In order to assess the current presence of computing technology in American schools, a national survey was conducted of elementary and secondary principals and technology coordinators in 655 public and private schools. Results are discussed in terms of: computer density; computer capacity; computer renewal; peripherals; computer location;…

Presents a history of federal government involvement in public education. Discusses programs for the deaf and blind, land grant colleges, and rural schools; and technology-related programs, including the E-rate program, children's television programs, and the Star School Program. Emphasizes the government role needed to ensure access to the…

There are more than 700 million current Internet users, but the world population is approximately 6 billion (Trend 2001), indicating that computer technology is used by less than one-eighth of the population. Computers are becoming common tools in schools, often viewed as a democratic panacea despite the costs involved and despite the fact that…

In 1991, educators at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia began developing ideas for integrating telecommunications into the instructional practices of public school teachers using Virginia's Public Education Network. Teachers from across the state were invited to participate in a telecommunications project called the…

Telecommunications applications are becoming increasingly prevalent in schools at all levels. Teachers and students studying to become teachers must be knowledgeable about technology, its applications, and how it will affect instruction now and in the future. A survey of approximately 500 public K-12 schools in North Carolina was conducted to…

The importance of accessibility to digital resources is now widely acknowledged. The W3C WAI has played a significant role in promoting the importance of accessibility and developing a framework for accessible Web resources. The accessibility of e-learning provides additional challenges that may not be faced when providing access to other Web…

Describes the Training Modules for Trainers (TMT) Project. Discusses the creation of competency-based materials, observing trainers at work and choosing a feasible model. Lists the titles and descriptions of TMT modules. Describes the purpose of the project as promoting the creative and productive use of computers as instructional tools. (CW)

In his recent bestseller The World Is Flat, Thomas Friedman argues that countries like the United States can no longer compete in the global economy on the basis of making and selling commodities. Their competitive edge increasingly comes from how well they produce products, services, and technologies that are new . . . special . . .…

Adjunct faculty members teach a significant percentage of courses at the various colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY). Adjunct employment circumstances and workplace conditions often differ from those of full-time faculty, thus posing many challenges and impediments to facilitating instructional technology and information technology…

The overall purpose of this evaluation study was to determine the effectiveness of providing 5th and 6th grade students in Walled Lake Consolidated Schools (WLCS) (Tennessee) with access to laptop computers with regard to classroom learning activities, technology usage, and writing achievement. The Laptop Program classrooms were equipped with…

This paper argues that the rapid increase in the use of technology in education has changed nearly every facet of the teaching and learning experience for both faculty and students. Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, launched a technology initiative in 1999 that was designed to expand the use of technology as a communication and research…

This 2004 survey from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and Grunwald Associates includes data from 455 school district decision-makers for technology. The report points to large and growing disparities in funding for school technology and questions if these differences signal a growing digital divide. The survey reveals, schools are…

Issues related to educational technology are examined from the equity viewpoint, and suggestions are made to address equity issues. Equity in school computer use must involve not only equal access but also equal consideration of the learning needs of poor, minority, and female students. Unfortunately, equity has become a quantitative idea,…

Since 1994, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has surveyed public schools to estimate access to information technology in schools and classrooms. In the fall of each academic year, anew nationally representative sample of approximately 1,000 public schools has been surveyed about Internet access and Internet-related topics. This…

New learning technologies present many challenges for adult educators. They have great potential for achieving many underlying goals of adult education; however, like any tool, they must be used reflectively and viewed through a critical lens. The challenge is to use learning technologies in ways that support learning and respond to the needs of…