Although the E-Rate has been a catalyst for school technology purchases, there are no subsidies for hiring qualified technology support staff. District technology coordinators are relying on technology support systems and shoestring survival strategies, employing standardized equipment and hard-drive configurations, desktop lockdowns, anti-virus…

Discusses the design and implementation of the Kamusi Project Edit Engine, a Web-based software system uniquely suited to the needs of Swahili collaborative lexicography. Describes the edit engine, including organization of the lexicon and the mechanics by which participants use the system, discusses philosophical issues confronted in the design,…

Notes the problem of Net-based plagiarism in student papers. Describes a solution that turns the tables by using the Internet: TurnItIn.com, an Internet scanner that annotates/marks unattributed material in student papers and compiles a report for the teacher overnight. (SR)

Explores the use of multimedia in assignments that are submitted on compact disks. Examines the sources of media available, including video, still images, and sound; techniques for editing and incorporating media files, including appropriate software; compact disk technology; copyright; assessment criteria; equal opportunity considerations; and…

Discusses objections in the library community to the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA), a legal framework being considered by state governments regarding computer information, transactions, and software. Topics include copyright issues; user needs for access to information; license agreements; and costs that may prevent…

Discusses issues related to Internet access in Head Start classrooms. Advocates development of an Internet Acceptable Use Policy for the classroom. Discusses the use of Internet filtering software and child-safe search engines for the classroom and at home. (KB)

Finnish eighth graders used computer control software to find creative solutions to technological problems. The learning environment encouraged problem-centered and creative approaches. More systematic teaching of programming skills before problem solving was recommended. (Contains 32 references.) (SK)

The Computerized Braille Tutor is an interactive software tutorial that sighted persons can use to learn the literary braille code. The software presents 15 lessons that address different aspects of the literary braille code and include braille-translation exercises, proofreading exercises, and graded self-evaluation proficiency tests. (Author)

Reviews alternative literacy activities that have a pictorial basis for learning and that may be suitable for use with children with disabilities or learning problems. Notes that alternative literacy activities can be adapted to complement the speech and language programs developed to assist learners with disabilities. (MDM)

Describes how to fit binocular observations of the planets to a theoretical model of circular orbits using a modern computer spreadsheet, from which fundamental data about the solar system may be deduced. (AIM)

Describes how a spreadsheet is used to fit a circular orbit model to observations of Jupiter's moons made with a small telescope. Kepler's Third Law and the inverse square law of gravity are observed. (AIM)

Presents ways of using different software for visualizing sampling distributions from a variety of background distributions. Random numbers are used to produce samples of given size and the mean of each is calculated. The mean and standard deviation of these means are calculated, a grouped frequency table is produced, and a histogram is generated.…

Discusses the use of the Excel computer program to develop and distribute simple models that provide a clear visual representation of a chosen probability distribution's properties to students. (ASK)

Describes a tutorial tool which allows the execution of a C program to be graphically displayed. VINCE (Visual Instruction for Novices in a C Environment) is written in Java, allowing it to be used on the Web. Students can enter their own C code, or select from a menu of pre-written tutorials, each illustrating a particular aspect of programming.…

Discusses digital video management and archiving issues, including processing power; software for browsing, searching, and indexing; media servers to handle streams; storage solutions; metadata; large file sizes; organizational issues; rights management issues, including licensing; and cataloging options, including segmentation of individual…