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The first automobiles were really horseless carriages, designed on the same frame as a horse-drawn carriage and with power defined in horsepower. The capabilities of these early contraptions were limited, and the infrastructure to support this new form of mobility was slow to develop as the early car owners rattled across the ruts and sank into the mud of unpaved and poorly maintained roads. These days, our society is built around the mobility provided by today's automobiles, and we are seeking to expand the infrastructure to accommodate battery-powered vehicles. How close is this analogy to the early stages of experimenting with cyberspace? I think the two stories are very similar, and I look forward to the day when the ruts in the cyberspace highway have been smoothed for a true community of learners to improve our world.

effective infrastructure, delivery systems, and content are only half the story. The more exhilarating half of the story involves changing the classroom paradigm.

Try out this HOT (higher order thinking) challenge

f you like taking notes with a pen and paper, take a look at one of the LiveScribe smartpens.

digital devices are increasingly viewed as a means to bring students together in collaboration, rather than separate them further.

In the late 1990s, the Singapore Ministry of Education unveiled its master plan for technology. The first phase was spent building up infrastructure and getting computers into schools. In the 2000s, in phases two and three, the ministry focused on training teachers in how to use gadgets and identifying schools to experiment with new innovations.

None of those important investments in hardware and infrastructure will have a profound impact on teaching until all of the stakeholders in the school community can answer one simple question: Why change?