Many libraries use RSS to syndicate information about their collections to users. A survey of 65 academic libraries revealed their most common use for RSS is to disseminate information about library holdings, such as lists of new acquisitions. Even though typical RSS feeds are ill suited to the task of carrying rich bibliographic metadata, great…

The purpose of this report is to describe a rationale and strategies for use of the National Communication Association's online magazine, "Communication Currents", in the undergraduate communication curriculum. "Communication Currents" features essays that translate current scholarship published in NCA journals, making the research "understandable…

Social networking tools have been getting quite a bit of press in libraryland for the past couple of years. It is considered to be one of the key aspects of a library joining what is referred to as the Library 2.0 movement. In this context, social networking is seen as a library service or library outreach mechanism that utilizes popular social…

In a South Dakota early childhood program, children and adults in the kindergarten classroom collaborated to build a "classroom zoo" in support of the children's pretend play. Creation of the zoo incorporated information about animals and zoos that the children and their families and teachers located in secondary sources such as…

Because of the limitless knowledge that is literally at your fingertips, the Internet can be an excellent tool for use with gifted students to differentiate curriculum within a general education setting and also in gifted education classes. However, like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how it is used. This article describes six pedagogical…

We examined whether students with access to a supplemental course Web site enhanced with e-mail, discussion boards, and chat room capability reacted to it more positively than students who used a Web site with the same content but no communication features. Students used the Web sites on a voluntary basis. At the end of the semester, students…

Cheating is not a new phenomenon, yet the ways that students cheat and their attitudes toward cheating have changed. The Internet age has brought tremendous opportunities for students and teachers in teaching and learning, and yet it has also brought challenges to academic integrity. This article discusses various reasons why young people cheat…

Walk-through classroom observations are an effective way for principals to learn about and shape instruction and culture in their schools. But many principals don't use walk-throughs to their potential because of the time it takes to store, process, analyze, and give feedback. To facilitate the use of this valuable observation tool, the Kentucky…

This paper examines the affordance of the Danish social networking site Mingler.dk for peer-to-peer learning and development. With inspiration from different theoretical frameworks, the authors argue how learning and development in such social online systems can be conceptualised and analysed. Theoretically the paper defines development in…

The purpose of this paper is to report on a usability study for ESL websites conducted to gain insights from learners of English as a second language (ESL) as they interacted with specific sites. Five carefully selected ESL sites were tested by 10 different users generating a total of fifty testing sessions. Two major research questions guided the…

Many graduate programmes in science now require courses in ethics. However, little is known about their reception or use. Using websites and interviews, this essay examines ethics requirements in the field of biosciences in three countries (the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Italy) between 2000 and 2005. Evidence suggests that…

When it comes to technologies like digital games, simulations, and social networking, teachers and students may find themselves at cross purposes. Often, students find that these technologies, so prevalent in their lives outside of school, are unwelcome in their classrooms. Many teachers can tell stories about the disruptive influence of video…

Technological advances have made it easy for parents and children--many of them students--to communicate instantaneously. Devices and technologies such as cell phones, laptops, texting, and e-mail all enable various forms of instant communication. "Helicopter parents" are regarded as very overprotective and overly involved in the affairs of their…

The development of educational applications has always been a challenging and complex issue, mainly because of the complications imposed by the cognitive and psychological aspects of student-computer interactions. This article presents a methodology, named We!Design, that tries to encounter the complexity of educational applications development…

There are plenty of reasons why teaching students to set up their own blogs should not be taught by school librarians. But the truth is, not all students have access to that out-of-school technology world. ELL students and kids from lower-income homes are unlikely to have the Internet at home. As much as school librarians promote and encourage…