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"Before you begin a telecollaborative project," she said, "Look at the plan critically and decide whether it's worth it in terms of learning outcomes. Ask yourself these questions: Does this use of the Internet allow students to do something that can't be done in another way? Does this use of the Internet allow students to do something in a better way? "If the answer to either of those questions is yes," said Harris, "then your project is probably worth doing." "As teachers, we need to do what is our art and our craft -- which is teaching, not technology."

An activity structure, according to Harris, is simply a description of what students do in an activity, without reference to content or grade level. For example, kindergarten students mixing paints, elementary students forming compound words, and high-school students creating chemical compounds are all using an activity structure that involves combining existing elements to form new elements. The content and grade level are strikingly different, but the basic activity, the structure of the activity, is the same. Existing activity structures, said Harris, are usually supported best by existing instructional tools. If Internet tools are going to be used to enable students to do something they haven't been able to do, or do as well, before, new activity structures, structures that are best supported by new instructional tools, must be identified and implemented.

Develop a project plan that's specific and logistically manageable.

Congratulations to Helen Hinders, Aplington-Parkersburg Middle School; Krista State, CAL Elementary of Latimer; and Larry Thompson, Four Oaks in Mason City who are this year’s AEA 267 Outstanding Paraeducator Award winners.

Visit the AEA booth at the Iowa State Fair

There were three research questions that were used to guide the organization of this study. The first question sought to determine the level of digital literacy present in schools based upon their state accountability rating. Statistically significant differences between digital literacy levels of students according to their state accountability rating were investigated in the second question. The third question examined the statistically significant changes in elementary students' levels of digital literacy over a period of time