Variety
of Useful Resources for Teachers:
Teacher'
Network: Teaching
tips, lesson plans and personal best practices from teachers can be found here.
Visitors can find concrete suggestions on specific topics such as
"Chemistry in Art: Crossing the Curriculum", Setting ups a science
center in the classroom, etc.. This site contains hundreds of lesson plans
searchable by subject, grade level, and keyword.
www.teachersnetwork.org
ELEVEN NEW RESOURCES in arts, history,
language arts, &
science have been added to FREE, the website that
makes
teaching resources from federal agencies easier to
find:
The
Library of Congress Site has more than 29 million books and publications,
57 million manuscripts, 12 million photographs, 2.7 million recordings, and 4.8
million maps! If you can't find something to use in any unit you are
teaching there is a problem. A great search engine helps you access by topic:
www.memory.loc.gov/ammem
Sites
with lesson plans for every subject and many interesting units:
http://www.school.discovery.com/lessonplans/9-12.html
www.thegateway.org
Teachers, parents, administrators can search or browse The GatewaySM and find thousands of high quality educational materials, including
lesson plans, activities, and projects from over 414 GEMSM
Consortium member sites:
For a more extensive list of online educational activities, take a look at
the EDinformatics Interactive Library at: www.edinformatics.com/il/il.htm
Virtual
Field Trips:
Videoconferencing Content Provider Listings
Virtual Field Trips
Virtual
World Tours of almost every country and city- facts, pictures,
charts, video clips! http://www.virtualfreesites.com/world.countries.html
Videoconferencing:
http://www/nassauboces.org/din/videoconferencing/index.htm
A top videoconferencing site in New York State run by Nassau BOCES. This site
has a directory of content providers and includes contact information, program
title(s), program cost, and appropriate grade levels.
Videoconferencing for Learning:
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/vidconf/index.html
The Videoconferencing for Learning web site through Pacific Bell supports
effective use of videoconferencing technology by providing basic information
about videoconferencing technology and instructional applications as well as
resources to help you link with other videoconferencing teachers, librarians,
and content providers.
Web site resources include a searchable directory of ISDN sites (schools,
libraries, community colleges, and community organizations) and links to other
videoconferencing directories. A mailing list and archive to help educators and
librarians use ISDN videoconferencing for learning is also available. This is an
appropriate list for seeking subject-area experts or classroom collaborations,
for posting questions, and for sharing successes or lessons learned.
Electronic Field Trips:
http://www.cesa10.k12.wi.us/dl/trips/index.htm
Maintained by Wisconsin’s Cooperative educational Service Area 10 (CESA
10), this site is a compilation of information regarding available
videoconferencing events for K-12 students. Visitors can view specific
information regarding available content providers, program descriptions, contact
information, targeted grade levels, and program costs.
Southeastern Wisconsin Instructional Network Group:
http://www.swing.k12.wi.us/isdn/
This web site has video samples of virtual field trips from a number of
different content providers. There is also a listing of links to web sites of
other videoconferencing and content provider consortiums.
TWICE (Two Way Interactive Connections in Education)
http://www.twice.cc/fieldtrips.html
This web site from Michigan contains a number of different useful virtual
field trip resources, including a searchable database of content providers.
Visitors to this site can also review evaluations submitted by teachers of
specific content providers and virtual field trip programs.
Field Trips Site
GRADE LEVEL: K-12
REVIEW: A+
It's no secret that field trips are great learning
experiences for students, but they are not always possible because of time,
distance, and expense. This site solves that problem with virtual trips to such
destinations as the desert, the rain forest, oceans, salt marshes, and much
more. Each virtual tour was developed with students in mind but also provides
teachers with resources and curriculum objectives. Teachers can first take a
Teacher's Resource Tour to find ideas for using the field trips in the
classroom. These tours were developed using TourMaker software from Tramline,
Inc. A preview copy of the software can be downloaded from the site and free
online training in its use is available.
http://www.field-trips.org/
- virtual field trips almost anywhere- volcanoes, rainforest, Da Vinci,
Shakespeare, etc.. Check it out!
