There was a time when the chalkboard was revolutionary. Before it came along, teachers would walk from student to student, drawing problems on individual slates. Now interactive whiteboards promise to reinvent instruction again. Many teachers are now discovering the benefits of using whiteboards. This article presents several strategies on how…

This article features the latest classroom technologies namely the FLY Pentop, WriteToLearn, and a new iris scan identification system. The FLY Pentop is a computerized pen from Leapster that "magically" understands what kids write and draw on special FLY paper. WriteToLearn is an automatic grading software from Pearson Knowledge Technologies and…

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates believes the most exciting aspect of today's new technology is its potential in education, calling students born during the past decade the Internet generation. They will feel the full impact of the Internet, with no memories of life without it. He stresses educators', parents', and communities' responsibility to…

Listening to podcasts or watching videocasts in the classroom couldn't be easier--or cheaper. But if one has a computer and an Internet connection, he or she already has all the equipment he or she needs. This article lists ten podcasts for teachers and students.

Introduces a section that focuses on educational technology, including classroom-friendly hardware, software, and peripherals that can help support teaching and enhance student learning. This section also offers information from teachers about technology products that they find indispensable. (SM)

Presents a selection of computers and peripherals designed to enhance the classroom. They include personal digital assistants (the AlphaSmart 30001R, CalcuScribe Duo, and DreamWriter IT); new Apple products (the iBook laptop, improved iMac, and OS 9 operating system); PC options (new Gateway and Compaq computers); and gadgets (imagiLab, the QX3…

The Internet's multimedia environment requires students to work as designers and artists. In this multimedia world, art is a basic literacy, and students need education in art literacy. This paper recommends that schools: rename and demystify art; hire more art teachers; increase fourth-literacy requirements in teacher education; and schedule one…

Presents a protocol to teach students research skills in the technology/information age developed by one Westchester County, New York, school district. The district determined that research skills must be modeled and taught, and research skills must be taught developmentally, beginning in the elementary grades. The paper breaks the district's…

Presents tips to help K-2 teachers get their students using technology, including: establish routines, pair students at the computer, make transitions to tie computer lab learning with classroom learning, time tasks, use peer-to-peer support, and use technology meaningfully in the classroom. Sidebars present hints for selecting computer resources…

Presents electronic activities and strategies from teachers for teachers, including creating field-trip slide shows via a digital camera, going online to find resources for teaching units on the ocean, and using an online video library to find videos to support specific curricula. (SM)

Presents elementary level, standards-based, technology-supported learning activities for the classroom, including: creating a virtual reality bulletin board that lets students become familiar with their computers; developing a weekly newsletter on the computer; and generating personalized greeting cards using SuperPrint 2.0. (SM)

Two resources to help students conduct research are the new CD-ROM versions of the Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2000 (for strong readers, grades 5-8) and the Year 2000 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (for strong readers, grades 3 and up). By supplementing traditional text-based information with specialized features (e.g., virtual tours and video…

Describes standards-based social studies activities for elementary school students that uses computer technology to support curriculum. The first has students use HyperStudio to create postcards when they study regions of the United States. The second has students participate in ongoing correspondence with e-mail pals from around their state. (SM)

Describes how one fourth-grade teacher developed a Web site to build online research skills. The Day I Was Born helps students find interesting details about what was occurring in the world on their birth day. Suitable for grades 4 and up, it provides links to such sources as the New York Times Learning Network and History Channel On-Line. (SM)

Presents suggestions for content-rich classroom encyclopedias on CO-ROM and DVD, including: the Encarta Reference Suite 2001; the 2001 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, School Edition; the Britannica 2001 DVD; and the World Book 2001 Deluxe Edition, v5.0. (SM)