This "water cooler" column features e-mail conversations between Erin Koning and three teachers--Beth, Jenna, and Patrice--and is a reflection of their participation in a Chicago Public School (CPS), professional development series designed to support the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in grades K-12. At the…

This study investigated the use of asynchronous (mailing lists) and synchronous (chat sessions) Internet-based communication and their impact on teachers' attitude toward collaboration, activity completion rates, and test performance. The study also investigated the impact of collaboration on activity completion rates and teacher performance…

Empathic e-mailing is one way of bringing new teachers together with their mentors without changing established schedules. This article notes the basic elements of effective and poor e-mail communication and describes how one public school system augments its mentor training staff development program with empathic writing, both during summer…

Examined the use of online collaborative consultation in providing social, emotional, practical, and professional support to beginning teachers. Beginning and experienced teachers and teacher educators communicated via an email list over 6 months. Qualitative and quantitative data indicated that these discussions provided teachers opportunities to…

This book helps teachers and staff developers understand how to take charge of teacher professional development via the Internet. The book features five sections with 14 chapters. Section 1, The Internet and Its Essential Tools, includes: (1) What Do I Need to Know About the Internet? (2) Making the Most of Your Electronic Mail, and (3) Accessing…

Describes the computer-based multimedia Instructional Framework system which helps teachers expand and refine their instructional strategies. The system brings research and instructional resources directly to teachers via a database of information and resources related to effective instruction, videodisc illustrations of the strategies, and an…

Describes the experiences of five teachers who volunteered to learn and work together electronically for professional development. They discovered that commitment was not enough. Underlying attitudes, existing relationships, and technology know-how all factored into challenges they faced. Two sidebars present tips for successful electronic…

Educational research has long been conducted at a distance: both mail and telephone have successfully been used in survey research. The development of the Internet offers yet another medium over which research can be conducted. This study discusses the use of electronic mail as a vehicle for conducting educational research. It focuses particularly…

Belen Public Schools (New Mexico) received a Goals 2000 grant for teacher education and technology integration. The Belen Goals 2000 professional development project established two three-day teachers-teaching-teachers workshops. The first focused on using an integrated software package and the second focused on using e-mail and the Internet.…

Discusses the need for formal training in Internet use for K-12 educators and presents rubrics to help staff-development designers measure the following competencies: Internet basics; e-mail/electronic mailing lists; World Wide Web; search tools; newsgroups, gophers, telnet; obtaining, decompressing, using files; real-time/push technologies;…

This collection of innovations includes: suggestions for attracting more minority group teachers by getting more students of color into college; an e-mail mentoring program; a statewide student newspaper; an online nutrition education program; and a Vital Links communication training, which is a professional development program that builds more…

This paper traces the evolution and application of asynchronous teaching and learning tools at Bradley University (Illinois), emphasizing their use in teacher education. The paper details the utilization of e-mail, the World Wide Web, and CyberProf, highlighting collaborative projects that emphasize mentoring and professional development. In the…

The Mathematics Learning Forums, a collaborative effort of Bank Street College and the Center for Children and Technology, Education Development Center, Inc., provided the primary research setting for this study. Each 8-week forum focuses on specific elements of a mathematics content area and is designed to address both student learning and…

The title, "Making Connections: From the Classroom to the World Beyond", underscores one of the basic principles of language teaching echoed in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) "Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century". Teachers are constantly making connections in their…