This document discusses the benefits of telecommunications in education and provides information on how to implement an educational telecommunications program. The book is organized into six sections. The first gives an overview of telecommunications and notes reasons for going online. The second section examines factors such as how the classroom is affected by telecommunications, benefits to educators, opportunities for connecting schools with the community, and the ethical and equity issues telecommunications raises. The third section provides details about what equipment is required to use telecommunications, how to assemble it, steps to follow for going online, and what to do once there. The fourth section highlights selected educators and projects that are using telecommunications in varied and innovative ways. The fifth section provides a future view of telecommunications and education as seen by David Thornburg. The sixth section provides numerous telecommunications lesson plans developed by teachers across the country; a matrix of the lesson plans is included at the end of the section, referencing by grade level and curriculum area. The seventh section describes some of the online services and networks valuable to educators, including information on the activities and features they offer, how to access them, and costs. A glossary, bibliography and additional resources are also provided. (AEF)