A survey of faculty and students at Middle Tennessee State University verified the importance of instructional technology in teaching and learning while pointing out areas for further development, such as students' concerns about weakness in pedagogical application of technology. (EV)

Describes the process of bringing a college preparatory school up to industry standard in technology. To enhance the project's success, the school provided faculty with laptop computers and training classes, and made use of 15 of its own students who were getting their Microsoft Certified Professional certification. (NB)

Suggests ways for educational institutions to avoid wasting money on software, including: (1) training staff properly; (2) considering the total costs of owning and maintaining software before purchasing it; and (3) finding out if the software will run properly on the school's hardware and network. Asserts that all of the hardware, connections,…

Asserts that, regardless of college size and budget, an Internet presence is attainable and will help increase the quantity and quality of communication between students, staff and faculty. Adds that this elevated level of interaction should result in time savings, increased registrations, higher retention, and happier students. (NB)

Lists 13 different Internet search engines that might be of interest to educators, including: AOL Search, Alta Vista, Google, Lycos, Northern Light, and Yahoo. Gives a brief description of each search engine's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses and includes Web addresses of U.S. government offices, including the U.S. Department of Education.…

Reports that the Metropolitan Community Colleges (MCC) (Missouri) upgraded their information systems in four years, for less than $7 million. Offers advice based on lessons learned in the MCC process, including: (1) identify implementation leadership among veteran staff; (2) train everyone who will use the system; and (3) test and test again. (NB)

Explains what "portal" sites are on the World Wide Web stating that they often provide services or information that people frequently utilize. Contends that teachers and schools should consider creating a social studies portal site. Discusses different Web sites and offers two examples of social studies portals. (CMK)

Presents differing views on the meanings of learning as they relate to the use of computers in modern education. Reviews the literature, identifies problem areas, and concludes with recommendations on combining technology and learning as school districts move forward in the information age. (Contains 65 references.) (Author/AEF)

The Georgia Framework for Integrating Technology in the Student-Centered Classroom (InTech) was created as a staff development program to prepare teachers to integrate technology, student learning, and academic goals. Findings from a survey of 68 middle school teachers, 10 with InTech training, 58 without, revealed InTech teachers showed increases…

Through a critical analysis of Classroom Connect's Quest experiences from 1998-2002, this study provides a framework for using narrative theory to guide the design and evaluation of educational multimedia and online education. Narrative theory, derived from literary and media studies and influenced by cultural studies, offers numerous parallels to…

Phase 9, a teacher-designed, classroom centered model, takes teachers through a nine-step process that results in the development of integrated instructional units. Teams of teachers come to an intensive five-day training with lessons they know work well with students. In interdisciplinary teams, they fold technology, state and national standards,…

Integrating technology into curricula requires more than just placing the latest and greatest hardware and software in a classroom. Effective integration requires leadership. In Part 2 of this series on essential resources, the focus is on resources related to leadership. As with Part 1 ("L&L," March 2004, pp. 10-13), these resources were compiled…

Although most college faculty are aware of the problems that students encounter when conducting research using the Internet, fewer recognize why their students lack success when using the electronic databases and indexes to which the institution's library subscribes. In this article, I point to teachers' assumptions about their students' "computer…

Three-dimensional virtual worlds are an emerging medium currently being used in both traditional classrooms and for distance education. Three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds are a combination of desk-top interactive Virtual Reality within a chat environment. This analysis provides an overview of Active Worlds Educational Universe and Adobe…

Substantial investment has been made in improving computer hardware and raising the profile of information and communications technology (ICT) in English primary schools in recent years, in line with the belief that skills in ICT are essential for our future workforce. This study compares practising teachers' responses in 1998 and 2001 to a…