The library, as we once knew it, may no longer be relevant. And, yet, this is undoubtedly the most exciting time in history to be a librarian. The future of the school library as a relevant and viable institution is largely dependent on librarians and how quickly they respond to change. They worry about their field and their practice. They worry…

Describes the Guilford County School (North Carolina) system's use of computer networks and the Internet in K-12 education. Distance learning was the first component of their program, enabling the school system to equitably provide opportunities for high school students. Other efforts involve building a wide area network with access to the…

Since the early 1980s, the drive for educational equity has fueled school high-tech purchases. A common theme emerges: schools need money to buy up-to-date equipment and software and to pay for teacher training and technical support. Careful planning can ensure that educational technology is implemented in high-payoff areas, such as serving…

This document consists of 10 issues (one year) of a newsletter intended for K-12 networking teachers. It provides a forum for the exchange of resources, applications to education, significant events, and major international, regional, and state programs and policies relevant to K-12 networking. Cover articles include: "To Liberate a Learner,…

In many school districts throughout the country, the unplanned and inequitable distribution of computers has tended to widen the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged, male and female, and majority and minority students. One of the missions of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is the task of achieving equality of educational…

Examines the distribution of student Internet use across 152 schools in the National School Network, schools that were among the first to provide direct Internet access for networked computers. Discusses socioeconomic status differences, student ability, teacher differences, school population ethnicity, the Internet as innovation, and a vision for…

Addresses the following obstacles faced by faculty and students in the use of World Wide Web-based support and instruction: multiple skill levels of students performing Web research; credibility of Web information; reliability of campus computer-network systems; inequality of access to student computing resources; and lack of understanding of…

The first of two articles in this issue of Policy Briefs focuses on the potential of modern technology to transform education in terms of what is taught, how it is taught, and how the educational enterprise is managed. Judson Hixson and Debra Beauprez center their discussion around five categories of issues that have emerged from this increased…

Investigates cultural issues that the Internet has introduced into classrooms, with illustrations of good practice to stimulate critical discussions among educators on ethical and cultural aspects of Internet use, including equality of access and participation for all people, and mutual respect for, and promotion of, underrepresented languages and…

Analyzes telecommunications data in public schools in the framework of individual rights to equal educational opportunities, drawing from the Equality of Educational Opportunity (EEO) report (Coleman, 1966). Examines data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (1996) to determine if there were significant differences in access…

This paper examines the impact of networked technologies on educational reform in the context of linking home and school within this context of political and social struggle. The theoretical framework is presented first, grounding the study in an understanding of the curriculum as an educational process that is currently subject to challenge as a…

With strong backing from the federal government, states and school districts are in the midst of a major push to put technology in the hands of America's teachers and students. Their efforts seek to equip schools and classrooms with computers, educational software, school-based computer networks, and links to both statewide and global information…

Technology is a powerful and important support tool for restructuring the school's teaching and learning environment. This document examines the rate of historical acquisition, level of access, and degree of use of technology within New York State public schools. The number of microcomputers in the schools has more than doubled in the past 8…

This report depicts the status of telecommunications network development and usage by K-12 educational institutions in April and May of 1996, as described by the heads of educational technology initiatives in each of the 50 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. These data are reproduced in this report as 51 "State Profiles."…

This collection provides an overview of literature entered into the ERIC database in 1990 on computer applications in elementary and secondary education, adult education, and special education. The first of four sections contains a list of overview documents on computer assisted instruction. Focusing on special applications, the second section…