Web-based applications offer teachers, students, and school districts a convenient way to accomplish a wide range of tasks, from accounting to word processing, for free. Cloud computing has the potential to offer staff and students better services at a lower cost than the technology deployment models they're using now. Saving money and improving…

Discusses word processing and desktop publishing and offers suggestions for creating documents that look more professional, including proportional type size, spacing, the use of punctuation marks, italics, tabs and margins, and paragraph styles. (LRW)

For more than 30 years, Staples High School (Westport, Connecticut) juniors have undertaken a major research paper. Their English teachers supervise this project-based unit and get feedback about the preparation students feel they have gotten in research and in writing. Students used to be taught to use notebooks, paper, pencil, and index cards…

Discusses using word processing programs with beginning writers, including story illustration and keyboarding. An approach to student writing with computers is outlined, highlighting planning, goals definition, and teacher and student aims. Sample student assignments and a sample writing task card are provided. (PEN)

Desktop Adventures are computer-based scenarios incorporating the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics for practicing problem solving across the curriculum suitable for whole class or cooperative group instruction. Reviews problem solving steps and approaches and describes introducing, creating, and extending desktop…

Presents a position paper of the Vermont State Technology Council regarding the development of information technology skills and knowledge. Essential skills are identified and linked to the Vermont Education Goals, including skills in word processing, databases, spreadsheets, telecommunications, visual-audio-output, computer simulations, desktop…

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)

Discussion of how to develop curriculum that successfully integrates technology into elementary and secondary school classrooms focuses on solutions for school and classroom management tasks. Highlights include Web-based solutions; student activities; word processing; desktop publishing; draw and paint programs; spreadsheets; and database…

Introduced to aid writing, word processing can cause unexpected problems for those who use it. Describes four studies in which raters gave word-processed essays consistently lower scores than handwritten essays. Reasons for the discrepancies were higher expectations for typed essays, ease of spotting text errors in typed text, and more difficulty…

Investigating the effects of computer paint programs, the authors observed two groups of first and fourth graders--one using crayons and word processors, the other using a paint program and word processors. Discusses student collaboration, visual/verbal literacy, creativity, advantages and disadvantages, and paint programs in the classroom. A…

Multimedia ties text to the words children hear and things they see by combining text, sound, and graphics, and it motivates young students to learn beginning reading and writing skills. Discusses multimedia programs that encourage beginning reading and writing and includes an annotated bibliography of CD-ROM storybooks, poetry collections, and…

Presents activities that demonstrate how productivity software can be used to motivate beginning middle-school foreign- language students (or elementary-school foreign-language- immersion students.) The exercises employ word-processing tools to increase language fluency, spelling, and agreement skills. (Author/LRW)