These pioneers set out to set up new communities in the virtual frontier. Now, more than 50 libraries serve as Web hubs for their local settlements. The communities we live in have changed over time. But no matter the size of the tallest building, no matter how advanced the infrastructure, they grew to that size from humble beginnings: a…

The late 1980s was an exciting time to be a CIO in higher education. Computing was being decentralized as microcomputers replaced mainframes, networking was emerging, and the National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET) was introducing the concept of an "internet" to hundreds of thousands of new users. Security wasn't much of an issue;…

Linguistic computing can make two important contributions to second language (L2) reading instruction. One is to resolve longstanding research issues that are based on an insufficiency of data for the researcher, and the other is to resolve related pedagogical problems based on insufficiency of input for the learner. The research section of the…

Information technology (IT) departments are ruled by a kind of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: The big-tech stuff--the operating systems, the networks, the data centers--gets the priority, food-and-shelter attention, while upgrading the backup power supplies, evaluating new projector mounts, and taming that rat's nest of classroom cords fall…

With no specific state or federal mandates to districts to maintain comprehensive technology infrastructure, how do districts, in the face of mounting financial pressures, continue to build and maintain their networks, integrate their systems, and expand their resources in a way that is reasonably "budget-proof?" In this article, the…

How many beginning teachers struggle to create new lessons despite the fact that experienced teachers have already designed effective lessons for the same content? Shulman (1987) used the term "collective amnesia" to describe the failure of school leaders to design professional development that included the collection of its best…

This article presents the top-ten IT-related issues in terms of strategic importance to the institution, as revealed by the tenth annual EDUCAUSE Current Issues Survey. These IT-related issues include: (1) Funding IT; (2) Administrative/ERP Information Systems; (3) Security; (4) Infrastructure/Cyberinfrastructure; (5) Teaching and Learning with…

Electronic mail is one of several telecommunications technologies that have become potent factors in modern organizational communication. The introduction of such sophisticated microelectronic technology into an organization can have a strong impact on the patterns of communication within that organization. This is the case for the Florida House…

Describes an electronic mail system used by the Horseheads (New York) Central School Distict's eight schools and central office that saves time and enhances productivity. This software calls up information from the district's computer network and sends it to other users' special files--electronic "mailboxes" set aside for messages and…

Describes how California's Peralta Community Colleges District decided to hire an outside company to manage its computer networks, but that problems cause it to now want a technology boss on its own staff. (EV)

Discusses affordable and practical security solutions, such as networked video systems, that are available to meet schools' needs for highly functional, low-cost surveillance. (EV)

Describes Mosaic, an Internet resource locator and navigation tool developed at the University of Illinois' National Center for Super-Computing Applications (NCSA). Topics discussed include the relationship with the World Wide Web; flexibility; obtaining Mosaic client software; and file transfer protocol instructions. (Contains seven references.)…

This article has three objectives: (1) introduce the basics of the World Wide Web (including Internet connectivity, hypertext, and uniform resource locators); (2) highlight environmental health databases on the Web; and (3) discuss possible applications of the Web for the environmental health profession. (LZ)

Discusses how information technology and information retrieval may be used to build the virtual library, based on examples from Carnegie-Mellon University. Topics include information technology infrastructure, including distributed computing; Boolean searching; natural language processing; navigating the Internet; and prototypes and problems at…

Discussion of museums that take advantage of the Internet's format options for electronic presentation. Provides a list of 248 museums and galleries around the world that are making use of World Wide Web or Gopher servers, lists 4 recent pertinent articles, and lists 8 online directories. (Author/LRW)