To compete in the global workforce, educators know that their students must be well educated in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. But, as outlined in the NETS, they must also develop the key skills of creativity and innovation. How can educators teach the typically left-brained STEM subjects along with the more…

The Information Age has been built, in part, on the belief that more information is always better. True to that sentiment, people have found ways to make a lot of information available to the masses--perhaps more than anyone ever imagined. The goal of the Semantic Web, often called Web 3.0, is for users to spend less time looking for information…

Standard methods of teaching an introductory course in computer science, designed to introduce computer programming as a tool for mathematicians and engineers at the university level, are unnecessarily complicated and difficult. They lack a common thread that unifies each unit of material and frequently make use of mathematical notation, technical…

Describes a lesson designed to teach a computer programming construct, the "if-then" statement, and to help students gain insight into computing concepts, stimulate students' creativity, and develop their higher order thinking skills. (JKP)

Describes how to create a multimedia document about a student's summer vacation for grade three to college. Topics include student guidelines, World Wide Web authoring programs, incorporating original artwork and music, getting parents involved, and examples of various projects. (LRW)

Teachers who want to show their students how to use multimedia in their projects should consider using HyperStudio. Four sites listed show HyperStudio's capabilities. Discussion includes publishing HyperStudio stacks on the Internet. Sites for more information are also listed. (AEF)

Discusses teachers' use of authoring programs to design their own computer-assisted instructional materials that may include text, graphics, video, and sound. The Instructional Theory Into Practice Model is described that includes five components: anticipatory set, instruction, guided practice, closure, and independent practice. (LRW)

When using spreadsheets to explore real-world problems involving periodic change, students can observe what happens at each period, generate a graph, and learn how changing the starting quantity or constants affects results. Spreadsheet lessons for high school students are presented that explore mathematical modeling, linear programming, and…

Discusses teaching grade 1-8 students programming and complex problem-solving skills using MicroWorlds, a variation of LOGO. Discusses game programming and provides a MicroWorlds "Cat and Mouse" game-planning sheet. Argues that programming instruction fosters creativity, innovation, and patience. (PEN)

Computer studies courses should incorporate as many computer concepts and programming language experiences as possible. A gradual increase in problem difficulty will help the student to understand various computer concepts, and the programming language's syntax and structure. A sidebar provides two examples of how to establish a learning…

Presents a position paper of the Vermont State Technology Council regarding the development of information technology skills and knowledge. Essential skills are identified and linked to the Vermont Education Goals, including skills in word processing, databases, spreadsheets, telecommunications, visual-audio-output, computer simulations, desktop…

Discusses the use of electronic portfolios as an alternative student-assessment method. Highlights include reasons to use technology to store portfolios in multimedia format; context; teacher-centered approach, student-centered approach, and mixed models; multimedia software; authoring software; and multimedia presentations versus electronic…

Discussion of the use of multimedia programs in writing labs or classrooms focuses on the use of "HyperStudio" in high school sophomore advanced English classes for students' research projects. Highlights include computer writing lab activities; teaching strategies, including small group demonstrations, printed instructions, and…