Rubric
Builder-
http://www.landmark-project.com/index.php
Rubrics serve several purposes At this site teachers can create web based
rubrics for online learning activities.
www.wizard.hprtec.org
The free web based utility at this site provides educators with a user friendly
way to publish class Web pages or worksheets, complete with pictures and text.
Students can create project based web posters that remain on the web for 30 days
and can be printed or downloaded.
www.ncrel.org/mands/FERM/
is a site left open to accommodate teachers seeking examples of
engaged learning projects.
http://graphic.org
is a resource for ideas on visual organizing tools.
www.mcrel.org/products/noteworthy/noteworthy/barbarm.asp
is a site offering a full text, “superior” resources by Barbara McCombs: Understanding
the Keys to Motivation to Learn. Find out about scaffolding, self regulated
learning, and more.
Best
Sites for Freebies:
www.freebies4Ya.com
www.4teachers.org
www.teacher.scholastic.com/tools
www.historychannel.com/classroom/flag_form.html
www.teach-nology.com/teachers/freebies
Lesson
Plans Aligned to Standards
Check
out PBS Teacher Source for lesson plans for all content areas:
www.pbs.org/teachersource/search.htm
Hundreds
of lessons that cover language, foreign language, art, culture, literature and
social studies can be found at the National Endowment for the Humanities :
http://edsitement.neh.gov
For
science teachers there is Science Netlinks:
www.sciencenetlinks.org
Lesson
Plans:
- http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/sbeck/interactive_curriculum_sites.htm
- Interactive curriculum based lesson plans
- www.scholastic.com
- spin-off of weekly newsletter magazine
- http://coe.ilstu.edu/phklass/eaf493/lesson.htm
k-5 lesson plan sites
- http://www.milforded.org/teachers/K-2%20internet%20lessons.html
- simple K-2 Internet lessons
- http://mikids.com/teacher.html -
worksheets and lesson plans
- http://www.memphis-schools.k12.tn.us/admin/tlapages/lesson.htm
- get lesson plans from NY Times emailed to you
World
Wide Learn is for you: Looking
for Free Professional Online Training and Tutorial Opportunities?
http://www.worldwidelearn.com
GRADE
LEVEL: Professional, Advanced
CONTENT:
A+
World
Wide Learn provides a "categorized directory of online learning resources
and acts as a gateway to courses, tutorials, classes, degrees, and workshops
from around the world."
AESTHETICS:
A+
The
layout is a simple table with few graphics, but the pages are quick loading and
easy to read.
ORGANIZATION:
A+
The
resources are grouped into broad categories and easily navigated via a left side
menu. There is also an online search tool.
REVIEW:
A+
Whether
you are looking for online tutorials, training programs, online degree programs,
learning products, or online education courses in any of 54 categories, this is
the place to start. This directory of online learning makes locating these
resources quick and easy. The Free Online Training and Tutorials section
features links to training and tutorials on subjects ranging from HTML to Web
development to Java to Perl. Also available is a monthly newsletter for updates
on new online courses, learning resources, and course reviews.
The
Solution Site
- Find The Interactive Lesson Plan for Almost Any Topic or Unit:
Reviewed
at http://www.education-world.com/awards/past/2001/r0101-19.shtml
GRADE
LEVEL: Professional
The
Solution Site offers a database of unit plans for every major subject area.
Users can search the database by grade level, subject area, standards, and
keywords. Each unit has five lesson plans that include cross-curricular
activities and an assessment rubric aligned to national standards. The lessons
focus on active learning, problem solving, and collaboration. Teachers created
and submitted the lessons, which a panel of expert teachers evaluated. Users may
provide feedback on the units they use in their classrooms.
Worksheets and Templates
Filamentality
(www.kn.sbc.com/wired/fil)- Having
trouble finding ready made worksheets to complement project based learning
activities in your classroom? Here you can design your own- with their templates
and on screen prompts!
