…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…