Describes survey of student use of microcomputers in 319 small and 350 large public high schools throughout the United States. Finds 99% of schools owned microcomputers chiefly for instructional purposes. Discusses problems of large student/computer ratios, high costs of microcomputers and software, and teacher reluctance to use new technology.…

Summarizes results of a University of Nebraska study on effects of different teaching methods on student performance in a computer literacy course for business administration students. Merits and weaknesses of the large class approach--the more successful method--are discussed, and academic achievement as a function of gender is analyzed. (MBR)

Educational applications include computer programs to individualize instruction and create clinical simulations; computer use to extend classrooms to rural areas, provide continuing education, and individualized testing; and courses in computer applications in health care. Applications in practice and administration include directing and recording…

Discusses teacher objections to use of computer technology in schools as well as its possible effects on children and society. A proposal is presented for national action in regard to use of computer technology in schools which encompasses funding, teacher training, and hardware and software acquisition. (MBR)

Six school districts selected through Project BEST (Basic Education Skills through Technology)--Cincinnati (Ohio) Public Schools, Alexander (Albany, Ohio) School District, Ann Arbor (Michigan) Schools, Cupertino (California) Union School District, Fairfax (Virginia) Public Schools, and Plains (Montana) Public Schools--describe their use of…

As a response to Joyce Killian's article in the same issue of "Educational Leadership" (EA 513 318), this article discusses the increased staff development responsibility placed on administrators as a result of the necessity for an appropriate environment and opportunities for promoting voluntary technological growth. (Author/DCS)

An eighth-grade social studies teacher utilizes the microcomputer to teach abstract and complex social studies. Students learn to enter, store, and access data and to format numerical data. They also learn to upgrade, form tables, and display symbols. Enthusiasm runs high while students learn social studies and microcomputer use. (MBR)

Before school systems can fully utilize computers, they go through four invariant stages: (1) getting on the bandwagon, (2) confusion, (3) pulling it all together, and (4) full implementation. At each stage, the six factors of hardware, software, staff development, computer assisted learning, computer literacy, and attitude must be considered.…

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…

Meeting the demanding requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) falls most heavily on the school principal. A variety of credible studies prove that schools with good library programs have students who do better academically as measured by standardized test scores. Administrators may not be aware that they have a powerful ally in the school…

Learning and Integrating New Knowledge and Skills (LINKS) was a technology project designed to integrate established and emerging technologies into the teacher preparation program at Texas Woman's University (TWU). The project was supported by a U.S. Department of Education, Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) grant. The LINKS…

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…

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 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…

In a tight job market, IT professionals with database experience are likely to be in great demand. Companies need database personnel who can help improve access to and security of data. The events of September 11 have increased business' awareness of the need for database security, backup, and recovery procedures. It is our responsibility to…