Plans to upgrade the nation's telecommunication infrastructure should include provisions for expanding public and affordable educational services. Suggests a "Corporation for Public Telecommunications," modeled after the "Corporation for Public Broadcasting," that could help provide services that would benefit education, health care, social…

Through the use of videotaping and postconferencing via a telecommunication link, first-year North Carolina teachers received assistance from a support team composed of a site mentor and a university professor in a remote site. The paper describes the project and its results, which the participants considered a limited success. (SM)

Includes "The Time Is Now" (Murphy); "Technological Solution in Search of an Instructional Problem" (Willis, Touchstone); "'Principles' of Distance Education" (Peasley); "A Star Is Born!" (Swan); "Enrichment in the Classroom" (Blume, Talbert); "Practical Applications for Distance Education Technologies in Remote and Rural Areas" (Davis, Frick);…

Explores ways in which information technologies could be applied to community development, community health, and public safety in low-income urban communities. A list of inner-city information technology options is provided that includes the applications, functions, usage sites, and requirements for each option. (GR)

Discusses the use of networked technologies to add value to the learning experience during vocational placements of undergraduate students. Presents a case study showing the design and implementation of such networked support, and concludes that networked technologies such as audio conferencing and Web-based support have definite advantages for…

Most distance-education programs involve getting students in small, rural schools, or schools with limited resources, hooked up with teachers in large districts or in community colleges and universities. Schools need to keep a close eye on possible implementation problems and document results. Sidebars list six suggestions for distance teachers…

Describes the information technology (IT) capabilities of a group of science student teachers. Argues that the classroom experience of using IT is an essential component of the training course and that progress is hampered by the infrequent use of computers by school mentors. Contains 33 references. (DDR)

Discusses the concept of learning communities from storytelling oral traditions to current computer environments and considers factors needed for successful learning environments. Topics include the myth of interactivity and multimedia materials; telecommunications; navigating the Internet to find useful information; and distance learning. (LRW)

Two projects provided learning activities in information and communications technologies for rural unemployed people in Britain, primarily women. Questionnaires and focus groups revealed that many were motivated by the desire to support their children's learning; most had not enjoyed early schooling; informal community networks reinforced and…

Alaska's efforts toward sustainable development include protecting the subsistence lifestyle by involving indigenous people in stakeholder decisions about whaling and fishing quotas and offshore oil drilling; developing rural energy, water, and sewage infrastructures; using telecommunications to bring health care and education to remote areas; and…

Rapid developments in computer and telecommunications technology have allowed U.S. students unprecedented access to information about people, cultures, and events from around the world. In this article, the author argues that schools need to exploit the opportunity that this provides to further global understanding. Sections include: (1) Access to…

The wireless bandwagon is rolling across Mississippi, picking up a fresh load of converts and turning calamity into opportunity. Traditional wired school networks, many of which unraveled during Hurricane Katrina, are giving way to advanced wireless mesh networks that frequently include voice-over-IP (VoIP) capabilities. Vendor funding is helping…

Web 2.0, the term coined for the next generation Web, moves the Internet from being simply web sites and search engines to a shared network space that offers students a place to publish and broadcast their own writing, collaborate on projects, and engage in conversations. Students with their mobile and non-mobile devices are always online and…

This paper describes the origin and work of an independent research and development facility whose role is to catalyse the development of broadband applications for education. The paper describes how a three pronged approach is helping content developers understand the opportunities and make use of good research and practice in learning to develop…

In this article, we describe the development of a mobile butterfly-watching learning (BWL) system to realize outdoor independent learning for mobile learners. The mobile butterfly-watching learning system was designed in a wireless mobile ad-hoc learning environment. This is first result to provide a cognitive tool with supporting the independent…