This work comprises studies on the effects of broadband Internet in schools at three different levels: student performance, household Internet adoption, and individual computer and Internet use patterns and skill acquisition. I focus in the case of Portugal, where by 2006 the Portuguese government had completed a major initiative that upgraded the…

An experimental study of the Technology Immersion model involved comparisons between 21 middle schools that received laptops for each teacher and student, instructional and learning resources, professional development, and technical and pedagogical support, and 21 control schools. Using hierarchical linear modeling to analyze longitudinal survey…

The "digital natives" that are sitting in today's classrooms live their lives surrounded by technology. "The current crop of learners differs in significant ways from previous generations because, unlike their predecessors, they have literally grown up 'digital'" (Simpson & Clem, 2008, p. 2). Teachers and administrators…

This article discusses how Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, a Lexington, KY, middle school is successfully preparing students for the technological world of the 21st Century. The mission statement for this three-year-old school includes these carefully crafted words: "...to engage all students in a safe and nurturing environment."…

Describes a project at a middle school in Michigan, stretching across several years, that provided students with the equipment and training to make them computer literate. Discusses hopes and plans for educational uses of the Internet, e-mail and electronic bulletin boards, and various software. (SR)

In the study of the Technology Immersion model, high-need middle schools were "immersed" in technology by providing laptops for each teacher and student, instructional and learning resources, professional development, and technical and pedagogical support. This article reports third-year findings for the teacher component of the…

In recent years researchers in educational technology have begun to look closely at the complexity of integrating technology in K-12 classrooms. The development of the notion of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) provides a useful theoretical framework to explore the requisite forms of teacher knowledge required to effectively…

About 250 of the Beaufort County, South Carolina school district's 1,200 sixth graders at three middle schools have participated in the School-Book Laptop Project since 1996. Followup studies through seventh grade show that laptops enhanced academic gains among students who traditionally have not succeeded in school. Laptop users consistently…

Describes a one-year project to bring computer skills and strategies to rural middle school teachers. Briefly describes individual teacher projects. Student interviews revealed that more participating students than nonparticipating students will probably use computers in the future and want to know more about them. (KS)

This brief describes how Maine's introduction of its ubiquitous 1-to-1 laptop program has been beneficial to learning, if one looks in the right places. There is growing positive evidence from teachers, parents, classroom assignments and tests, and even in one case, on a standardized test, all pointing toward a similar conclusion. Students are…

Computer technologies develop at a challenging fast pace. Formal education should not only teach students basic computer skills to meet current computer needs, but also foster student development of informal learning ability for a lifelong learning process. On the other hand, students growing up in the digital world are often more skilled with…

This study investigated inner-city middle school teachers' perceptions of the importance of time in learning and sharing information. Participating teachers were involved in a technology demonstration project, the Educators' Electronic Learning Community (EELC). Participants completed pre-interview surveys that had them rate their technological…

This practicum involved a series of continuous staff training sessions that provided teachers with the skills and knowledge necessary to implement the use of computers in the classroom. The 14 workshops and 3 inservice days focused on using the computer for: classroom management skills, evaluating software for instructional use, CD-ROM…

This paper describes a project that provided television set-top Internet access devices to Latino families as part of a project to link the school and home in an inquiry-based science curriculum. The early phases of adoption of the Internet and the "NetTV" devices by families are described, with special attention to the different ways…

Defines the digital homeless as those middle-aged persons running schools, businesses, and the country who are lacking in computer and technology skills and uses. Describes the efforts of the American Technology Honor Society (ATHS), a student group whose mission is to share technological knowledge with peers, teachers, administrators, and the…