Few would disagree that to be productive in the coming decades, citizens will need strong capabilities in both literacy and technology. Yet, findings published recently in “Teacher Quality: A Report on the Preparation and Qualifications of Public School Teachers” (National Center for Education Statistics, 1999; online document), a report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, indicate that “although many educators and policy analysts consider educational technology a vehicle for transforming education, relatively few teachers reported feeling very well prepared to integrate educational technology into classroom instruction (20 percent).”

Susan Silverman has taken an active role in preparing primary students for their technological futures. She scaffolds the students' learning experiences by utilizing mentors, and she provides activities that are developmentally appropriate while meeting her state's standards. Her efforts show clearly that the Internet can be used with this age group -- as a tool for collaborating and sharing with others, writing, drawing, publishing, conducting research, and investigating. The students are very motivated by this medium and they enjoy the “magic” that happens in their classroom when they see their hard work published for the world to enjoy!

Susan enjoys receiving feedback about her website and collaborative Internet projects. You can contact her by e-mail at clinton2nd@kids-learn.org.

Casey, J. (1997). Early literacy: The empowerment of technology. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
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Leu, D., & Leu, D. (1999). Teaching with the Internet: Lessons from the classroom. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon.
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National Center for Education Statistics. (1999, January). Teacher quality: A report on teacher preparation and qualifications of public school teachers. Washington, DC: Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Available at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs99/1999080.htm.
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Wells, G. (1986). The meaning makers: Children learning language and using language to learn. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
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