This first of two guides on Netscape Communicator 4.5 contains six lessons on the basic functions of the Navigator component. Lesson 1 covers terminology and methods to connect to the World Wide Web, hardware needed, and a Netscape Communicator overview. Lesson 2 introduces the Navigator window, toolbars, and menus, and how to change the default…

Learner-centered software design (LCSD) guides the design of tasks, tools, and interfaces in order to support the unique needs of learners: growth, diversity and motivation. This paper presents a framework for LCSD and describes a case study of its application to the ScienceWare Model-It, a learner-centered tool to support scientific modeling and…

This book presents a variety of social studies activities for elementary students. The activities are divided into broad social science disciplines but can be adapted to an interdisciplinary format. The activities are wide-ranging in ability level and complexity but can be modified to fit any teaching need. Each activity follows the same format…

College courses that are taught without any technology are part of the past. With software that can do almost any mathematics including calculus, traditional teaching, with the instructor as all-knowing, is obsolete. In this paper, a comparison is made between business mathematics courses and general physics courses taught at a small private…

This position paper presents the STAIRS model for overcoming barriers to teachers as they implement and integrate instructional technology in science classrooms. There are many barriers for teachers in the integration of this technology which include time to learn how to use the technology, adequate hands-on staff development opportunities,…

Originally part of a symposium on educational media for the deaf, the paper reports on developments which enable computer conversion of text into grade 2 braille text, especially useful for deaf-blind students. The steps in the conversion of a text are outlined and future applications, such as a computerized message system, are explored. (PHR)

Describes the use of professional technical journals in a seminar program taught in French at a technical school in Bucharest.

Outlines an exercise dealing with the geographic concept of regions. Suggests this activity as a means of relating theory to students' personal understanding of the world. Provides a lesson plan which helps students appreciate the concept of region as an analytic tool through a "hands-on" exercise. (KO)

Describes two studies of undergraduates that examined learner and gender preferences for structured flowcharts versus pseudocode in the comprehension of short, complex algorithms. Research dealing with algorithm comprehension and flowcharts is reviewed, hypotheses tested are explained, implications for instructors and instructional materials are…

Illustrates the importance of studying the snow avalanche as a natural hazard. Describes the various kinds of snow avalanches, the types of triggering mechanisms that produce them, the typical avalanche terrain, and the geomorphic and the vegetative evidence for snow avalanching. Depicts methods of human adjustment to the avalanche hazard.…

Highlights instructional materials provided in ERIC's "Resources in Education" (RIE) and "Current Index to Journals in Education" (CIJE) on human-environment interaction and individualized instruction in geography. Each of the seven documents or articles is accompanied by a brief description and a method for obtaining…

A group of six articles describes activities for art, music, reading/language arts, science, and social studies. Each article includes library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional roles, activity and procedures for completion, evaluation, and follow-up. (AEF)

This lesson plan with background information about Native American uses of trees provides suggested activities, projects, location, and physical characteristics of a variety of trees. (MCO)

Discusses concept maps produced by students enrolled in a half-credit distance education history course. Topics include evaluating the effectiveness concept maps as a tool for instruction and for measuring the quality of learning. Student concept maps are compared with those prepared by the authors of the course materials. (46 references) (KRN)

Discusses racist teaching charts which accompanied a Nazi German teacher's textbook on race biology. Examines the significance of the work of Alfred Vogel within the context of Nazi race education. Warns that school curriculum can easily be used to pervert science and advance racism when under control of a racist state. (DK)