The first issue of "TAP into Learning" examined constructivism and some ways technology might be employed to support learning environments based on constructivist theory. This issue examines one of these principles and some classroom activities based on practices consistent with this principle. Highlights include: "On the Road to Student-Centered…

This paper examines some of the theoretical changes that have led the field of instructional and educational technology into a time of critical transactions. It begins by outlining some of the standard notions and assumptions within the field of instructional technology, and goes on to examine how they may be changing as a result of influences of…

This study investigated Australian preservice teachers' use of computers during teaching practice. Participants were 46 graduates entering a preservice elementary teacher education course at an Australian university in 1999. Data were collected using the Personal Computer Efficacy Questionnaire at the beginning of the course. The School Computer…

This paper concerns itself indirectly with the, as yet, unfounded fear held by many instructors: that relative to their students, they are computer illiterate. To the contrary, faculty teaching information technology designated classes in the Department of Health Sciences at East Tennessee State University have found that they are pacing…

The conference paper topics include: business and information technology (IT) education; knowledge management; teaching software applications; development of multimedia teaching materials; technology job skills in demand; IT management for executives; self-directed teams in information systems courses; a team building exercise to software…

This paper presents statistics from ongoing research on a unique learning environment developed at the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Education (MU-CoE). MU-CoE has developed a new approach to space devoted to learning, not teaching. This new concept of progressive learning and performance support integrates interactive networked…

A good news scenario about the future of education in the United States includes many things that are already being done and other things that can be dreamed of. One example is the "Awesome All-Stars Academy," a dream of a group of dedicated politicians, administrators, teachers, parents, community members, and students who took seriously their…

This guide provides information on how to provide equitable technology education. The first section, "Identifying Inequities in Technology," presents inequities in access, in type of use and in the curriculum. The second section, "Finding Solutions," describes a planning process to help educators tap the commitment to equity of…

A study examined the incorporation of computer games into English classrooms, seeking to explore computer games as text, players' engagement with them, literacies needed, and the interchangeability of traditional and newer technology. Subjects were students enrolled in a coeducational private middle school or a state secondary school, and used two…

This essay derives from roundtable discussions of teams from seven research universities involved in a Knight Collaborative Engagement on Academic Indicators and Information Systems to Guide Resource Decisions. While colleges and universities are built on the premise that good data, well tested by an often adversarial process of discovery and…

This paper reports on a computer initiative implemented by a metropolitan school district in Virginia. The initiative began in 1995 when the school district of 44,000 students funded 5 computers and a color printer for each elementary classroom in 34 schools. The goals of the initiative focused on: increasing student performance; addressing…

This collection of papers focuses on community building within teacher education programs in Canada, Israel, Australia, and the United States, suggesting that teacher educators must go beyond localized experiences and reach out to each other in a global discussion. There are 12 chapters in 4 parts. Part 1, "Opening the Conversation,"…

This newsletter issue contains the following article and features: "Developing a Dual-Language Program" (Lynn Davey); Principal's Perspective: "Battling for Bilingualism" (Maurice P. Downey, Jr.); and Web Resources. Davey's article describes how the principal of a Phoenix elementary school managed the transformation of a traditional bilingual…

The Service-Learning Center (SLC) at Virginia Tech has developed a home page that has been cited in national publications and serves as a virtual center for linking more than 1,000 students across the university with the information and resources they need to fulfill course-based service-learning components. The home page was developed with the…

This document presents the Texas STaR (School Technology and Readiness) Chart, designed to help school districts determine their progress toward meeting the goals of the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology. The chart provides indicators for four levels of progress (i.e., early, developing, advanced, or target technology) in the following focus…