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August 15, 2002

Trend Watch

By T&L Editors

Public Libraries Win Filtering Battle

In a landmark decision this May, a federal court found the 2001 Children's Internet Protection Act, which mandates the use of Internet filters in schools and libraries receiving key funding, violates public library patrons' freedom of speech. While this ruling applies to libraries only, many observers believe the decision could open the door for K-12 schools to challenge the law. "Given that the court's reasoning applied to children's First Amendment rights, not only adults' rights, schools may decide to challenge the provisions of CIPA that apply to them as well," says Liza Kessler, senior policy counsel at Leslie Harris & Associates, "but right now, schools must comply with CIPA to continue participating in the programs it covers." (Editor's note: In June, the Justice Department notified the Supreme Court it planned to appeal the CIPA decision. There was no word at press time on whether the court had decided to hear the case.)

In other CIPA-related news, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the Department of Commerce has put out a call for public comment on whether Internet filtering tools and safety policies adequately address the needs of schools. Educators can submit comments to cipa-study@ntia.doc.gov. The deadline for submission is August 27, 2002.

Telementoring Gains Popularity-and Promise

Thanks to the International Telementoring Program, students can now team up with professionals and subject-area experts online as they pursue project-based learning activities. Participating teachers and students use secure e-mail accounts and discussion groups to communicate with volunteer mentors worldwide. And just as traditional mentoring programs boost students' grades and significantly reduce their likelihood of using drugs and alcohol, so too is telementoring positively impacting student achievement. According to a recent report, students involved in telementoring programs showed major gains in their writing skills, an increase in self-directed learning, and better integration of knowledge across subject areas.

AlphaSmarter

It's not a desktop. It's not a notebook. It's not a palm-sized handheld. Much of the buzz at last June's NECC conference in San Antonio was about AlphaSmart's new Dana-a heftier, Palm OS-enabled, expandable version of its earlier portable keyboard device. Going the way of Microsoft and others, who are developing tablet computers that offer both keyboard and pen-based features, the Dana lets users either type in data or write with a stylus directly onto the screen. At one-third the cost of a laptop, with a surprising number of management and curriculum applications available and a wider (and rotatable) screen that offers a PC-like display for easier reading, this newcomer to the field looks like a solid contender in the race for the next best wireless computing option.

What's Your Opinion? Would your school or district seriously consider handheld computing devices over laptop or desktop computers? We'll report your responses on the Back Page in a later issue.

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