There’ll Be a Short Quiz Afterward

The many issues involved in effectively using technology in the classroom will be the focus of the National Educational Computing Conference this week in Minneapolis. The annual conference, sponsored by a consortium of 15 educational societies, will feature Vice President Al Gore--a longtime supporter of educational initiatives relating to technology--and a panoply of computer industry leaders and educational experts.

Topics of discussion include using multimedia CD-ROMs to spark children’s imaginations in creative writing assignments, using technology to ease racial and cultural tensions among students, and protecting children from harmful content on the Internet. The NECC Web site is at https://isteonline.uoregon.edu/necc/necc96home.html

Reality Check: Legislators, policymakers and industry representatives will examine the practical effects of the telecommunications revolution today at a one-day meeting in Washington. Participants will review what’s happened since the passage of the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996, which promised more competition, lower phone rates, Internet connections for schools and universal service. The conference is sponsored by the Benton Foundation and the National Telecommunications and Information Agency. Those outside the Beltway can listen in on the Internet at https://www.benton.org/upforgrabs