Karl Marx's theory of stages can be applied to computer use in the schools. The first stage, the P Stage, comprises the entry of the computer into the school. Computer use at this stage is personal and tends to center around one personality. Social studies teachers are seldom among this select few. The second stage of computer use, the D Stage, is…

Computers are tools which school psychologists and social workers can use to assist and facilitate their professional functioning. At the elementary school level a computer could be shared between two schools in an area with visual and auditory privacy. In junior high schools, a portable computer would enable staff to conduct report writing,…

This digest discusses several aspects of electronic networking, including network functions, implementation, and applications in education. Electronic networking is defined as including the four basic services of electronic mail (E-mail), electronic "bulletin boards," teleconferencing, and online databases, and an overview of these four…

The report describes and evaluates the use of a set of learning tools called database managers and their creation of databases to help teach problem solving skills in social studies. Details include the design, building, and use of databases in a social studies setting, along with advantages and disadvantages of using them. The three types of…

This paper discusses "Comments," a computer tool developed to study computer support for response to writing. The paper presents two primary theoretical perspectives to support the use of response to writing in learning to write: (1) writing is a social act; and (2) writing is a skill whose acquisition requires more than one reader so…

Computer use in Michigan schools has evolved in three stages over the past decade. In the first, computers were new and few, and professional development was typically self-initiated. The Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) was formed at this time to provide resources to local districts which they were unable to provide…

Describes how interactive programs for scientific modeling may be created by using spreadsheet software such as LOTUS 1-2-3. Lists the advantages of using this method. Discusses fractional distillation, batch partial melting, and combination models as examples. (CW)

Describes how the limitations of the built-in graphics capabilities of spreadsheet software can be overcome by making full use of the flexibility of the grahics options. Uses triangular plots with labeled field boundaries produced using Lotus 1-2-3 to demonstrate these techniques and their use in teaching geology. (CW)

Describes survey conducted among humanities faculty at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to assess their current use of and attitudes toward educational computing. Topics covered on the questionnaire include computer experience, skills and frequency of use, computer interest and anxiety, computer software, and use for instructional,…

Argues that if computers are to play a role in language arts instruction, teachers need to reflect on their programs, selecting software congruent with children's interests as well as their teaching thrusts. Suggests using shell and database programs because they allow students to work with original ideas. (SRT)

Describes the creation and development of a computer software package called SPIRIT which assists secondary students in all phases of the writing process. (NKA)

Presents a combination review and teaching guide to HOMER, a computer program for writing instruction that analyzes text and has a feedback feature which encourages students to question its revision suggestions. (NKA)

Historically, research has shown that a reader's recall of ideas from text is enhanced when the reader uses relations among concepts to organize information. Text structure is a term used to describe the various patterns of how concepts within text are related. Knowledge of text structures assists a reader to comprehend text by allowing the reader…

The location of a university writing center is not as important as whether the faculty responsible for the center have a clear picture of how they would like the center to be viewed by the students. A campus writing center should be the hub of all academic writing across the campus. For one instructor, the first lab he developed at a small college…

Mathematics software can be a great aid in understanding difficult mathematics concepts at all levels. This paper presents nine exercises on calculus concepts by using different software used in mathematics education. Each exercise includes instruction on how to use software in order to highlight a specific concept in mathematics. This paper also…