While recognizing that digital access is not evenly distributed in the United States, which is to say nothing of the global distribution, one can safely say that this transformation is already here; people are already at the moment in which the ability to use social media, and particularly social media as amplified through the power of the mobile…

Speeding past the Steve Jobs Post-PC Era into the Age of Mobilism, the authors foresee how, by 2015, each and every student in America's K-12 classrooms will be using their own mobile computing device, with those devices engendering the most disruptive transformation in education in 150 years. Classrooms will move from today's "I Teach"…

This column highlights websites that the author thinks are interesting, well designed, and useful to classroom teachers, college-level methods instructors, and other social studies professionals. When reviewing these websites mostly the author tries to look at them through the eyes of a classroom teacher. Does it have relevant, accurate…

When the author read that the history department at Middlebury College had "banned Wikipedia" she immediately wrote to the college's president, Ronald D. Liebowitz, to express her concern that such decision would lead to a national trend, one that would not be good for higher education. She states that Wikipedia is not just an encyclopedia. It is…

Students need to know how to find and use information, yet only 31 percent of information searches succeed. Google and Wikipedia are not the only providers of answers, although they are often students' first stops for information. Everyone knows how to open a browser, but can teachers assume they know how to search effectively for information? In…

In this article, the authors cite four reasons why parents and schools should reconsider the use of Internet filters. First, and most simply, filters don't work as advertised. One of the most controversial and contentious issues surrounding the use of new information and communication technologies, especially in schools and libraries, is whether…

Incorrect access to Web site addresses and spam e-mails are continuing to make pornography rampant on the Internet at schools, homes and libraries. Collectively, parents, teachers and members of communities must become more aware of the risks and consequences of open access to the Internet, and the distinction between censorship and Internet…

Examines the potential and hazards of using the Internet in American education. Concludes that Internet technology must be guarded when used by children and that there is no foolproof technological solution to protecting children against unacceptable information on the Internet. Maintains that a balance between using filtering software and…

Object-oriented instructional design (OOID) offers the promise of universal access to online instructional materials, increased productivity among trainers and educators, and solutions for individualizing learning. However, it is unclear whether it can fulfill these promises to the degree many envision. As with every new instructional technology,…

Computer technology has impacted both the study and idea of history in a number of ways. The Internet has provided numerous web-sites for students to read, see and look into for historical information. Historians, both professional and public have also begun to utilize the computer in a variety of ways, both in academic terms as well as leisure…

The employment of administrative tools for effective management is evaluated in this article. Using an administrative tool like a Palm[R] handheld computer and appropriate software can make the difference. For anyone running a single school or an entire district, managing data is the key to maintaining an efficient organization. Many…

Technology is necessary but not sufficient for successful distance education. Argues that the two most important ingredients in technological solutions to education are maintaining a steady policy and providing sufficient funds for "systemic" solutions. (PEN)

Changes Hawkins predicts include: higher education markets will be smaller than anticipated; residential campuses will still be important; institutions will need to partner with other institutions to remain effective; competition will continue to increase in the postsecondary education field; and providing electronic sources of information in lieu…

The use of the microcomputer shapes the student's way of thinking, it is argued, thereby reinforcing the patterns of social interaction, the legitimacy of what constitutes knowledge, and the ideology of the educational experience. The computer mediates the cultural transmission process. The role of the teacher as amplifier and clarifier becomes…

Addresses the usefulness of the World Wide Web in education by answering the following questions: does it make learning more accessible; does it promote improved learning; and does it accomplish the first two while containing or reducing the per unit costs of education? Examples are provided of what individuals and institutions are doing on the…