Creativity matters. A shared vocabulary and lens for creativity helps teachers and students know what it means to "be creative" and where to start. J. P. Guilford's FFOE model of divergent thinking from the 1950s offers four dimensions to describe creativity: (1) Fluency; (2) Flexibility; (3) Originality; and (4) Elaboration. FFOE makes time spent…

Design thinking is about using design to improve the human experience. It combines collaboration, systems thinking, and a balance of creative and analytical habits. It also fuels what the students want for themselves: making an impact on the real world in real time and having adults take their passions seriously. The process essentially comes down…

It's no secret that fewer and fewer women are entering computer science fields. Attracting high school girls to computer science is only part of the solution. Retaining them while they are in higher education or the workforce is also a challenge. To solve this, there is a need to show girls that computer science is a wide-open field that offers…

Describes a virtual museum tour project developed by Eastview Community School (Red Deer, Alberta) eighth grade students that used telecommunications and multimedia. Discusses the project's educational objectives, methods of collecting information, preparing hypertext documents, writing dialogue, the final presentation, and key components for a…

Discusses the increase of Internet access for K-12 education and the difference between knowledge and information. Provides an example of a student research project using the Internet and describes a 13-step process for knowledge-making. Suggests interpretation and application of information sources on the Internet is crucial. (AEF)

Presents guidelines for student hypermedia projects that are based on experiences at the Singapore American Middle School. Topics include integrating technology into the curriculum; and the need for setting standards regarding content and design, including supplying references for sound and graphics sources. (LRW)

Describes a multimedia math activity for sixth-grade students who have access to a computer lab. Students work in groups and interview an adult who uses math in his or her job. Then, they write an explanatory narrative describing how that adult uses math. Finally, they create a KidPix video slideshow with voice overlays to share with the class.…

Describes the use of PowerPoint software in a cooperative setting that allows inclusion students to create presentations as part of the learning process. Discusses equipment needed, audience, teacher and student preparation, and student evaluation, and includes examples of storyboards and worksheets. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the use of fortune cookie fortunes in a middle school class combined with computer graphics, desktop publishing, and word processing technology to create writing assignments, games, and discussions. Topics include cultural contexts, and students creating their own fortunes. (LRW)

Describes the Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP), a program in Kentucky that teaches students about technology so they can help troubleshoot and maintain school technology, help teachers create lessons and projects, and train fellow students, teachers, and others to use hardware and software. Discussions mission and goals of STLP;…

Suggests ways to use ClarisWorks to motivate students when only one computer is accessible: (1) class database; (2) grade book; (3) classroom journal; (4) ongoing story center; (5) skill-and-draw review station; (6) monthly class magazine/newspaper; (7) research base/project planner; (8) lecture and presentation enhancement; (9) database of ideas…

Describes how grade 3-8 inner-city students created multimedia, multicultural dictionaries. Highlights student reflections on the project using Kid Pix software, and their ideas for future uses for the dictionaries. Argues that technology-driven lexicography can serve as a catalyst for engaging students. (PEN)

Describes two projects--CyberFair and Community Share--in which schools share resources, establish partnerships, and students work together to publish information about their communities on the Internet. Discusses learning objectives, classroom discussion, student research, educational benefits, peer review, and announcing contest winners.…

Describes the learning experiences that occurred when a third-grade Spanish class participated in a pilot e-mail project. Highlights include the Internet learning community; social studies and language learning activities; multicultural learning opportunities; using e-mail for other content areas; project management; and benefits of the project.…

Describes an eighth grade computer literacy course in which students used spreadsheet programs to illustrate statistics for classroom presentations. Discusses the use of color and animation in graphs, and the value of active participation using technology to increase student motivation, retention, and self-expression. (AEF)