Staff
Technology Development
Workshop
Materials:
- Create
your own Internet Activity Guides
Samples: Human
Body Internet Scavanger Hunt Weather
Internet Activity Sheet
- Integrating
Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft
Word tips
- Windows
98 tips
- Integrating
Technology
- Writer's
Workshop
- Kid
Pix Studio Tips
- Money
Tutorial
- Using
a Digital Camera
- Technology
Evaluation Form
Looking
for Pictures for your Presentations, tests, or student reports?
At
website: http://www.ncrtec.org/tl/picture/content.htm
While
we intend to index pictures of all types, the following topics are particularly
well represented at this time:
- Aircraft
- American Cities
- Animals
- Architecture
- Astronomy Images
- Civil War People, Places,
and Things
- Dinosaurs
- Famous Actors and Actresses
of the 20th Century
- Famous 20th Century
African-Americans
- Gems and Minerals
- Hubble Space Telescope
Images
- Maps of Continents and
Countries
- Maps of the 50 States
- Military Equipment
- National Parks and Monuments
- Paintings and Famous Works
of Art
- Patterns and Shapes
- Portraits and Photographs of
19th Century Writers
- Presidents of the United
States
- Rock Musicians and Singers
- Trees and Plants
- Twentieth Century World
Leaders
- United States National Parks
- Washington DC Monuments and
Buildings
- Weather and Meteorological
Phenomenon
- World War II
Do
you need the lyrics of a song for a lesson? Check out this lyric
site: http://lyrics.astraweb.com/
A
Quiz Making Web Site:
Want
to make up quizzes that you can have students take on the computer and have
graded instantly? This site also
will make customized handouts for any units.
http://school.discovery.com/quizcenter/quizcenter.html
A
Top Regents Review & NY State Standards Web Page with Lots of supporting
Resources- Don’t Miss this one!
http://oswego.org/ is a huge website with every curriculum area covered and with
a full Regents review section with a huge databank of Regents questions. It has
information on every subject as it relates to the state standards as well as
links and lesson plans to help you. A
must see site!
Quia Web Site:
http://www.quia.com/web/
Quia
Web (at www.quia.com/web), Quia
Corporation's consumer Web site, is a showcase of Quia's innovative
technologies. Through word of mouth alone, Quia Web has become the Web's largest
educational technology resource, attracting over 500,000 unique visitors and 20
million page views monthly. Around the globe, educators and learners in over 120
countries use Quia Web on a regular basis.
"You offer a fantastic and
worthwhile service. I can tell you MANY of my students have logged on to the
site and have used the tutorial links, played the games, etc. I started in
August and currently have close to 400 hits on my Quia class page. Some have
told me it helped them in test preparation. It's nice to know they have such a
wonderful avenue for their success. Thank you very much."
|
High
school chemistry teacher
Cypress, Texas, U.S.A.
|
NYPL
Digital Gallery
Extraordinary resource from one of the world's greatest libraries.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm
 |
CONTENT:
The New York Public Library developed this site to provide free online
access to the general public to its more than 363,000 images including
photographs, illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters,
rare prints, illustrated books, printed ephemera and more. |
|
SITE DESIGN:
This well organized site can be explored in a variety of ways including
clicking on one of the seven thematic collection titles listed in the
left side menu, browsing by alphabetical list of names, subjects, or
libraries, searching by keyword, image ID, standard reference or NYPL
call numbers, or following any of the category links in the Gallery at a
Glance section. |
| |
REVIEW:
This comprehensive digital gallery provides a wealth of rich media for
use in the classroom or for anyone who is interested in the wide range
of cultural and historical documents housed here. With the abundance of
material in the databases, visitors may find it a little overwhelming at
first glance but there are user friendly help pages available for
searching, browsing, and user guides. Teachers or students will find the
“Selections” feature a useful tool for instructional purposes and
report writing. It will hold up to fifty images for immediate or later
viewing allowing users to select and save the images that pertain to a
particular subject or topic. A small sampling of the wide range of
content that may be found here includes artwork such as Goya's Disasters
of War; panoramic cityscapes of New York City's Fifth Avenue; George
Caitlin’s North American Indian Portfolio; William Blake's
hand-printed masterpiece of 1793, America a Prophecy ; as well as
16th-century maps and drawings depicting the landing of European
explorers in the Western Hemisphere; engravings of battle scenes of the
American Revolution; photographs recording the westward progress of the
American transcontinental railroad; sheet music covers and restaurant
menus from the 1890s; and photographs of Depression-era New York City by
Lewis Hine and Berenice Abbott.
