Examines the central historical and contemporary role of blocks and construction toys in early childhood education. Describes how commercially produced blocks were conceptualized as a surface for displaying symbols, as pure form, or as a way to transmit a cultural heritage of architectural styles. Discusses how blocks were used in early…

Describes the two very different support and training models employed by the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary in successfully confronting information technology challenges. (EV)

Presents a pedagogical framework for use of digital resources in early childhood settings. The framework includes a rationale and a description of key elements of effective practice, including high-quality resources, effective learning environments, and appropriate teacher interactions. Details a study on the use of digital resources in early…

Highlights and provides information about the grant awarded to Bismarck State College, Bismarck, North Dakota by the National Science Foundation (NSF). (ASK)

The recent "Urofsky v. Gilmore" decision considerably narrows the scope of academic freedom by rejecting arguments that faculty members in public colleges and universities have a constitutional right to academic freedom. In "Urofsky" the court ruled that professors do not have a constitutional right to view sexually explicit material on computers…

Explores leadership issues regarding information technology in higher education. Discusses the rapid pace of change in technology implementation and the need for higher education leaders to recognize their institution's context of complex collaborations. (EV)

Hubert Dreyfus' "On the Internet" provides a powerful commentary on the way that the Internet has come to influence people's lives today, and a trenchant attack on the more extreme claims that are made for its benefits for education. Dreyfus has succeeded in presenting an account that is clear, accessible and concise. The book is full of vivid…

The learning process for a user becomes seriously restrictive in trying to discover the relationships between concepts and in searching for a part of concept (called an object) such as a solved example illustrating the concept or the application of the concept. This article presents the theory for building a relational graph that depicts how…

Sedentary behaviors, like television viewing, are positively associated with overweight among young people. To monitor national health objectives for sedentary behaviors in young adolescents, this project developed and assessed the reliability and validity of a brief questionnaire to measure weekly television viewing, usual television viewing, and…

Excitement about handhelds must be tempered by an understanding of what is typically required when any new technology is introduced into classrooms. We know, for example, that to succeed, handheld initiatives will need clear educational objectives and a logical theory of action that guides implementation. We can anticipate that teachers will need…

In this article, the authors cite four reasons why parents and schools should reconsider the use of Internet filters. First, and most simply, filters don't work as advertised. One of the most controversial and contentious issues surrounding the use of new information and communication technologies, especially in schools and libraries, is whether…

The use of instructional technology has evolved over the last two decades, initially, instructional technology had two uses: learning about computers and using computers to increase basic skills. Learning about computers morphed into computer literacy, which is typically defined as the history, terminology and background of computing, using…

Notions of competency have dominated the computer education literature, and have underpinned Competency-Based Training (CBT) in information technology at all levels of education and training. The emergence of counter-narratives underpinned by the capability movement, have as yet had minimal impact on practice in computer education. New discourses…

The credibility of an instructional simulation is the most important issue in distance education, where it may replace hands-on activities. This credibility is based in large part upon verisimilitude, a perception strongly influenced by the simulation's realism. This paper presents a case study encompassing the design process of a simulation-based…

This paper seeks to show how policy, management and information and communications technology (ICT) were constructed for schools in England between 2000 and 2003 and to discuss some effects of these constructions on teaching and learning in the institutions involved in the InterActive Education Project. It argues that their contribution…