Developed to aid intermediate-level teachers and principals in initiating and developing computer literacy programs for their students, this document is a guide for the development of a one-semester course--Introduction to Computing--for the seventh and eighth grades. The course is designed to provide opportunities for students to develop computer…

Employee privacy rights are considered, along with practical problems and permissible parameters of employer activity. Included is a state-by-state analysis of the status of workplace privacy. Definitions are offered of "invasion of privacy," with attention to four types of privacy invasions: (1) placing someone in a "false light," (2) the public…

Computer technology has made it possible for employers to collect and analyze management information about employees' work performance and equipment use. There are three main tools for supervising office activities. Computer-based (electronic) monitoring systems automatically record statistics about the work of employees using computer or…

Cites court cases where school boards presented evidence that a teacher's lifestyle or conduct provided grounds for dismissal. (HOD)

This paper reviews 10 years of debate in Europe on commercial rights of access to government information, starting with the United Kingdom's innovative Government Tradable Information Guidelines of 1996 and ending with the European Commission's Draft Green Paper on Rights of Access in 1996. United States market development and commercial rights of…

The Communication Theory and Methodology section of the Proceedings contains the following 17 papers: "Extra! Extra! Read All About It: Attention and Memory for Deviant and Imagistic Headlines" (Jennifer Borse and others); "Refining a Uses and Gratification Scale for Television Viewing" (Jennifer Greer, Cyndi Frisby, and David…

Because of mounting budget pressures, a new business model is emerging that offers schools "free" technology supported by online advertising programs and the gathering of market data about students. Proponents argue these corporate associations benefit schools with dwindling resources. Opponents argue they are contrary to obligations to…

The Communication Technology and Policy Division of the proceedings contains the following 15 papers: "Both Sides of the Digital Divide in Appalachia: Uses and Perceived Benefits of Internet Access" (Daniel Riffe); "Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms: Preparing the Next Generation of Journalists for Converged Media" (Edgar…

This manual provides information to assist schools and school systems to implement changes required by Education Ministers to enrolment forms (and associated data collection and storage processes). This is to enable nationally comparable reporting of students' outcomes against the "National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First…

Evaluates the use of computer-mediated communication in a sociology course at Henderson State University (Arkansas). Highlights include information literacy and liberal arts education; critical thinking; computer conferencing on campus networks; online teaching methods and evaluation; student characteristics; electronic mail; privacy and freedom…

Presents guidelines developed by the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) for statistical measures of the use of Web-based indexed, abstracted, and full-text resources. Privacy, user confidentiality, comparative statistics, and access and delivery mechanisms are discussed. (LRW)

Counselors who work with children regularly face the ethical dilemma of confidentiality for which there are few definitive answers. Confidentiality and Minors Questionnaire about managing student's confidential information was distributed to district guidance supervisors. It appears that counselors' judgment of what breaches confidentiality is…

School administrators are challenged to maintain the delicate balance between protecting individuals' rights and ensuring the general welfare by maintaining a safe, secure learning environment. Legal principles and precedents governing restrictions on student appearance, privacy and procedural rights, harassment and hate crimes, and suicide are…

In "Acton," the Supreme Court upheld a local school board policy calling for the random, suspicionless drug testing of interscholastic student athletes. The Supreme Court reasoned that student athletes have a low expectation of privacy; the scope of the search was relatively unobtrusive; and the program served an important government…

The recent decision of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in "Miller," based on the school district's interest in preventing possible abuse, gave legal support for random, suspiciousless drug testing of students. Contends this is a "slippery slope" argument, that the key factor in deciding whether to adopt a policy of random drug testing should…