Provides guidelines for building self-instructional training packages to teach beginning microcomputer skills at any age level. Five steps are explained: outline curriculum and objectives, structure one lesson, produce the instruction, package the materials, and manage the lesson. (MBR)

Describes a computer-assisted instruction project for exceptional children at a rural school district. Five microcomputers were purchased and distributed, in rotation, to the 23 schools in the district for use by 570 learning disabled and 400 gifted students. Results were promising for all concerned. (TE)

This 32-item annotated bibliography describes books about computer programing and the use of microcomputers which have been selected to provide library media specialists and teachers with a core collection. Materials for professional reading, books teaching BASIC and LOGO programing skills, and reference resources are included. Publisher…

Explains computer terminology in areas of computer memory, computer languages, programing, computer hardware, and time sharing. A list of computer terms is appended. (EJS)

The services of ComputerTown, a nonprofit computer literacy project of the People's Computer Company in Menlo Park, California with 150 worldwide affiliates, are enumerated including getting started, funding sources, selecting hardware, software selection, support materials, administrative details, special offerings (classes, events), and common…

Research indicates that school microcomputer use is associated with the wealth of the school district. Wealthier districts are more likely to utilize the higher level uses of the computer, whereas less affluent schools tend to use computers in computer-assisted instruction of the drill and practice variety. (MLF)

Administrative support, faculty cooperation, and student teamwork have combined to achieve a computer literate middle school where computer lessons are coordinated with the regular mathematics curriculum. Available from National Middle School Association, P.O. Box 14882, Columbus, OH 43214. (MLF)

Highlights Pennsylvania Department of Education's initiatives related to school improvement and use of technology in education. These include computer literacy, financial aid to schools for innovative classroom projects, electronic mail services, teleconferencing, and technological applications within the department itself (such as word processing…

Describes a teacher inservice program in computer literacy for elementary school teachers which, after two to three hours of inservice plus an equal amount of practice, should result in the teacher being able to operate the microcomputer. (JJD)

Ideas are presented which are designed to help teachers get started on using microcomputers. It is stated that getting acquainted with a computer is easier than it looks. Instructors are encouraged to take on the challenge offered by the machine. Microcomputers are seen as much more than another audiovisual aid. (MP)

Discusses computer/computing experiences at Ardsley High School (Westchester County, New York) to foster computer literacy and to show students how computers can be used to check/verify calculations. Focuses on programs developed for chemistry classes and problems with commercially available programs for physics. (JN)

The Cornell University Distributed Accounting (CUDA) system is an attempt to provide departments a software tool for better managing their finances, creating microcomputer standards, creating a vehicle for better administrative microcomputer support, and insuring local systems are consistent with central computer systems. (Author/MLW)

Analysis of data from 244 of a sample of 350 Ohio secondary vocational teachers showed that 2 factors explained 44% of the variance in attitudes toward using microcomputers in inservice education: belief in the educational value of computers and confidence in their use. Inservice teacher education could be enhanced by reinforcing confidence and…

Includes "Managing Personality Types in the Computer Classroom" (Cocco); "External I/O Input/Output with a PC" (Fryda); "The Future of CAD/CAM Computer-Assisted Design/Computer-Assisted Manufacturing Software" (Fulton); and "Teaching Quality Assurance--A Laboratory Approach" (Wojslaw). (SK)

Examines the impact of new forms of communication technology on our concepts of literacy and literacies, particularly in relation to personal computer use, and argues that the unique quality of hypertext structure underlying computer-mediated communication, asynchronous and nonlinear, challenges many accepted notions of the nature and structure of…