Modems, Megabytes & Me! Telecommunicating Across the Curriculum. Gary Garfield and Suzanne McDonough. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers, 1995. 144pp, paper, $16.00. ISBN 1-895411-78-5. Subject Headings: Computers-Study and teaching (Elementary)-Activity programs. Computer-assisted instruction. Computers and children. Professional: K - 8. Review by Harriet Zaidman. **1/2 /4

excerpt:

How far have we traveled since the days of the little red schoolhouse? Although rapid population growth spurred the expansion of schools from one route multi-graded classrooms to today's mega school districts, we wonder: How much has really changed? . . . With a computer, telephone and modem you can give the child access to the world. Anywhere a telephone and computer exist together is a potential source for information and learning . . . an idea and practice that will forever change the way you think about, and teach children to think about, learning. This reality will also require all teachers to think differently about how they teach and how children learn. This knowledge by itself has the potential to change the basic premise and foundation of education.

We are know teachers who are crazy about computers and use them as much as possible in their classroom routine. We also know teachers who don't want to have anything to do with technology and ignore its potential for themselves as teachers and for their students. But teachers need not be afraid of learning, nor should they be afraid that, at least initially, students may know more than the teachers about telecommunicating. This book gives reluctant teachers gentle guidelines for jumping into the fray.