|
About
the High School Hub- This is an amazing site not to miss!
The High School Hub is a noncommercial portal to excellent free online
academic resources for high school students. It features learning
activities, an ongoing teen poetry contest, a reference collection, college
information, and subject guides for English, mathematics, science, social
studies, world languages, arts, health, and technology.
The High School Hub is and will remain free to the public and free of
advertisements. Registration is not required and visitors are not tracked.
Feel free to use these graphics
to link to the High School Hub. The
reference collection on this site is huge and would be a great resource for
projects!
Help
with Homework & So Much More…
www.Homeworkcentral.com
Teens and college students alike can use this comprehensive Web site to
search for knowledge on over 10,000 subjects of interest comprised of more than
75,000 links. Two weekly on line newsletters highlight superior Web sites on
particular topics. Teacher’s sections are stocked with additional features
such as lesson plans and activities. This site would be great for finding
support material for student writing or research!
Check out the site www.schoolnotes.com
for use by you and other teachers in your school. I've found that this is a
great (and free!) resource that allows me to post assignments and important
messages that can be read by parents and students alike. No passwords are needed
for parents and students to view your site (they just need to know your school's
zip code). This web site is especially helpful for those parents who want to
know what is going on at school, but have a child who always says
"nothing". Teachers can create sites and add links to textbooks and
other educational web sites.
.
Microsoft
Educational Web Site:
http://www.k12.msn.com/
Tech
2000 – an online magazine with links for clip art and sound effects
(tackle box), global hot spots (including holocaust), resource center, web
sites, curriculum resources and lab zone-
http://www.tech2000online.net/
A&E
Television Network’s Biography Web Site: They're all in here...
Just waiting to be
found! Search the Biography.com database for over 25,000 of the greatest lives,
past and present. A great resource
for student writing or research projects.
http://www.biography.com/search/index.html
Free
Stuff for Educators from Government Agencies:
www.ed.gov/free is a gateway to thousands of educational resources
from federal agencies. Students can access primary source documents, such as a
revised draft of FDR’s speech to Congress declaring the country’s
involvement in WWII.
Exploring themes in American Art, provided by the National Gallery
of Art, looks at 10 genres of American art.
So you want to learn about the Civil War? Offers a portrayal of
the daily life of soldiers at Petersburg, Virginia, with excerpts from letters
and photos.
|
|
Critical
Comparisons -- OVERALL: A+
This Web site
takes a unique approach to presenting information about institutions of
higher education. The site doesn't promote "the best schools in
America." Rather, it provides the "most reliable data" from
the U.S. Department of Education's database and the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, and studies produced by the National Academy of Science's
National Research Council. Users can draw their own conclusions. This is
an invaluable site for prospective college students and their parents, and
it's free!
|
|
|
David
Levin's Learning@Web.Sites
-- OVERALL: A+ Here
most educators can find resources for incorporating the Internet into
their classrooms. Information is divided by subject, with useful resources
highlighted for each. The site also includes sections for "Best of
the Best," children's interests, extracurricular activities, field
trips, multicultural resources, and professional development. Also -- a
"Teacher's Lounge" section. This is a great starting point for
educators who want to use the Internet in their classrooms.
