In our paper we describe an intervention aimed at providing increased chances of success in the study of Computer Science (CS) to members of South Africa's historically disadvantaged communities. Research has shown that many African students perform poorly in CS, possibly because of language problems. We have developed a web-based application that…

This study was designed to determine how students' engagement in a learning and debate activity on a current scientific controversy influences their understanding of the nature of science and, in turn, informs their decision-making on the issue. Two high school science classrooms, totaling 38 students from 9th through 12th grade, participated in…

This document presents the 3 2002 issues of the newsletter "NewsWire," (volume 5). Issue Number One focuses on collaborative Web projects. This issue begins with descriptions of four individual projects: "iEARN"; "Operation RubyThroat"; "Follow the Polar Huskies!"; and "Log in Your Animal Roadkill!" Features that follow include: "Bringing the…

This paper reports on the relationships among classroom teaching, learning activities and technology integration in the middle school classroom. The results are based on a comparison of three studies conducted across diverse middle school settings. The studies considered three primary questions: (1) Are specific learning activities identifiable…

This paper reviews findings from two years of evaluation of Intel[R] Teach to the Future, a professional development program focused on improving classroom technology integration. Intel[R] Teach to the Future is a 3-year, international effort supported by the Intel[R] Corporation. The program uses a train-the-trainer model to deliver a curriculum…

Although increasing numbers of schools are investing in portable writing devices, few have attempted to provide one device for each student. Instead, classroom sets of portable writing devices are often shared across classrooms or classrooms are equipped with a limited number of devices that are shared among students. As an example of the latter,…

Pre-service teacher training should offer the future teacher necessary skills for employing technology to teach a curriculum in creative and effective ways, and the awareness of the possible dichotomy to be faced in the schools between what can be done and what should be done in using technology in teaching. This paper describes such a pre-service…

In this paper, I draw together a corpus of findings derived from two sources: studies of students using computers to learn mathematics, and research into the use of mathematics in professional practice. Using this as a basis, I map some elements of a theoretical framework for understanding the nature of mathematical knowledge in use, and how it is…

This paper highlights the results of an investigation of preservice elementary teachers' perceptions of their ability and preparation to teach via technology. Results indicated that participants tended to perceive themselves as capable of teaching via technology. However, they had difficulty identifying specific technological resources for…

This report describes a program to increase intermediate students' interest in writing through the integration of technology. The targeted population consisted of fifth grade students at a medium sized elementary school in the suburb of a large midwestern city. The problem was the low level of student interest in classroom writing activities. The…

This collection of papers includes: "Introduction" (Yong Zhao); (1) "What Teachers Need to Know about Technology? Framing the Question" (Yong Zhao); (2) "From Luddites to Designers: Portraits of Teachers and Technology in Political Documents" (Paul Conway and Yong Zhao); (3) "Educational Technology Standards for…

The community of K-12 education has seen explosive growth over the last decade in distance learning programs, defined as learning experiences in which students and instructors are separated by space and/or time. While elementary and secondary students have learned through the use of electronic distance learning systems since the 1930s, the…

Preservice teachers do not feel prepared to teach mathematics using technology (Smith & Shotsberger, 2001). To address this issue, we have developed a tool-based categorization of mathematics software and used it to instruct preservice teachers. Changes in thinking that occurred as a result of the course are analyzed primarily using repertory grid…

Since computer science education is a key to preparing students for a technologically-oriented future, it makes sense to have high quality resources for conducting summative and formative evaluation of those programs. This paper describes the results of a critical analysis of the resources for evaluating K-12 computer science education projects.…

Finding the right candidates for positions is a difficult task for employers. For job applicants obtaining the best positions available can also be challenging. One problem is the inherent weakness of one page cover letters, two page resumes, or short portfolios to present an applicant's talents thoroughly. One successful method of displaying a…