This document is comprised of the six issues of volume 19 of "First Teacher," a periodical providing helpful activity ideas and information on child development for early childhood teachers and caregivers. The major topics for each themed issue are as follows: (1) Exploring Letters and Numbers, including flannel board activities, and number rhymes…

Demonstrates the use of technology to enhance the appreciation of applications involving abstract algebra. The symbolic manipulator Maple can perform computations required for a linear cryptosystem. One major benefit of this process is that students can encipher and decipher messages using a linear cryptosystem without becoming confused and…

Provides an overview of the Quebec National Library (Bibliotheque Nationale du Quebec, or BNQ) Web site. Highlights include issues related to content, design, and technology; IRIS, the BNQ online public access catalog; development of the multimedia catalog; software; digitization of documents; links to bibliographic records; and future…

Discusses intelligent filtering systems and describes work in the INFOS (Intelligent News Filtering Organizational System) project designed to automatically categorize data as relevant or irrelevant based on user interests. The filtering is performed by combining keyword-based hill climbing, knowledge-based conceptual representation via WordNet,…

Reviews three studies exploring the effectiveness of computers and parent volunteers for remedial language skills training in young children with Down's syndrome and severe language, learning, and behavioral disabilities. The results suggest that computer-based intervention is useful. Discusses educational considerations for planning and includes…

Describes the use of Mathcad, an interactive software package that responds to mathematical input, in an undergraduate economics class. Mathcad uses a rules-based programming language that "reads" the relationships among variables and constraints defined by the user, solves for unknowns, and graphs for one or more equations. (MJP)

Advice is offered on making the college or university fact book readable and appealing. Issues discussed include: choice of hardware and software for desktop publishing, balance, layout, use of graphics, typefaces and styles, text alignment, and format. Lists of resources, associations, seminars, and publications that may be useful are appended.…

Describes the development of a community information network funded by LSCA (Library Services and Construction Act) Title III money, from the Illinois State Library to Millikin University (Decatur, IL). Highlights include a historical background; strategic planning; community planning for the network infrastructure, including hardware and software…

Suggests that traditional remedial teaching methods such as drill and practice activities are not challenging, and that incorporating alternative teaching strategies such as critical dialogue and higher order thinking skills (HOTS) into the classroom fosters self-esteem, creates enthusiasm for learning, raises test scores, and alters brain…

Describes how computer software captures and makes available for auditory observation and learning the variety of sound shapes that words take on in fast speech. A case study illustrates a teaching procedure that can aid learners' perception and comprehension of fast speech in a foreign language and calls for electronic publication of standard…

Focuses on the efficacy of computer use for learning Kanji characters and improving Japanese vocabulary levels, with reference to software designed to improve Kanji learning in a self-access learning mode. Findings reveal that all the students in an Australian university using the computer to learn Kanji increased their grades and that those most…

Evaluates software developed for advanced learners of a second language. The software uses the target language (German) exclusively, brings together language and literature teaching, and includes a large variety of written exercises with scored feedback. Findings reveal that students are enthusiastic about using this multimedia program and…

Examines gender differences in computer use, citing male- oriented software as a possible reason girls are turned off, and highlights traditionally feminine and gender-neutral games. Describes ways of encouraging females: all-female computer and math classes, pairing students, mentoring, integrating technology into content areas, early…

Discusses design strategies that make Web-based learning programs accessible to learners using adaptive technologies, considers the lack of authoring tools to support course content developers in adhering to accessibility guidelines, and reviews commercial products available using guidelines published by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web…

Discusses barriers to threaded-topic discussions in online teaching. Suggests a better way to enhance communication and promote collaborative learning: a jointly prepared, "shared document" format. Describes the development and use of Forum MATRIX, a software program designed to maximize the potential of the shared document format. (AEF)