In this article, the author, as a technology director for East Rock Magnet School in New Haven, Connecticut, a federal government test site for laptop learning, shares his secrets to a successful implementation of a wireless laptop program: (1) Build a wireless foundation; (2) Do not choose the cheapest model just because of budget; (3) A sturdy…

The idea of the information commons as a space for students to gather and work with technology is over a decade now. Carving out these areas has allowed many university libraries to remain relevant in the academic lives of students. Just as libraries have historically provided reading rooms for users to access and work with print collections, they…

Decades of research establishes positive associations between parental involvement and a number of important student outcomes, including student achievement. Furthermore, a number of technological innovations make facilitating parental involvement more possible than ever. Those possibilities, however, require varying levels of technological…

A growing number of K-12 districts are taking the open source plunge, both to cope with tight budgets and to escape proprietary vendor lock-in and expensive upgrade cycles. With the potential for cost savings and a growing number of educational applications, open source software is proving to be an effective alternative for schools willing to make…

Research studies in the past decade have shown that computer technology is an effective means for widening educational opportunities, but most teachers neither use technology as an instructional delivery system nor integrate technology into their curriculum. Studies reveal a number of factors influencing teachers' decisions to use ICT in the…

This qualitative study explored the roles which exist between pre-service elementary teachers and the technology tools they integrate into their mathematics lesson plans. A total of 35 pre-service elementary teachers participated in this study in which the researcher examined their lesson plans and reflection documents. The project occurred during…

The Emerge One-to-One Laptop Learning Project (Emerge) was established in 2006 by Alberta Education to investigate the efficacy of wireless computing for learning and teaching. In 2007, the Alberta provincial government awarded 3-year grants to 20 Alberta jurisdictions. Based on the projections in the awardees' applications, the project…

This paper evaluates the effects of federal initiatives in educational technology in elementary and secondary education over the past half-century. While federal resources have been diluted across many programs, this paper focuses on the few initiatives in which the federal role was substantial and integral. The findings from this paper have…

The author, a woman with cerebral palsy, discusses her experiences with adapting microcomputers to her functional skills and describes the inception and growth of the Committee on Personal Computers and the Handicapped (part of the Congress of Organizations of the Physically Handicapped). (CL)

The case study illustrates the use of access to computers as a positive reinforcer to increase appropriate social behaviors in a group of five secondary-level disabled students. The advantages of computers as reinforcers are discussed. (Author/CL)

In 2003, the Defense Intelligence Agency asked the NRC to form a standing committee to help develop study topics about technology warning. One issue that was identified was the growing dependence on foreign suppliers of critical technology as a result of the increase in globalization of economic activity. Two important questions emerged for study:…

This Issue Brief uses data from the 2000-01 Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) to examine teacher views on the technology in their classrooms. Specifically, teachers reported which types of technology they considered essential for teaching and whether they felt such technology was sufficiently available in their classrooms. In 2000-01, technologies…

Concentrates on cases of family engagement with information communication technologies (ICTs) at a very local level. (EV)

Describes the results of the mistaken identity of an Internet electronic discussion group for President Clinton's electronic mail office. Members' actions and reactions are discussed; guidelines for using electronic discussion groups are suggested; and the popularity of electronic communication is considered. (LRW)

Examines the structure of the subscriber base formed under the current pricing policies of Internet providers and investigates how access to the Internet varies in communities with different demographic characteristics. Report is based on a survey from a national Internet service provided in 1997. (SLD)