The Spreadsheet
Why an Award-Winning Idea Worked and What It Can Tell Educators

In the beginning, computers were just toys. They lacked both the power and software to serve business customers. The spreadsheet changed this. A spreadsheet is a simple but powerful idea. It allows businesspeople to develop financial models quickly and easily. It allows users to ask "What if?" questions.

Spreadsheets have also affected education customers. They have significantly changed the bookkeeping, accounting, and business curricula in high schools and colleges.

In the February 1999 issue of Learning & Leading with Technology, David Moursund explores the impact of the spreadsheet on education and ends with a call for articles describing the use of spreadsheets in schools.

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Problem Solving, Equity, and the Allocation of Roles

Problem-solving software has deep roots in the elementary curriculum. Common, too, have been relatively inexpensive computers, computers within classrooms, and shared computer access. Limited resources, however, have led teachers to develop ways to make sure students have equal access to these computers and worthwhile activities on them that integrate tasks that can be done both at and away from the computer. As Jackie Stokes explains in the first of this month's feature articles, the result has often been a thematic approach to curriculum delivery. Stokes also offers another way to get groups of students working together to solve problems.

Subject: Problem Solving
Grade Level: K-6 (Ages 5-11)
Technology: Logical Journey of the Zoombinis and Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (Broderbund, a division of The Learning Company), Pieces of Eight
( Queensland Department of Education Materials Development Group)

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Contains the online supplement.

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Awakening the Tech Bug in Girls

Gender equity in education has been discussed for a long time now. Catherine Fiore proposes that we move beyond issues of technology access and literacy to address problems of gender equity by (1) creating software that will excite girls about technology and (2) providing educational opportunities and role models to girls at all levels in school. First, the second feature article in this special educational software issue describes software characterisitics that interest girls. Developers can use these as guidelines when designing software, and educators can use them when choosing programs. Then it describes appropriate learning experiences. Educators can follow these guidelines to ensure that girls are not left behind in our increasingly technological society.

Subject: Gender Equity
Grade Level: K-16 (Ages 5-22)
Technology: Orly's Draw-A-Story (Broderbund, a division of The Learning Company), The American Girls Premiere ( The Learning Company), Crayola Magic Wardrobe (IBM), Barbie Magic Fairy Tales: Barbie as Rapunzel (Mattel Media), and Secret Paths in the Forest and Rockett's Tricky Decision ( Purple Moon)

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Contains the online supplement.

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The Tool Kit
An Innovative Approach to Technology Integration in Networked Schools

A "tool kit" approach can be a highly successful way to support school- and districtwide technology integration. As Kevin McGillivray describes it in this month's third and final feature article, the kit includes general-purpose tool software that is installed on all computers in four schools. The tool kit not only helps teachers receive the support they need to use technology but also helps students master technology quickly.

Subject: All
Grade Level: K-12 (Ages 5-18)
Technology: Amazing Writing Machine (Broderbund, a division of The Learning Company), ccMail (Lotus), Cruncher (Davidson & Associates), The Graph Club (Tom Snyder Productions), HyperStudio (Roger Wagner Publishing), Inspiration (Inspiration Software, Inc.), Integrade (National Computer Systems), Navigator (Netscape), Teacher Associate ( Ed Tech), and Excel, PowerPoint, and Word ( Microsoft); AlphaSmart keyboards (Intelligent Peripheral Devices, Inc.); MBL probes; digital cameras; scanners; printers

Read...
Or view the online supplement.

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Student-Reviewed Software
Helping Middle School Students Identify Their Own Needs

Critical-thinking skills can serve students long after they leave your classroom. Being an informed consumer, for example, means being able to assess the value of a particular product and how it might enhance one's life. In this article, Rose Reissman describes how she got her students to assess something sight unseen and how that helps them think critically.

Subject: Writing, Technology, Critical Thinking
Grade Level: 5-8 (Ages 10-14)

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Surfing the Internet with the Younger Set

Most of us assume that kids need to be some minimum age or grade level to get much out of using the Internet; perhaps such use isn't appropriate unitl second or third grade. Sheryl Burgstahler, however, shows how the Internet can be used with even younger learners, especially those who are just beginning to read.

This article was adapted from New Kids on the Net: Internet Activities for Young Learners by Sheryl Burgstahler, published by Allyn & Bacon.

View the online supplement to this article.

Subject: Internet
Grade Level: K-2 (Ages 5-7)
Technology: computer, Internet connection

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Blowin' Hot and Cold About My Data

In this month's Power Tools column, Bob Albrecht and George Firedrake describe how to use data grabbers and loggers in temperature experiments. They also give links to many online temperature experiments.

View the online supplement to this article.

Subject: Mathematics, Science, Measurement
Grade Level: 5-12 (Ages 10-18)
Technology: Texas Instruments Calculator-Based Lab and Calculator-Based Ranger; microcomputer-based labs from Acculab, Vernier, and Team Labs; and data loggers from LOGAL and Onset Computer Corporation

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Programming Dynamic Charts in the Classroom

In most approaches to computers in education, students use self-contained programs but not programming languages. In this article, Don Ploger and Tiffany Della Vedova describe how students might benefit by learning a few simple skills and the general concepts behind programming.

Subject: Number Sense Operations
Grade Level: 4-5 (Ages 9-11)
Technology: Boxer, Chartworld

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Part of the Process
Problem-Based Education in the One-Computer Classroom

Problem-based education helps students see the value of the academic subjects they encounter. And technology can help with problem-based learning. But what if you have only one computer in your classroom? Jessica Kahn discusses strategies for using problem-solving software in a single-machine classroom and gives advice on choosing software.

Read the online supplement to this article.

Subject: Problem-Based Learning, Problem Solving, Presentation, Assessment
Grade Level: K-12 (Ages 5-18)
Technology: PowerPoint (Microsoft); Emergency!, Water Cycle, and Classroom Store Works ( Tom Snyder Productions); Author's Toolkit ( Sunburst Communications); time-line software; concept-mapping software; test and puzzle generators; databases; spreadsheets

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Collaborative Education

Until recently, the costs of staffing traditional distance-education classrooms have been prohibitive. Now the software and hardware necessary to run full-participation distance education is affordable. In this month's Mining the Internet column, Glen Bull, Gina Bull, Walter Heinecke, Rhea Walker, Laura Blasi, and Jerry Willis describe these technologies.

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Awesome Graphics
Using Photoshop for Web Graphics

Do you want your school's Web page to sizzle? It's easier than you think. One image-processing program can meet all of your Web graphic needs. Blanche O'Bannon, Beth Krolak, Molly Harkelroad, and Donna Dick describe how to use Photoshop to create banners for your Web pages. The skills described in this month's telecommunications article can be easily applied to creating navigational frames, image maps, collages, and other Web-page enhancements.

Read the online supplement to this article.

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Six Steps to a Dynamite Presentation

Have you ever wondered why some presenters can hold your attention for hours while others lose their appeal in just minutes? As they report here, after several years of making presentations, Richard Alan Smith and Donna Woods have developed a set of tips that will allow anyone to hold an audience's attention.

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