Public policy and current educational reforms have challenged schools to close the achievement gap for all students, including those with disabilities as required under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. As schools seek to implement sound instructional practices for students, technology has become a dominant force in schools and society.…

The purpose of this study was to explore outcomes of a GIS/GPS integration process: to (a) examine student responses to GIS and GPS inclusion in their curriculum, (b) determine whether a relationship exists between inclusion of GIS into existing K-12 curriculum and student achievement, (c) examine the effectiveness of GIS professional development…

Effective assessment of teaching and learning with technology requires a capacity to map learning outcomes. Student attitudes of the use of IT are measured in a structural equation model derived from an instrument based on the principles of undergraduate practice of Chickering and Ehrmann (1996). Institutional and background data are included. By…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the need for managers of public universities to pay attention to performance management practices and information communication technology (ICT) adoption in order to achieve successful managed performance. Design/methodology/approach: Using a disproportionate stratified purposive approach, a…

This article discusses game design concepts suggested to foster engagement while considering the needs of underserved high school students preparing for the college admission process. The contextual nature of college counseling efforts in urban secondary school settings provides a backdrop for consideration of the manner in which game design and…

This study examined pre-service teachers' responses to implementing technology into elementary mathematics lessons. Instructional Architect (IA) was the web-base technology used by the pre-service teachers. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) insights into technology, (b) struggles with technology, (c) access to the mathematics and (d) learning…

The present article reports on the results of a three-year German-wide program Biology in Context ("bik"). In this program teachers and researchers worked together in 10 learning communities with the goal of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in biology classrooms as mandated by the recently passed National Educational…

This paper reports on the design and the implementation of the Technological Pedagogical Science Knowledge (TPASK), a new model for science teachers professional development built on an integrated framework determined by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model and the authentic learning approach. The TPASK curriculum…

This article uses the framework of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK; Mishra & Koehler, 2006) to analyze findings across projects from the U.S. Department of Education's Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) initiative. Approaches such as mentoring methods course faculty, teachers, and creating technology-rich…

Although much has been said about ergonomics in interface and in computer tools and interface design, very few articles in major journals have addressed this topic in relation to language testing. This article describes an experiment carried out at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, in which 27 Media and Communication students provided…

This article highlights some of the exciting learning opportunities at the conference in Reno, Nevada. From an author strand running throughout the program to sessions on technology, collaboration, and general best practice, the concurrent programs promise something for everyone. There are exhibits that will showcase the latest in furniture,…

In part 1 of this article, the author introduced Microsoft's worldwide K-12 education initiative, Partners in Learning, and discusses the partnership with ISTE in creating project-based learning curriculum as part of Partners in Learning. The project-based learning curriculum can be adapted for classrooms across the globe. This paper, the second…

In this article, the authors introduce International Society for Technology in Education's (ISTE) Technology Facilitation (TF) and Technology Leadership (TL) standards and offer suggestions as to how these standards might be used to improve the performance and professional status of instructional technology specialists in the field. In fall 2001,…

This study investigated the level and frequency of science teachers' use of computer applications as an instructional tool in the classroom. The manner and frequency of science teachers' use of computer, their perceptions about integration of computer applications, and other factors contributed to changes in their computer literacy are…

"The Montessori Observer" is mailed four times each year, in March, May, September and November, to Society members throughout the world. The purpose is to provide news and information about the Society's work in Montessori education, and to extend awareness of Montessori principles throughout the world. This issue contains a feature article,…