|
|
|
Study
Web -- OVERALL: A+
This site is
exactly what it says it is -- a place where anyone doing research can find
the information they need quickly and easily. The categories are sorted by
approximate grade level, which makes them valuable tools for teachers
looking for lesson plan and curriculum ideas. The information for each
topic also notes the presence of downloadable or printable images for use
as visual aids for school lessons, reports, or projects. The variety of
subjects and categories should allow most users to focus on a topic for a
report, find background material for a story, begin research for a paper,
or just increase their knowledge.
|
|
|
BJ
Pinchbeck's Homework Help
-- OVERALL: A
|
|
Eleven-year-old
Bruce Pinchbeck and his father have created this wonderful Web site to
provide resources and information to help users with homework and
research. The site has increased the number of its links to 500 (from 400
when it was first reviewed). The well-planned site has links to the
Internet covering subjects such as math, science, social studies,
languages, history, music, art, and computers. Most categories also have
sub-categories, which makes locating specific information easier. This is
such a great site -- not only because of the quality and quantity of
resources, but also because a student created it to benefit other
students.
GRADE LEVEL: 3-12
|
|
|
The
Chalkboard -- OVERALL: A+
|
|
One
of the highlights of this site is that it's free to educators. The
site is funded by corporate sponsorship and provides information on
corporate education programs, curriculum materials, grants and
scholarships, and services. The purpose is to make these materials more
available to teachers, students, parents, and community members. Each
section uses the same search engine format, with information shown by
subject, grade, and/or location. Administrators, teachers, and others
interested in their schools should keep this site bookmarked. With the
American education system in dire financial straits, educators can use all
the help they can get.
GRADE LEVEL: Professional
|
|
|
funbrain.com
-- OVERALL: A+
|
|
The
name says it all -- this is a really fun site. Users will be so
entertained they won't realize they're learning. Viewers will find
activities and games that teach spelling, math, and grammar. Educators
will love the setup. Each activity includes instructions, explanations,
and illustrations. The site has expanded greatly since it was first
reviewed. There are now six math games, six word games, four
"world" games, and a matching game to test memory. This is a
great site that is getting better all the time. Teachers should bring
their students by for some online learning and fun.
GRADE LEVEL: 3-12
|
|
|
Guide
To Grammar And Writing --
OVERALL: A+
|
|
|
|
Professor
Charles Darling of Capital Community-Technical College created this site
for his English classes and offers the site to the general public for help
with grammar. The Web site has online "lessons" explaining
various grammar rules and problems. Material is categorized in levels --
"Sentence Level," "Paragraph Level," and "Essay
Level" -- each with subtopics covering specific grammatical concepts.
The site includes online quizzes for most lessons (or the quizzes can be
printed out for offline use). Logs of past questions and answers from the
"Ask Grammar!" section are available at the site, or users can
pose new questions. The site has done a lion's share of the work of
creating interesting lesson plans for grammar.
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12+
|
|
|
|
|
Library
Spot -- OVERALL: A+
|
|
Even
librarians need a reference section! The site was designed to create one
spot for users to find library and reference sites. And, just like a
library, there's a little something for everyone here. Educators,
researchers, librarians, or anyone else looking for information on the
Internet can find resources geared to their interests. The site categories
include links to several kinds of libraries as well as to biographies,
calculators, dictionaries, calendars, maps, encyclopedia, and statistics.
Most sections have several categories, which each lead to pages with many
links. This is a great reference site to bookmark -- it's direct, well
organized, and practical - just like a library.
GRADE LEVEL: Professional
|
|
|
US
GenWeb Project -- OVERALL:
A+
|
|
Interested
in tracing your heritage? This grassroots undertaking is the place to
start. The USGenWeb Project coordinates volunteers throughout America to
provide Internet Web sites for genealogical research for every county and
state in the country. The Project is non-commercial and free to users. The
state Web sites include resources such as family reunion bulletin boards,
state histories, and maps showing the changing county boundaries. The
WorldGenWeb Project is currently working at placing genealogical
information for every country in the world, and every region within each
country, online. Teachers can use this site as a resource for part of a
lesson on genealogy or as a gateway to discussions of heritage,
emigration, and immigration.
