This work comprises studies on the effects of broadband Internet in schools at three different levels: student performance, household Internet adoption, and individual computer and Internet use patterns and skill acquisition. I focus in the case of Portugal, where by 2006 the Portuguese government had completed a major initiative that upgraded the…

Pair programming is a strategy that grew out of industry and has shown promise for performance and retention in computer programming courses at universities and in industry. In this study, we examine whether pair programming is effective in K-12, what it is effective for, and how partners influence each other. We collected the data from 320 middle…

The purpose of this study is to examine exemplary science teachers' level of computer use, their knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction, their use of computer-related applications/tools during their instruction, how often they required their students to use those applications in or for their science class…

This study chronicles the home and school technology practices of a group of 7th grade middle school students representing varying social and economic backgrounds for the purpose of exploring possible ways in which exposure to computer technology in the home helps to inform the ways in which children demonstrate technology literacy when using…

This study draws on ethnographic data from a year-long multimodal media production (MMP) course and the experience of an African American female adolescent who used the production of multimodal Hip Hop texts to express her creativity and growing socially conscious view of the world. The study demonstrates how students made meaning multimodally and…

Today's students were born into a world of digital technology. We investigated the impact of computers and the Internet on the learning preferences of students whose schools do not use this technology in class, specifically, (a) the usability they attributed to the technology for tasks requiring the processing of information; and (b) their…

This article discusses how Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, a Lexington, KY, middle school is successfully preparing students for the technological world of the 21st Century. The mission statement for this three-year-old school includes these carefully crafted words: "...to engage all students in a safe and nurturing environment."…

More districts are turning to one-to-one computing, which puts a laptop in the hands of every student. This ambitious undertaking can bring challenges when it comes to training teachers how to use the technology--and how to teach students to use it. In 2005, Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Oregon, provided Apple laptops for 300 middle…

In recent years researchers in educational technology have begun to look closely at the complexity of integrating technology in K-12 classrooms. The development of the notion of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) provides a useful theoretical framework to explore the requisite forms of teacher knowledge required to effectively…

During a six-month naturalistic study, the author conducted an ethnographic examination of a seventh grade hypermedia unit. Beginning with the global question, "In what ways are computers used to support the education of middle school students?" the researcher coded and analyzed observations, interviews and projects. Three themes emerged: the…

Better understanding the attitude and behaviors of students using the Internet for school work can provide valuable insight for today's school librarian. The Pew Internet & American Life Project conducted a qualitative study of Internet-using public middle and high school students drawn from across the country ranging from 12 to 17 years of age.…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Confronting the Autism Epidemic: New Expectations for Children with Autism Means a New Role for Public Schools (Kate McKenna); (2) Internet Research 101:…

The Computer/Technology Skills Standard Course of Study describes the progressive development of knowledge and skills in six strands: Societal and Ethical Issues, Database, Spreadsheet Keyboard Utilization/Word Processing/Desktop Publishing, Multimedia/Presentation, and Telecommunications/Internet. In the primary grades, the objectives focus on…

Growing consensus among policy makers and educators alike suggests that our education system must be transformed to address the needs of a global society as well as the needs of the 21st century student. Often overlooked as a resource, students can contribute a valuable perspective on education. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to learn…

This paper describes a project that provided television set-top Internet access devices to Latino families as part of a project to link the school and home in an inquiry-based science curriculum. The early phases of adoption of the Internet and the "NetTV" devices by families are described, with special attention to the different ways…