Lock-in amplifiers (LIAs) are commonly used in chemistry laboratories to improve noise-to-signal ratios. Constructing and testing a suitably designed LIA provide undergraduate students with an excellent opportunity to learn about theory, construction, and applications of LIA. In particular, students can learn about time-dependent behavior and…

Electroscopes are sensitive instruments useful for investigations of static electricity. They are devices that are used for detecting whether an object is charged or uncharged. They also determine the type of charge. Their operation is based on the principle of like sign charge repulsion.

Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) are electronic speed controllers used mainly to modulate and reduce the overall speed and power consumption of an electrical motor. They can be used as soft starters for equipment that has a large rotational mass, thus reducing belt ware and large electrical peaks when starting large pieces of equipment. VFDs have…

Using music technology is a daily reality for music educators. The task may be as simple as readying a CD player for use in an elementary classroom or as complex as setting up a complete sound system--including microphones, mixer, amplifier, and speakers--for a live music production. One piece of music technology music educators constantly…

Fitness programs can be greatly enhanced with the addition of fitness balls. They are a fun, challenging, economical, and safe way to incorporate a cardiovascular, strength, and stretching program for all fitness levels in a physical education setting. The use of these balls has become more popular during the last decade, and their benefits and…

Two of the most time-consuming jobs in the library are taking inventory and keeping track of in-house uses of library material. Librarians have long been searching for more efficient solution for these two activities. New technology can be the answer to creating efficiency for libraries. In fact, if one is a SirsiDynix library, there is an easy…

The history, scope, and evolving definitions of assistive technology reutilization activities, from both grassroots and legislative perspective, are discussed. A national classification system of AT reuse activities and data gathered from several national surveys of AT reutilization programs using this classification approach are presented. The…

Though the term, "probeware" may not be a household word, it has grown more familiar to science educators over the past decade, as a new generation of high-tech instruments for collecting and analyzing data from the physical world have been introduced into school science labs. Today, those tools include digital scientific probes or sensors that…

Describes new mailing equipment accessible to relatively casual users which allows college and university administrators to spread postal services across campus, reducing the burdens carried by main campus post offices. (EV)

Describes a program enabling elementary school students to take one of a school's two Apple IIe computers home for the weekend. (PGD)

Faculty members at Rhode Island college can check out microcomputer equipment on a first come, first served basis for a 24-hour or a weekend "get acquainted" session. (MLF)

In this article we describe two simple experiments using an ion accelerator as an aid to the teaching of electromagnetism to high-school students. This is part of a programme developed by a Brazilian State funding agency (FAPERJ) which aims to help scientifically minded students take their first steps in research.

At San Diego State University, special card access terminals, attached to 32 copiers in 18 campus buildings, report each transaction to a central processor. This system controls access, bills the users by department, and provides comprehensive information on the copiers. (Author/MLF)

Discusses peer supervision of teachers and the integration of videotape recording into teacher supervision. Suggests ways videotape recordings can complement efforts to effect changes and offers advice on successful taping. (WD)

The 14 staff members of the University of Vermont's Academic Computing Center are responsible for operating computers used by more than 3,000 undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members. This article describes the equipment presently in use and the plans for a future computer network. (Author/MLF)