Local area networks (LANs) are systems of computers and peripherals connected together for the purposes of electronic mail and the convenience of sharing information and expensive resources. In planning the design of such a system, the components to consider are hardware, software, transmission media, topology, operating systems, and protocols.…

Describes Telecommunications Opportunities for Gifted Learners (TOGL), a state-funded project in Florida that links gifted programs in rural districts. The use of electronic mail and computer conferences is described; teacher education and training needs are discussed; and an example of a lesson plan that integrates online activities is given.…

Discussion of the use of telecommunications highlights projects designed by the New York City Board of Education to investigate telecommunications alternatives for the classroom. Telecommunications systems models are described, including electronic bulletin boards and networking; and instructional models are explained, including computer mediated…

Discussion of the use of electronic networks for learning activities highlights the Noon Observation Project in which students in various locations measured the length of a noontime shadow to determine the earth's circumference. Electronic pen pals are discussed, and the roles of the network and of the class are described. (LRW)

Describes the Knowledge Gateway Project at Wenatchee (Washington) High School, which combines computer technology with a problem-solving approach to teach communication and information processing skills to at-risk students. Networked Macintosh workstations are described; and the use of electronic mail to communicate both within a local area…

Describes the ScrapBookUSA Writing Project, a computer telecommunications project linking classrooms across the country, and its educational opportunities for the writing and multicultural studies curricula. Examples of Hello letters, student essays, and ScrapBook Chronicles are given to demonstrate the impact a wide audience and immediate…

Multi-Media Detectives was a project where fifth graders in three Michigan school districts were linked to a children's bulletin board. The goal was to have students "think global but link local" by using online resources to search for local facts and local celebrities and to bring them to life via technology. (JMV)