The isolation that has historically plagued the teaching profession has particularly harmful effects on novice teachers who need the guidance, wisdom, and encouragement of other educators. In recent years, however, social media tools have helped many teachers connect with colleagues and build robust professional learning networks (PLNs) beyond…

This article provides an overview of the most significant emerging trends and tendencies in telecollaborative practice. In order to achieve this, I review the recent literature in the area and I identify recurring themes from the Telecollaboration in Higher Education conference which took place in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland from 21 to 23…

In spring 2020, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the shift to hybrid and remote learning for most schools turned what was once a "homework gap" into a "learning opportunity gap" as devices and internet access became necessary in order to keep students connected and learning. The purpose of this brief is to…

In applying a reverse mentoring approach, the project "re-ment" aims at raising the interest of female students for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professions and at contributing to the deconstruction of gender stereotypes in this field. This approach offers a completely new and innovative perspective in the field of…

Education in the United States is entering a very exciting moment. For the first time, all of the digital stars are aligning n such a way that the technology is available to design truly transformational learning experiences. The ubiquity of inexpensive and powerful mobile devices is creating the potential for all students to learn at any time and…

This white paper proposes bringing the federal government, state governments, and the private sector together as part of a new approach to making high-speed Internet services available across the country. It proposes the creation of a new federal Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) that, together with matching funds from the states and the private…

This article describes how centralized presentation control systems enable IT support staff to monitor equipment and assist end users more efficiently. At Temple University, 70 percent of the classrooms are equipped with an AMX touch panel, linked via a Netlink controller to an in-classroom computer, projector, DVD/VCR player, and speakers. The…

Describes the Science Learning Network, an alliance of six science centers, six K-8 schools, and an industry partner. Investigates how the resources, communication capabilities, and collaboration opportunities provided by networked technologies can support and encourage teachers as they strive to strengthen the way they teach science and math.…

Pioneering Partners for Educational Technology was created to enhance learning in K-12 classrooms by accelerating the use of educational technology. This document outlines the projects of the 1993 winning teams. The Illinois programs are: "A Travel Log Via Computer"; "Weatherization Audit Training for Teachers and Students";…

The Tel-Ed '93 conference, "Global Connections," was intended to enable educators, administrators, researchers, and industry representatives to learn of the many new and innovative applications, important research studies, best practices, and national and international policy issues in educational telecommunications. The goal was to…

Electronic technology and high-speed communications are no longer simply aids to collaborative working. In this information era, information that is speedy, accurate and in a form that enables people to make decisions and work productively together across geographical distances is the key to cost-effective efficient collaboration. This paper looks…

This special report is a collection of seven essays exploring issues in professional development and teacher improvement: (1) "The Missing Link" (Ann Bradley) looks at the elements of effective staff development and new attention focused on teachers' on-the-job training; (2) "Union Dues" (Jeanne Ponessa) examines the role of…

The National Coordinating Committee for Technology in Education and Training (NCC-TET) has developed these requirements to ensure that the National Information Infrastructure (NII) provides expanded opportunities for education and training. A number of national organizations have contributed to these requirements, which are intended to be used in…

This article reports on the deployment of a high-bandwidth wireless network for content distribution to two schools. The project, titled Digital Middletown, builds upon the sociological Middletown studies from the 1920s (Lynd & Lynd, 1929) to understand how "Middle America" reacts to and addresses societal change. We report on the…

Mindsurf Networks--a partnership involving a suburban Baltimore high school, Sylvan Ventures, and Aether Systems--provides a cutting-edge, reasonably priced, networked mobile computing platform for learning. Handheld computers help students solve problems and beam information to teachers and each other. Partnership initiation strategies for…