Authorized by the California Department of Education, this report provides an analysis of research-based guidelines for the educational applications of technology and information resources and the communication and learning opportunities made possible by telecommunications. The report specifically addresses current state-of-the art technologies…

Leading professionals in the field discuss instructional design and systems, computer applications in education and training, research and evaluation in instructional technology, future prospects for instructional technology, and professional development. The book contains six parts. A brief outline of instructional development and educational…

This newsletter includes five articles on early childhood education and young children, with particular reference to poor and minority children. "Scientific Literacy Is Child's Play" (Hilaria Bauer) discusses the natural development of scientific literacy in young children through their construction of knowledge and play. "Children of America,…

This theme issue includes five articles that focus on implementing instructional technology in ways that benefit all students, including limited-English-proficient, minority, economically disadvantaged, and at-risk students. "Cruising the Web with English Language Learners" (Laura Chris Green) presents three scenarios using the World…

Research on the motivational aspects of multimedia games may provide ways to design more engaging user information systems which increase users' exploratory and information-seeking behaviors. Two small-scale exploratory studies examined the effects of introducing information on the intrinsic motivation of users of a CD-ROM game. Results of the…

Adopting and adapting electronic networks for classroom instruction requires refining and redeveloping. Teachers must discern which potential element or elements (for example, classroom projects, databases, or e-mail) operates best in their classrooms, for their students, and with their teaching styles. Teachers develop individual processes of…

A survey of elementary, middle/junior high, and high school principals in central Appalachia examined their use of e-mail and factors influencing that use. The survey was sent to a stratified random sample of 620 principals in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia; 375 usable responses were received. Respondents provided data on…

To explore and document the status of computer use in Arkansas, a survey was sent to each of the 310 school superintendents in the state, and 221 surveys were returned. Results indicated that only a minority of the schools had a computer in every room; these tended to be placed in lower grade classrooms. Excepting kindergarten, the majority of…

A traditional dichotomy has always existed between the quantitative origins of computers and the subjective and expressive nature of art. Computer technology, however, has become simultaneously more sophisticated in its application and more simplified in its use. Computers can now serve as viable and productive components of an art education…

This paper describes a year-long project in a fifth grade classroom to investigate the recurring flooding of the Pecatonica River (Illinois) and its effects on plant and animal life. The project was funded by a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to involve elementary school classrooms with a consortium of museums in the…

From first-grade lessons promoting the products of Fortune 500 companies to education reform designed to suit the interests of big business, corporations are being granted more and more power to determine what happens in our schools. This book explores the implications of this trend, examining everything from advertising aimed at children to…

At-risk students' failure within the system and the failure of the system to stimulate and interest them leads to a cycle of disengagement: since they lack competence, these students avoid reading. The term "at-risk" is ambiguous because of the evolution of its meaning and the different loci of blame for how people "become at…

This paper traces an educator's experiences with computers over a span of 20 years, and describes the computerization of and concomitant obstacles faced by the Humanities department at the American University in Cairo, Egypt (AUC). The computerization of AUC began in the 1980s, with workstations mainly in the science, math, engineering, and…

The Probability Inquiry Environment (PIE) is being designed as a computer-mediated collaborative inquiry environment to aid middle school students in learning elementary probability. This paper reports on a study in which seventh grade students engaged in probabilistic reasoning while interacting with a preliminary version of PIE. By analyzing the…

This plan for the Community College of San Francisco (CCSF) documents the steps necessary to foster the appropriate use of current and emerging information technologies to systematically integrate educational technology into the curriculum and into student services. Following an executive summary, Part One introduces the plan, including a mission…