Educators must think clearly about how they want students' education to improve, what computers can do to help, how that assistance can be accomplished, and whether any of this is affordable. (Author/JM)

Describes one school district's system for evaluating and selecting microcomputer software for computer assisted instruction. The process includes a computer technology council in charge of evaluation and a software evaluation form (reproduced here in its entirety). (Author/JM)

Describes the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC), made up of universities, colleges, and the state department of education, which offers assistance in equipment procurement, courseware development, and inservice training in the use of computers in education. (Author/JM)

Administrators can help teachers follow six steps to gain the skills and confidence to use computers in the classroom: (1) familiarization with microcomputers, (2) understanding classroom computer applications, (3) acquiring parent and community support, (4) finding appropriate software, (5) introducing computers to students, and (6) evaluating…

Contends that computer software development has fallen far behind progress in hardware development. Explains how to evaluate courseware critically. (Author/JM)

The purchase of computer software must come before the purchase of hardware. Otherwise school people may watch an excellent computer collect dust while they search in vain for software that fills their needs. (Author/JM)

Dicusses Modesto City (California) Schools' successful planning process for integrating a computer education program into the curriculum. Planning focused on six basic questions the district asks about any curriculum area reviewed. Generic skills needed for decision-making and other academic and occupational pursuits were targeted. (MLH)

A superintendent explains the administrator's role in integrating computers into the instructional program. Lists factors to be kept in mind. (Author/JM)

Although computer-assisted instruction is usually not cost-effective or educationally effective enough to be worthwhile in secondary schools, courses that actually teach computing and programing, although also expensive, pay off in increased job opportunities for graduates. The author explains how to plan them. (Author/JM)

The Moss Point (Mississippi) School District developed a comprehensive plan to help secondary school students understand text organization, use semantic mapping, and apply writing process stages in the various content subjects. Teachers were taught to implement classroom strategies and to assess and document students' writing progress, which has…

Provides some "dos" and "don'ts" for school administrators contemplating holding inservice programs on using microcomputers in the classroom. Suggestions concern ordering hardware, selecting software, scheduling sessions, grouping participants, and designing the course. (Author/JM)

Intended for those who are introducing computers into the classroom and those who need help with curriculum development in this area, this article explains key ingredients for successful coordination: identify interested personnel, start small, shop around, assess space available, avoid exclusivity, involve faculty, become a resource, and plan…

Outlines the experiences of one small district in introducing microcomputers. Lessons learned concern a computer checkout procedure and teacher inservice training. (JM)

Four systems for computer-assisted instruction are explained and compared here: the PLATO, the TICCIT, the TRS 80, and the Apple II. (JM)

Colleges and schools of education have three broad roles concerning computers in education: (1) investigation, consisting of research to determine school needs, evaluate programs, and verify educational theories; (2) instruction, or teacher preparation; and (3) involvement, consisting of educating their faculties, serving as resources, and…