The HANDS (Helping Autism-diagnosed teenagers Navigate and Develop Socially) research project involves the creation of an e-learning toolset that can be used to develop individualized tools to support the social development of teenagers with an autism diagnosis. The e-learning toolset is based on ideas from persuasive technology. This paper…

Assistive technology items are frequently prescribed to assist children with physical disabilities to minimise the barriers they experience in undertaking schoolwork. A range of items are recommended from computers to access systems and specialised software. However, it is not known what the range of items that children with physical disabilities…

Many students with physical disabilities have difficulty with writing fluency due to motor limitations. One type of assistive technology that has been developed to improve writing speed and accuracy is word prediction software, although there is a paucity of research supporting its use for individuals with physical disabilities. This study used an…

Students at two different sites (a 12th-grade English class focused on workplace preparation and an alternative program for students who had been expelled from school) read graphic novels and, using ComicLife software, created their own graphic sequences called "autographics" based on their personal experiences. The authors explore how…

Technology may not be a magic wand, but innovative technology programming can genuinely help children become adept at navigating our increasingly wired world while also helping them develop deductive reasoning, math, and other vital literacy skills. One of the simplest and most powerful tools for technology-based public library programming is…

Policies and programs focused on using ePortfolios to support lifelong and lifewide learning should be informed by research. This article presents the results from research on eFolio Minnesota, a project that makes ePortfolio software available to all residents of the State of Minnesota in the United States. The most active portfolio authors of…

Study aim: Assessment of feasibility of using own computer software "Game" at competitions. Material and methods: The data were collected during Estonian championships in 2006 for male volleyball teams of the 13-15-years age group (n = 8). In all games, the performance of both teams was recorded in parallel with two computers. A total of…

Using a theoretical framework of adolescent social capital, this study examines what one middle school does or does not do to help the students at the school make friends and acquaintances. After reviewing the related literature on adolescent social capital, social network theory, social goal motivation, and best practices middle school…

In its second year, the Tech Savvy Girls Project adopted "Teen Second Life" as a platform for interest-driven learning and designed projects and objects around themes important to them and their futures as technology-using, creative people. By using the building tools in an open-ended virtual world, they were able to pursue interests common to…

This article provides an overview of KidTools, an electronic performance software system designed for elementary and middle school children to use independently on classroom or home computers. The software system contains 30 computerized research-based strategy tools that can be implemented in a classroom or home environment. Through the…

Two studies demonstrated the usefulness of single-subject research in providing a teacher with empirical support for using one method of instruction rather than another for a particular special-needs child. Drill-and-practice software helped older hearing impaired students learn to spell and define new words. (RH)

In this paper we examine how the figure of the teenager is positioned within the discourses and practices of commercial online media. In particular, we explore how the popular, Australia-based web portal "ninemsn" works discursively to shape the identities of young people. Ninemsn not only constructs and circulates selected…

This CD-ROM product is an interactive supplement to Shakespeare's text of "Romeo and Juliet." It contains an interactive cast of characters and the entire script of the play with an accessible audio performance. Other features include: "Dr. Wacko"--a feature that calls the student's attention to the more subtle nuances of the…

This paper describes how Alameda High School in California is using the Speaking Dynamically Pro v2.0 software by Mayer-Johnson to help 13 special education students (ages 14-18) communicate and make the world more accessible. The students have a range of disabilities and skill levels. This computer program enables the students to make choices,…

As the federal government provides funding to wire classrooms to the Internet, software companies market educational programs even for preschoolers, and school administrators cut funding in other areas to make room for new computers, it is time to examine the impact of computer use on children. Presented in three parts, this book examines the…