Landforms, natural hazards, and the change in the Earth over time are common material in state and national standards. Volcanoes exemplify these standards and readily capture the interest and imagination of students. With a minimum of training, students can recognize erupted materials and types of volcanoes; in turn, students can relate these…

This article describes some of the key affordances for learning of the generic class of handheld computers known variously as smartphones, palmtops, and thumbtops--using the Apple iPhone 3G as one of the most mature exemplars of this class--based on the authors' experiences with and reflections about the device over a period of a year. An argument…

It is no accident that the first use of computers in school systems was to arrange schedules for students and teachers. The proper use of the computer in the classroom is as a replacement for the clock and its strict temporal schedule. By conveying information through self-instructional content, the computer can schedule work for pupils in…

This paper addresses the difficulties experienced by first-grade students studying rigid body motion at Sofia University. Most quantities describing the rigid body are in relations that the students find hard to visualize and understand. They also lose the notion of cause-result relations between vector quantities, such as the relation between…

This article reports on research at the crossroads of on the one hand the procedural-conceptual cut in algebra in the transition from secondary education to higher education, and on the other hand the potential of ICT. Three key topics come together: algebra didactics (symbol sense), theories on tool use (instrumental genesis) and assessment…

This paper describes a study aimed to identify commonly emerging impediments related to the introduction of dynamic mathematics software. We report on the analysis of data collected during a three-week professional development programme organised for middle and high school teachers in Florida. The study identified challenges that participants face…

Models of reading aloud have tended to focus on the mapping between graphemes and phonemes in monosyllables. Critical adaptations of these models are required when considering the reading of polysyllables, which constitute over 90% of word types in English. In this paper, we examined one such adaptation--the process of stress assignment in…

In this article the author describes her experiences in an effective, and cost-efficient way of teaching developmental mathematics online in a course that runs on its own once it is set up. The online course described here was created and implemented at Ramapo College. The course is an innovative method of teaching developmental mathematics in…

The University for Applied Management is a semi-virtual institution widely using blended learning as an integrated approach of face-to-face instruction and e-learning. Virtual action learning is offered in all bachelor and master programmes. The module is transfer orientated and aims at encouraging reflection and supporting students to develop a…

Effective use of computers in education for children requires consideration of individual and developmental characteristics of users. There is limited empirical evidence, however, to guide educational programming when it comes to children and their acquisition of computing skills. This paper reports on the influence of previous experience and…

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is a statutory component of the Key Stages 2 and 3 National Curricula in the UK. This research presents findings from a national survey of the availability and usage of ICT in music classrooms within English secondary schools. It also examined a range of issues related to the training and…

The study of flower structure is essential in plant identification and in understanding sexual reproduction in plants, pollination syndromes, plant breeding, and fruit structure. Thus, study of flower structure and construction of floral formulae are standard parts of first-year university botany and biology courses. These activities involve…

This paper outlines the use of a technology toolkit to support emergent literacy curriculum and instruction in early childhood education settings. Components of the toolkit include hardware and software that can facilitate key emergent literacy skills. Implementation of the comprehensive technology toolkit enhances the development of these…

Students need to learn how to use technology in a meaningful way to become literate. Teachers should take advantage of technology and what it has to offer. Technology can motivate students and can help them visualize mathematics problems. It can enable them to work on more complex tasks that often involve real-life applications of mathematics. It…

This paper has a dual aim: to situate functionalities among the complex of factors that help shape online interactions and to explore the heterogeneity of audio conferencing and its implications. Following a critical discursive synthesis of the treatment of variables in the literature, attention focuses on the distinctive and diverse…