Discusses access to the Internet and participation in global communications. Highlights include telecommunications; personal experiences with information technology; information technology and communities; the need for scholarly publication and interaction; differences from older media; and future possibilities. (LRW)

The Universal Service Fund for Schools and Libraries, or "E-Rate," is a cooperative business/government program allowing needy public schools and libraries a 20 to 90% discount on new telecommunications technologies. Schools must have technology plans, complete various forms, and contact participating vendors to determine appropriate…

Examines six instructors' experiences with computer conferencing and documents how these instructors understood computer conferencing's educative process and its relationship to themselves and their students. Findings reveal that instructors' varied personal philosophies of learning were foundational in delineating their relationship with the…

Describes the Hewlett Packard (HP) E-Mail Mentoring Program. Lists the program's four main components (teacher contacts, student participants, HP employee members, HP itself) and the application process. Relates how a library media specialist at Rosholt (Wisconsin) High School experienced the program. Concludes with the benefits of…

Explores 19 elementary and five middle school in-service teachers who served as regional leaders to provide 13 two- and four-day workshops for 235 inservice teachers using $30,000 worth of instructional equipment in their classrooms. Lead teachers believed this extensive project made a permanent positive impact on the quality and quantity of…

Describes the development of a strategic plan for information technology at Indiana University that involved, faculty, staff, and students. Discusses advanced networking and convergence; telecommunications infrastructure; advanced networking architecture for high-performance applications; and wireless networks. (LRW)

Examines ethical and policy issues confronting higher education as a result of increasing use of new information and communication technologies for online teaching and the increasing globalization of higher education institutions and constituencies. The article questions the forced options of boosterism or rejectionism, along with other…

Reports on results of Community Attitudes Toward Mentally Ill questionnaire given to undergraduates. Significant differences emerged on subscales based ranking of primary source of information about mental illness. Results do not imply causality but rather that electronic media is powerful mechanism for spreading the stigma of mental illness.…

Discusses the proper planning and upgrading of telecommunications infrastructure in schools that can support state-of-the-art data, voice, and video applications. An example of one school's efforts at installing an integrated telecommunications system for its 17,500 students is highlighted. (GR)

Convergence of digital communications technology is changing the nature of relationships between postsecondary institutions, students, and private sector. The current predictable, ordered world of interinstitutional relationships is being replaced by one of perpetual change. Contemporary relationships can be modeled using central place theory, but…

Describes cable modem technology (i.e., an external device that facilitates high-speed access to the Internet via the same network configuration employed for cable television). Examples of cable field trials carried out in collaboration with educational user communities are presented, and cable technical capabilities, advantages, and constraints…

In universities, electronically delivered degree and certificate programs must meet three criteria: quality assurance, faculty security, and financial support that facilitates institutional competitiveness. The demand for higher education will shift substantially toward the global marketplace. (SK)

Describes the Early Career Support Program (STEP) which uses the Montana Educational Telecommunication Network (METNET) to connect early career teachers in Montana with mentors. Contains 20 references. (DDR)

New communication and information technology is transforming the structure and law governing information markets and the economic, social, cultural, and political patterns of societies. This article discusses the effects of information technology (telecommuting, job growth in rural areas, distance education) and the role of the European Commission…

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 has provisions covering telephone service, telecommunications equipment manufacturing, cable television, radio and television broadcasting, and the Internet and on-line computer services. Most critical for rural areas are universal service provisions that ensure reasonably priced services to all regions and…