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A year-long study was conducted with a class of 25 eighth graders, their English and science teachers, and the school computer supervisor at a school in Roselle (New Jersey). The structure and goals of the project, called PULSE, for Pupils Using Laptops in Science and English, are described. Research questions focused on the development of teachers' goals and practices and their relation to the technology, the development of project-based activities, the development of student writing skills, and the impact of local telecommunications on teacher and student interaction. A high level of student and teacher motivation, the role of the teacher in facilitating student use of the technology, and an increase in technological competence were themes that were significant in the positive experiences of teachers and students. The portability of the laptops and the availability of integrated tool-based software were particularly useful in science education. Most of the students used the laptops as portable diaries to keep journals, write stories, and complete assignments. A holistic measure of writing scores for a randomly selected group of students indicated marked improvement in their ability to communicate persuasively, organize their ideas effectively, and use a broad vocabulary effectively. The local bulletin board was heavily used by teachers, who also managed to leverage this project into a way of bringing other badly needed resources into their school. Seven figures and two tables present study findings. (Contains 21 references.) (SLD)

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert