Sixth grade language arts teacher Ms. Jones has just finished teaching a unit she's taught for the past 10 years. She uses the works of O. Henry to teach literary elements. Not much has changed about this unit over the years; the learning objectives and concepts covered have stayed the same. But something is different this year. Students are…

An urgent need exists in teacher education programs to discern how technology-enhanced instruction with a constructivist orientation can be utilized in the design of dynamic, powerful learning communities. This article provides a conceptual framework that augments understanding of the effectiveness of technology infusion in teacher education. The…

In this research study conducted at one research university in the southeast, faculty members identified as early adopters of instructional technology were surveyed in order to examine their perceptions about the costs and benefits of using technology in teaching and learning. Standard quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect and…

A theme for this year's Techtalk is keeping up with technology, emphasizing both professional development and new technology. This first column will look at the how and why of professional development. A second column will highlight wireless technology. The National Association for Developmental Education's Executive Board (NADE, 2001) resolved…

Founded in 2000, the Localization Generalist Certificate Program at Austin Community College (ACC) was the recipient of the 2004 ClientSide Excellence Award in the category of Localization Educational Services. It is the only community college program of its kind and one of only a handful of programs worldwide. What is localization and why is it…

The use of images is becoming more pervasive in modern culture, and schools must adapt their curricula and instructional practices accordingly. Visual literacy is becoming more important from a curricular standpoint as society relies to a greater degree on images and visual communication strategies. Thus, in order for students to be marketable in…

Clearly, writing works differently online. How it is produced, how it is distributed, how it is accessed, how it is read--all of these processes are changed when writing becomes virtual. However, the processes we use to write at "the print interface" and the ways we read print documents are not obsolete by any means--but they certainly…

Guided by a situated learning framework, this research examines the nature of teachers' technology learning when participating in a content-focused technology inquiry group, the ways teachers integrate what they learn into content-specific student learning activities, and how situated features of the learning context influence teacher learning.…

The question of what makes for effective teacher professional development in ICT is an enduring one. In a recent study in Queensland (Australia), we visited 19 rural and regional schools and interviewed teachers, administrators and ICT coordinators to find that a school-based practicum was effective in impacting the practice and beliefs of…

Traditionally nuclear chemistry appears in the last few chapters of chemistry textbooks and is not normally considered a mainstream topic. In addition, some science teachers lack the training or equipment to teach nuclear chemistry. Yet nuclear chemistry is a very important topic that should be taught in all chemistry classrooms. Learning about…

Inquiry-based teaching and learning and technology integration are integral parts of the National Science Education Standards ad AAAA Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy. It is found that there are very few chemistry WBIs in the public domain, and the WBIs found are with a limited scope and content coverage and so the need for extensive…

This article discusses the technology of instant messaging (IM), a relatively simple form of communication. It is also--by its very nature--a collaborative communications tool. This collaborative nature is what makes IM ideal for educational and learning environments. With IM playing such a large role in the communication, interactivity, and…

Teachers, like other professionals, must stay current with developments in the field and continue to increase their knowledge and skills to remain effective in the classroom. Professional development requires a commitment of time and resources. Schools and districts understand this obligation to support staff development and expect increased…

Over the last decade, individuals have witnessed an increasing proliferation of online learning as the hallmark of learning with technologies. Papers and books have been written stipulating how online or e-learning can transform the educational process and now, even the organizational workplace. Such prospects are recognized and institutions and…

The author of this article, a card-carrying member of the American Library Association (ALA), discusses her views on how difficult it is for some leaders to accept that this is the 21st century. She feels that people do not need to choose between blogs and printed text, because people can read both. She also feels that library shelves have room…