Transition from face-to-face to the online classroom is an enlightening journey. This is the cutting edge of a paradigm shift in K-12 education, and it is important for teachers to understand it. Many teachers may not receive a formal training program and should realize that it is not always an easy transition. Anything can happen, and never…

Difficulty securing adequate professional development (PD) has long been a barrier to the effective implementation of educational technology. Concerns about the dearth of PD for helping teachers integrate technology into their instructional practices raised nearly 25 years ago appear to still hold true despite repeated calls for increased…

With few exceptions, students interact with technology in one way or another every day. And yet, in most U.S. schools, the term "computer science" (CS) refers only to generic skills classes, such as keyboarding and computer applications. Even most Web programming classes usually teach students only how to use conventional graphical user interface…

When LoTi was first introduced in 1994 as the Levels of Technology Implementation framework, the intent was to create a tool to help district leadership quantify how teachers were using technology in the classroom. After serving the past 15 years as a research framework, self-reporting technology integration survey, and school improvement model,…

From one-to-one learning initiatives to laptop carts, schools all over the country are using portable computing models to achieve flexible technology access. To maximize learning and engagement at a sustainable cost, selecting the appropriate computing device is of utmost importance to best meet the needs of teachers and students. After all, a…

The previous article reviewed the range of educational technology professional development session and program goals. In this article, the second part of four-part series, the author presents and explains educational technology-related professional development (ETPD) models. ETPD models can be classified into five general types of professional…

Tremendous growth in educational technology tools, applications, and Web 2.0 resources have created a plethora of new methods to meet the learning needs of all students. Unfortunately, the potential of these methods is hardly understood before a new technological breakthrough makes its way into the classroom, through either teachers or, more…

In this article, the author details the use of electronic mail server in their school. In their school district of about 7,300 students in suburban Philadelphia (Abington SD), electronic mail list servers are now being used, along with other methods of communication, to disseminate information quickly and widely. They began by manually maintaining…

The authors relate how they had been searching for ways to help teachers in their schools to integrate technology into their classrooms in a sustainable fashion. The authors have found that after-school workshops and one-on-one assistance to teachers have not enabled teachers to become self-reliant in their regular use of technology. Instead,…

Phase 9, a teacher-designed, classroom centered model, takes teachers through a nine-step process that results in the development of integrated instructional units. Teams of teachers come to an intensive five-day training with lessons they know work well with students. In interdisciplinary teams, they fold technology, state and national standards,…

U.S. mathematics education has been criticized for being too broad. This article examines ways middle school students use simple problems and situations to foster a deeper understanding of underlying concepts. Presents a sample area and perimeter problem, describes extending the problem using tiles to determine minimum perimeter, and discusses…

Presents a model based on a bicycle metaphor for teaching problem solving and computer-mediated solutions, discusses its implications for education, and lists ten strategies applied using the model. Provides a unit plan on using spreadsheets to explore Australian convict history, outlining establishment, development, interpretation, and…

Presents Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs (physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, self-actualization) as a model for developing technology training and support for teachers, identifies basic technology-related needs that must be met before higher levels of technology integration can be achieved, and offers seven implications to help…

Describes how computer simulations can enhance students' learning of physiology. Discusses how computer models enhance experimentation; using computer modeling in high school science; three steps in students' writing of a simulation; and the value of simulations. Lists six software vendors who offer packages on the PC or Macintosh platforms. (AEF)

If technology is to have more than a modest impact on curriculum design, educators must embrace a new paradigm integrating technology in the classroom. Describes LoTi (levels of technology implementation), an instrument to measure the degree to which computers are used to support concept-based or process-based instruction, consequential learning,…