Educators have moved on from older models of technology-based education that focused on the attributes and basic uses of the hardware and software available to them. Now they are finding the necessary creative and innovative ways to harness technology's power for school and community educational improvement. In this column, the authors tell four…

Discusses the findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress 1985-86 survey of American students' computer competence, focusing on findings of interest to reading teachers who use computers. (MM)

Computer-based technologies offer promise as a means to assess students and provide teachers with better understandings of their students' achievement. This article describes recent developments in computer-based and web-based reading and literacy assessment, focusing on assessment administration, information management, and report creation. In…

Compares technology predictions from around 1989 with the technology of 2002. Discusses the place of computer-based assessment today, computer-scored testing, computer-administered formal assessment, Internet-based formal assessment, computerized adaptive tests, placement tests, informal assessment, electronic portfolios, information management,…

Discusses the impact and the potential of the Internet on education. Suggests that educators and parents need to deal with the lack of quality assurance of the Internet. Addresses readability and appropriateness for children. Notes that successful use of the Internet by children requires that teachers provide instruction in multiple sources and…

Examines and evaluates microcomputer software designed to assist in diagnosing students' reading abilities and making instructional decisions. Claims that existing software shows valuable potential when used sensibly and critically by trained reading clinicians. (MM)

Reviews software available to the classroom teacher for desktop publishing and describes specific classroom activities. Suggests using desktop publishing to produce large print texts for students with limited sight or for primary students.(NH)

Presents eight guidelines to consider when using computers for language instruction, emphasizing computer use in a social and purposeful context. Suggests computer software which adheres to these guidelines. (MM)

Intended for reading and language arts teachers at all educational levels, this guide presents information to be used by teachers in constructing their own computer assisted educational software using the BASIC programming language and Apple computers. Part 1 provides an overview of the components of traditional tutorial and drill-and-practice…

Offers some suggestions for using a microcomputer in class when only one work station is available. (JC)

Evaluates several voice synthesis programs for emergent readers which can be used to help make the transition from listening and speaking to reading and writing. (MM)

The article examines the potential impact of computer-based text technologies, called hypermedia, on disabled readers. Discussed are hypertext, the hypercard, and implications of metacognitive research (such as author versus user control over text manipulations), instructional implications, and instructional text engineering. (DB)

Results of the 1985-86 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) survey of American students' knowledge of computers suggest that American schools have a long way to go before computers can be said to have made a significant impact. The survey covered the 3rd, 7th, and 11th grade levels and assessed competence in knowledge of computers,…

Holistic approaches to the teaching of reading and writing, most notably the Whole Language movement, reject the philosophy that language skills can be taught. Instead, holistic teachers emphasize process, and they structure the students' classroom activities to be rich in language experience. Computers can be used as tools for whole language…

Describes the Local Area Network (LAN), a project in which students used LAN-based word processing and electronic mail software as the center of a writing process approach. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of networking. (MM)