Discusses the availability of virtual communities on the Internet. Stresses that there are online environments for nearly everyone, and offers advice for those designing new communities by relating experiences from the development of the specialized MediaMOO, a multiuser dungeon. Discusses restricting access, shaping development of the community,…

Describes how some K-12 teachers became moderators of educational telecommunication projects, and presents results of a survey of 100 moderators about their roles. Reviews types of networks that provide online learning environments: electronic bulletin boards, Internet lists, World Wide Web, and networks. Tables list expressions that describe…

Three articles focus on many classroom activities and experiments inspired by the voyage of two canoes, built of traditional materials, from Hawaii's Hilo Harbor in 1995. Nationwide, students followed daily satellite tracking, accessed the Internet for updated accounts of the canoes, talked directly with navigators, and watched television…

Describes projects in schools using innovative educational technology. These programs include an interactive television and computer network; an initiative to use the Internet in rural areas; a telecommunications network to share information throughout Tennessee; and an announcement of the Marlowe Froke National Award for Leadership in Educational…

Describes a beginning Internet course at Mankato State University (Minnesota) designed for preservice and inservice school library media professionals and students. The course addresses the following topics: electronic mail; LISTSERVs; news services; gophering; FTP; and telneting. Other skills such as downloading and locating resources are also…

Lists resources useful for school library media specialists and other individual users of the Internet as well as some that can be used to teach others. Titles include background and philosophical contexts, journals, network access and service providers, ERIC resources, fiction, videos, textbooks, and the U.S. Department of Education Online…

Describes how innovations in educational technology contribute to motivation and achievement in the Berkshire Union Free School District (New York), a public school for at-risk students. Highlights include classroom presentation stations, examples of student multimedia projects, and state and federal recognition for the school. A list of producers…

Describes the Gopher system developed at the University of Minnesota for accessing information on the Internet. Highlights include the need for navigation tools; Gopher clients; FTP (File Transfer Protocol); campuswide information systems; navigational enhancements; privacy and security issues; electronic publishing; multimedia; and future…

As higher education institutions plan for the future, common agreement to build open distributed computing environments (DCE) using common standards such as those of the Open Software Foundation can help exploit new application design approaches that promote application sharing, a more efficient way of meeting upcoming challenges. (MSE)

Strategies at several private and public colleges and universities to support advancing information technology are described. Trends include distributed computing, database connectivity, and increased computer use in teaching. Common instructional concerns include facilitating use of technology and developing "supertech" classrooms.…

The Harvard University (Massachusetts) central computing and development offices collaborated to develop a prototype client/server fund-raising system that allows personnel to easily and quickly access and share prospect information. Its successful development is attributed to use of some traditional project management principles and practices.…

Provides a brief history of the Internet, highlighting its academic roots, and describes a survey conducted to determine how and why academics use the Internet. Information gathered, presented in seven tables, shows frequency of use; types of resources accessed; levels of computer experience; use of nagivational aids; and reaction to the survey.…

This paper focuses on the applications of computer technology to enhancing personal and organizational productivity in schools. One school's experience selecting, implementing and adapting organizational computer systems is described, from schoolwide networks to manage electronic mail and grading data to teacher-centered applications and access to…

Discussion of the implementation of educational innovations in classrooms focuses on the implementation of ENFI (Electronic Networks for Interaction) among a consortium of colleges and universities using computer networks for teaching writing to deaf and hearing students. Situated evaluations of educational innovations are discussed, and two case…

Describes the implementation of a technology project in an Arizona elementary school that provided classrooms with networked access to the Internet as part of a school restructuring effort. A business partnership with Motorola Corporation is explained; technical support and staff development are discussed; and examples of classroom projects are…