In the fall of 2009, Van Meter Community School in Iowa adopted a one-to-one laptop initiative in grades 6-12 and a strong technology focus throughout the district. Since that time, an atmosphere of respect, creativity, collaboration, and connection as well as independent thinking and learning has prevailed at the school. Today, Van Meter has…

Hampton High School, located 10 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serves 1,100 students in grades 9-12. The school district has a strong academic tradition, and more than 90% of graduates continue their education. For four consecutive years, Hampton has been ranked among the top 6% of the nation's high schools by "Newsweek" magazine and was…

Mathematics is a discipline that has significantly advanced through the use of digital technologies with improved computational, graphical, and symbolic capabilities. Digital videos can be used to present challenging mathematical questions for students. Video clips offer instructional possibilities for moving students from a passive mode of…

When designed properly, concept mapping activities can engage students in meaningful learning. In the process of creating concept maps, students relate new information to more general concepts already held, develop fuller understandings of those general concepts, and recognize new relationships between concepts. Students engage in these activities…

The study concludes that leadership by school administrators is a crucial factor in distinguishing schools that are using the Internet effectively for instruction, and schools that are not. This report is one of a series of Pew foundation reports on ways in which the Internet is affecting American life and society. The study reports that nearly…