In this article, the author describes a series of projects that James Pusack and the author engaged in together, a number of them to develop CALL authoring tools. With their shared love of technology and dedication to language teaching and learning, they embarked on a long and immensely enjoyable career in CALL during which each project evolved…

We explain in this article the need for board training in rural America irrespective of industry or government sector. We discuss how an assessment of training needs has led to the launch of a new project called the National Board Basics Curriculum (NBBC) project. In this project, we have identified four key core competencies that every board…

Spatial visualization skills are vital to many careers and in particular to STEM fields. Materials have been developed at Michigan Technological University and Penn State Erie, The Behrend College to assess and develop spatial skills. The EnViSIONS (Enhancing Visualization Skills-Improving Options aNd Success) project is combining these materials…

This paper discusses a joint project of the American Library Association and the American Sociological Association. The goal of this collaboration is to guarantee that students of sociology, particularly sociology majors, develop strong information literacy skills during their undergraduate experience. The article talks about national standards…

If technology were incorporated into teacher education and professional development activities, educators might have time to gain confidence, identify appropriate uses, and experiment with specific techniques for their own classrooms. Distance education and computer-mediated communications developments in Iowa, Alaska, California, Virginia, and…

The paper addresses issues facing small and rural Iowa school districts that attempt to provide services for their gifted and talented students. Problems with transportation, personnel costs, and the small number of target students are cited, and enrichment program alternatives such as mentorships, educational programing from television and radio,…

Challenges traditional methods of education and urges use of computer technology to increase learner productivity. Recommends a national program for innovative learning and advocates increased cooperation between industry and educational institutions. Suggests a Model Educational Center as a systematic approach for computerized instruction. (ML)

Iowa's first-in-the-nation statewide fiber-optics telecommunications network is bringing both excitement and concern to educators. One application of the fiber-optics network is the offering of college courses through live, interactive television instruction. The teacher in the origination site classroom is linked with students in one or more…

This document is a resource for information on distance education research in Iowa. The material is divided into three sections. The first section describes distance education in Iowa, the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), the Iowa Distance Education Alliance (IDEA), and the research plan underway. The second section contains a review of the…

Seventy projects funded by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title III, and providing the funds to public school districts to demonstrate the feasibility of educational innovations, are described in this document about Iowa Title III exemplary programs. Projects are subdivided according to planning grants, operational grants, guidance…