The education literature is blossoming with work on perceptions of distance education, online teaching, hybrid courses, and the like. Although this literature is important for helping faculty to understand the costs and benefits for teaching in these newer formats, little attention has been paid to documenting potential differences between student…

For years, web-based learning systems have been widely employed in both educational and non-educational institutions. Although web-based learning systems are emerging as a useful tool for facilitating teaching and learning activities, the number of users is not increasing as fast as expected. This study develops an integrated model of instructor…

The author became involved in a project called "Making Objects Speak: Portable Audio Guides for Teaching with Visual Culture in the Humanities." Faculty members from different disciplines formulated the idea for the project, which aims to make museums more accessible to students at City University of New York's (CUNY's) John Jay College of…

In this paper we critically analyze extant approaches to technology integration in teaching, arguing that many current methods are technocentric, often omitting sufficient consideration of the dynamic and complex relationships among content, technology, pedagogy, and context. We recommend using the technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge…

In this article, the author discusses how she uses film and new media to "teach students to comprehend the complex historical, social, political, and cultural dimensions of the African American experience." The author uses D.W. Griffith's 1915 "Birth of a Nation," a number of "Blaxploitation" films, YouTube videos,…

From one-to-one learning initiatives to laptop carts, schools all over the country are using portable computing models to achieve flexible technology access. To maximize learning and engagement at a sustainable cost, selecting the appropriate computing device is of utmost importance to best meet the needs of teachers and students. After all, a…

This article presents an interview with Don Knezek, CEO of International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Knezek is a leader in coupling technology and creativity to transform education. His experience and impact span local to global levels--ranging from district-wide, classroom-based innovation and far-reaching, multi-state projects to…

As developing countries strive to strengthen their educational institutions to meet the challenges of the economic and social demands of globalization, tension often arises between providing more access to traditional public education and reforming the quality of the education provided. With its Revolucion Educativa, Colombia offers an interesting…

The online virtual world Second Life (www.secondlife.com) has multiple potential uses in teaching. In Second Life (SL), users create avatars that represent them in the virtual world. Within SL, avatars can interact with each other and with objects and environments. SL offers tremendous creative potential in that users can create content within the…

This article describes instructional practices with blogs in elementary classrooms. Schools need to prepare students for the new literacies required when reading on the Internet; blogging is an easy way to begin. A theoretical rationale for blogging with elementary students is provided. Learning from the examples of successful blogs by elementary…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the main barriers and possible enablers for integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Turkey's pre-service teacher education programs. The data were collected by means of questionnaires from 53 deans in schools of teacher education (STE), 111 teacher educators, and 1,330…

Among education professionals, it is easy to find enthusiasm for multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs), more commonly known as virtual worlds. It is just as easy to find those who perceive virtual worlds as a fad with little practical use. While it is true that virtual worlds are not appropriate to every educational setting, when used well MUVEs…

The E-rate regulations are complex, and the guidance and rules seem to change each year. There are many deadlines stakeholders need to know about and compliance issues that are important to understand. In this article, the author presents a few quick tips that should help with this process.

As shown by MetLife's 2010 "Survey of the American Teacher," America's educators strongly believe that all students should graduate from high school ready for college and a career (85 percent). Additionally, according to MetLife's 2009 survey, 86 percent of teachers believe that setting high expectations for students will improve student…

This report provides standard facts and figures about the Houston Independent School District's (HISD) finances, student populations, achievements, and more. HISD has humanized that data, as well, with vignettes and profiles that typify the remarkable programs and individuals in the district. One of the three drivers to achieve the vision of…