The author introduced a three-phase training model into a yearlong inservice technology training program, field testing the model with a group of elementary school teachers. Strategies, tips and insights are shared regarding each phase of the following phases: "Familiarization: Getting Acquainted with the Computer Environment"; "Utilization: Using…

Focuses on the collaborative partnership between Northern Illinois University (NIU) and the Dukane Corporation to encourage teachers to integrate technology into their instruction. Discusses first contacts; mutual concerns and vision for integrating technology into Pre-K-12 schools; faculty training in the new multimedia rooms; and the shared…

Describes the innovations in general and distance education at Pennsylvania State University in an effort to bind the goals of general education, to those of distance learning. Asserts that one emerging role of general education is to create the skills needed for effective citizenship in a global, information-rich society. (VWC)

The need for lifelong learning is increasing as humanity transforms the planet into a global village. The growing number of people using the electronic infrastructure is creating new practices in which learning and work are intertwined. Professional educators must build the collective intelligence required for a knowledge-based society, and in…

Suggests that "digital differences" is a more appropriate view of the situation facing educators than the concept of the "digital divide." Introduces five principles providing direction for the design and development of technology-enhanced educational activities appropriate to the diversity of students-with-computer-access:…

Examines whether the Modern Red Schoolhouse, an expensive reform design, could be funded in high-, medium-, and low- spending school districts across Wisconsin. Most Wisconsin schools can afford MRS reform elements; less expensive strategies are also available. Findings may not apply to states with lower per-pupil fiscal investments. (Contains 26…

This article discusses the benefits and outcomes of using Internet-based instruction to improve the performance of students with disabilities by developing Internet-based lessons and assessments that target the growth of higher-order thinking skills required on many state assessments. Internet resources for educators are listed. (Contains…

This article describes the development of TEChPLACEs, a collaborative Web site developed by an inclusive kindergarten class and a university development team, to test the feasibility of incorporating communication technologies into the early childhood curriculum. Contents of the Web site and the benefits to students, teachers, and families are…

Focuses on the several levels of questions that need to be considered before planning and implementing a distance education program. Discusses systems procedures to be followed in developing pilot lessons (modules) prior to "rapid prototyping." Concludes by providing a generic research plan for ensuring the development of sustained quality…

Describes a website designed to allow students to publish their own accounts of school science investigations they have carried out. Makes suggestions for initiating computer-mediated student discussions of the nature of science based on information contained in the website. (WRM)

Presents an excerpt from "Network Science, A Decade Later: The Internet and Classroom Learning", a publication based on four years of research that examines the role of technology in fostering inquiry-based approaches to learning. (Author/NB)

Provides background on ThinkQuest, the world's largest Internet learning competition. Describes the experience of H.D. Perry Middle School in Miramar, Florida, where students designed a Web site about one of their hobbies--juggling. Includes the 1997 ThinkQuest Category of First-Place Winners. (AEF)

Discusses virtual online communities, probing claims about the Internet as a place for fostering democracy. The paper examines the democratic nature of computer conferencing in classrooms, focusing on a study of graduate students' online interactions. Results indicated that students were able to master the medium and act as responsible, equal…

Preservice programs often lack resources, time, and faculty expertise to instruct teachers in new technology. At Central Washington University in Ellensburg, faculty volunteers overcame these deficits by using the Internet to present technology in small doses. After just one year, Internet activities were incorporated into almost every preservice…

Describes the use of George P. Landow's hypertext, "The Dickens Web," in an advanced undergraduate literature class and analyzes its practical and theoretical implications. Debates some of Landow's claims about the ease with which learning from hypertext occurs and examines difficulties encountered in using hypertext in the classroom. (DSK)