Engaging the digital natives isn't as daunting as one thinks. This article describes how three classrooms do it. One of these is in Brevard Public Schools in Viera, Florida. Pete Episcopo, the digital-media artist of the school, wanted to share his love of all things digital and teach essential 21st-century skills so students could be better…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the quality of jobs in call centres by focusing on the opportunities for promotion in this sector. More specifically, the research questions focus on discovering whether promotion is common practise in the call centre sector and on identifying the factors that affect this.…

Discussion of the telecommunications industry focuses on WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) as a solution for dealing with capacity constraints. Highlights include fiber optic technology; cross-connecting and switching wavelengths; SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) and wavelength networking; and optical TDM (Time Division Multiplexing). (LRW)

A positive relationship has been found between access to telecommunications capabilities and improved economic development. However, the deployment of systems that deliver toll-free Internet access favors urban regions. This research examines Internet service providers' (ISP) operations in rural portions of Texas, Iowa, Louisiana, and West…

Describes the nature and operations of Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN). Argues that while Western European nations have advanced centralized planning for the introduction of ISDN, the United States is proceeding slowly because of a lack of universal standards and the state of deregulatory policy. (MM)

Examines various approaches to establishing nationally available videotext systems, in which text and graphics are offered to a mass audience on television screens with keypad converters. Asserts that a successful approach creates a hybrid between the competitive approach found in the United States and a state-encouraged system. (MM)

This document provides the text of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, legislation enacted "to promote competition and reduce regulation in order to secure lower prices and higher quality services for American telecommunications consumers and encourage the rapid deployment of new telecommunications technologies." The legislation contains…

This address by the chairman of the House of Representatives Science Subcommittee focuses on approaches to improving access to national networks, including legislation that would allow telephone companies to offer cable service. A hearing on the establishment of the National Research and Education Network (NREN) is summarized, and guiding…

Describes six information technology projects in California libraries, including Internet access in public libraries; digital library developments at the University of California, Berkeley; the World Wide Web home page for the state library; Pacific Bell's role in statewide connectivity; state government initiatives; and services of the state…

This article describes two emerging technologies--Skype and podcasting. Both Skype and podcasting can be considered "disruptive technologies" in that they allow for new and different ways of doing familiar tasks, and in the process, may threaten traditional industries. Skype, the "people's telephone," is a free, Internet-based alternative to…

This paper reports the results of a survey of a number of high technology companies in Canada who were asked to provide information about their relationship with the educational system, the application of their products in education, and their views on the implications for education in general of the new technology in information and…