In the old days, professional development didn't extend any further than the workshops teachers would attend to learn new applications. After the workshop, the teachers were on their own once they returned to school and had to figure out how to use their new tools. Today, things are different as technologies are too complex and the need to…

Algebra, geometry, earth science, physics--these require patience and perseverance to master. That kind of academic stamina is hard to advertise to kids nurtured on the instant engagement and gratification of modern digital technology. And there's little hope they'll be sustained by an intrinsic interest in math and science; they have to be shown…

Describes ED's Oasis, a multifunction Web site funded by the AT&T Foundation, through the AT&T Learning Network program, and developed by a team of educators to help teachers use the Internet with their students. Examples are given of various possible uses, including designing interdisciplinary units. (LRW)

Discussion of the need for interaction in distance learning focuses on the use of response systems, an interactive network that uses phone lines and modems to facilitate communication. Experiences using a One Touch system at Grambling State University are described. (LRW)

As higher education continues the rush to embrace technology-delivered learning opportunities, one imperative is to find ways to prepare faculty for what life will be like on the other side of the transformation. Independent of how great a teacher, scholar or researcher an individual may be, he or she needs to have accurate expectations of how…

Describes initiatives taken by the Turkish Ministry of Education to promote computer literacy and the use of computers in schools, from 1984 through 1994. Evaluation indicates that in Turkey's high schools, computer education is still in the early stages of development. Major problem areas are lack of financial resources, lack of appropriate…

Describes the Camden County (New Jersey) Educational Technology Training Center which was developed to provide dedicated sites for school teachers, staff, and administrators for training on combining technology with classroom instruction. Discusses corporate and business partnerships that provide financial support as well as hardware, software,…

Presents the professional development model at the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE), Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ) in which teachers develop their own Internet-based science and mathematics projects to use in their classrooms. Discusses school-year workshops, the summer institute, follow-up, and factors…

Provides an overview of satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) technology and includes some illustrations of how GPS is introduced in field-based exercises in the educational setting. Highlights forestry and geography classes, but also discusses archeology, geology, and wildlife science. Benefits include affordability, flexibility,…

Proposes reform in education from an "assembly line" to a "provider-client" approach. Swanton High School (Ohio), winner of GTE's Pioneering Partners program, which used Learning Management Systems to track student progress and testing, satellite courses, videodiscs, Hypercard, QuickTime video, and Internet connections, is…

Information and communications technology (ICT) pervades most aspects of contemporary civilization and will undoubtedly influence the near future to an even greater extent by "significantly enhancing and altering human activity, and enabling people to live, work and think in ways that most people never thought possible." Wireless…

Describes the use of interactive television in distance higher education based on experiences of an accredited MBA program at Ball State University (Indiana). Discusses how graphics were designed and used to deliver accounting instruction and feedback to homework assignments. Describes the presentation software used. (AEF)

Discusses the use of virtual reality as an educational tool. Highlights include examples of virtual reality in public schools that lead to a more active learning process, simulated environments, integrating virtual reality into any curriculum, benefits to teachers and students, and overcoming barriers to implementation. (LRW)

Describes the Pathways program of Passaic Valley High School (Little Falls, New Jersey). Pathways calls for 24 students to be divided into teams of six and to work on specific technology-based tasks in groups of two. Teams work in "suites" each with a specific theme: Digital Manufacturing, Community, Free Enterprise, or Communications. The…

With the advent of networked computers and Internet technology, computer-based instruction has been widely used in language classrooms throughout the United States. Computer technologies have dramatically changed the way people gather information, conduct research and communicate with others worldwide. Considering the tremendous startup expenses,…