In this interdisciplinary curriculum unit for kindergarten, students gain an appreciation for the challenges facing the United States when the Declaration of Independence was written. Students work in groups to create their own pretend declaration of independence and develop a flag, national anthem, monuments, and plans for holidays. The student…

This issue deals with the Supreme Court's recent decision in "Mitchell v. Helms" that is viewed by many as additional legal fire power for voucher proponents in the battle over the constitutionality of such programs. The discussion attempts to sort out how the High Court's decision may affect the future of voucher programs. Specifically, the Court…

A positive relationship has been found between access to telecommunications capabilities and improved economic development. However, the deployment of systems that deliver toll-free Internet access favors urban regions. This research examines Internet service providers' (ISP) operations in rural portions of Texas, Iowa, Louisiana, and West…

This report outlines the most pressing challenges facing California K-12 educators as they seek to prepare students for work and citizenship in the 21st century. The report also explores public expectations about technology and education, and it touches on some of the ways in which the education community itself is attempting to harness new…

The goals of the Fourth Annual Aspen Institute Roundtable on International Telecommunications were: to address procedural and substantive solutions for international coordination of Internet policy issues; to suggest different models for dispute resolution and policy coordination that might be employed in the various contexts of Internet usage;…

This study examined the demographic characteristics of Internet users compared with those of the general U.S. population, the characteristics of areas where broadband Internet transport is available and of consumers who selected a broadband transport provider, and the factors influencing consumers' choice of an ISP (Internet service provider) and…

The purpose of this guidebook is to assist education agencies and organizations--which include state education agencies or state departments of education, school districts, and schools--in the development, maintenance, and standardization of effective Web sites. Also included is a detailed examination of the procedures necessary to provide…

Because of its interactive and multimedia nature, the Internet has been highly touted as an increasingly important aspect of elementary and secondary education. Research on Internet use, however, indicates that few teachers are actually integrating this medium into their lesson plans in a meaningful way. The paper discusses how the National…

Teacher Web sites offer a means of establishing better communication between parent and teacher. We describe an example of a strategy we have found to be successful for a high school chemistry teacher. The Web site was available to parents and students using a dynamic database and provided a day-by-day lesson schedule, homework assignments, due…

This Critical Issue Bibliography (CRIB) Sheet is divided into sections designed to identify current trends and the changing roles in academic librarianship today. Items listed under State of Affairs identify trends throughout institutions, targeting specific situations from which both administrators and librarians can gain a new perspective about…

The Education Network of Ontario (ENO) is a telecommunications corporation creating an access and applications network for and by Ontario's 130,000-member education community. When educators register with ENO, they receive full industry-standard Internet and Intranet services in English and French. ENO/REO works from school or home. Statistics…

School counselors have a whole network of information available to them in their work with students and parents. This paper lists information in seven areas concerning technology and school counselors that can be applied in their work. The areas include definition of terms, peer assistants, software programs, the Internet, popular tools for…

This paper examines copyright issues vital to education. It explores copyright in terms of both statutory and case law, and in particular in relation to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which is a complex set of rules and regulations that affects anyone involved in copyright. Among the new issues are the impact of technology and the…

This publication presents a collection of papers on technology in urban schools, focusing on efforts by the Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Milwaukee school systems. Interviews with teachers, technology directors, principals, and others about their experiences using technology provide the information for these papers. The papers are:…

A combination of traditional reading, media, and Internet information sources is necessary in today's educational sphere to bridge cultural differences, engage students' realms of experience, and promote academic and cultural literacy. A key issue for educators today is to utilize and extend the vehicles students are currently using in order to…