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12+
|
|
|
Virtual
Field Trips -- OVERALL: A+
|
|
These
are not your ordinary field trips. The site arranges the trips in
sequential order to build a story for viewers to follow. Each field trip
covers a single topic; experts on the subject have selected the best sites
on the Web related to it. Each trip begins with a "Trailhead"
page listing vocabulary words and concepts to be learned on the trip. Each
page of the trip is a "trail marker," or stop, that describes a
site. Educators can get student printouts and a teacher's guide in the
Teacher's Resources section. The trips can be preloaded into the computer
(explained at the site) to increase viewing time. The resources here are
free and well-prepared. This is a great way to introduce a class to the
Internet.
GRADE LEVEL: 5-12
|
“Awesome
Library” is a great educational portal to the web
http://www.awesomelibrary.org
This is a carefully screened web
portal of more than 14,000 educational resources that must contain actual
documents, projects, pictures and discussions groups. This is a great place to
start when searching for information!
A source for excellent web
links in science, math and art:
http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/HotLinks/#Hotlinks
“Edsitement” adds to impressive collection of
online resources
http://edsitement.neh.gov
Edsitement, The National Endowment for Humanities collection of
internets’ best humanities resources for K-12 teachers, has grown to over 300
sites covering the fields of social studies, history, literature, foreign
languages,art and culture. The site contains 3 special teaching aids, a monthly
calendar of historical events with links to related content, and a list of
lesson plans by subject and themes.
Tech
2000 – an online magazine with links for clip art and sound effects
(tackle box), global hot spots (including holocaust), resource center, web
sites, curriculum resources and lab zone-
http://www.tech2000online.net/
National
Student Research Center encourages students in their efforts at
research- much like our authentic science research class. On this site there are
examples of student work and excellent links to great science, social studies ,
language arts and math sites with especially good glossary sites for Physics,
Chemistry, and math :
http://www.youth.net/nsrc/webs.html
A&E
Television Network’s Biography Web Site: They're all in here...
Just waiting to be
found! Search the Biography.com database for over 25,000 of the greatest lives,
past and present. A great resource
for student writing or research projects.
http://www.biography.com/search/index.html
OnlineNewspapers.com
Expand your students’ perspectives and perceptions by exposing them to some of
the thousands of online newspapers listed at this site! Invite them to compare
coverage of major news events in The Saudi Gazette, The Washington Post, and the
London Globe; practice their foreign language skills by reading Le Parisien or
El Mundo; learn more about their Canadian neighbors by browsing the Ottawa Sun;
get a local slant on state issues by logging on to The Boston Globe, the Los
Angeles Times, or The Dallas Morning News; compare costs of living by studying
classified pages from across the country; or even check out the weather around
the world. (Why is it hot in December in Australia anyway?) Short of a world
tour, there’s no better way to introduce your students to the culture,
politics, climate, and life style of their neighbors -- both near and far.
How
about electronic Newspaper Racks?
The
following sites have access to over 3,000 newspapers from more than 80
countries., as well as on-line papers produced by high schools. Although there
is an overlap, each reference site also offers unique features:
Virtual
World Tours of almost every country and city- facts, pictures,
charts, video clips! http://www.virtualfreesites.com/world.countries.html
Sites
for Teachers
Learn About Distant Learning and How it can be used in
your Classroom: Distance
Education at a Glance
http://www.uidaho.edu/evo/distglan.html
GRADE
LEVEL: Professional
CONTENT:
A
This
site was developed "to help teachers, administrators, facilitators, and
students understand distance education."
AESTHETICS:
A
The
site is a simple table with no bells and whistles but lots of information.
ORGANIZATION:
A
The
information is organized into 13 guides. A left-side navigation menu appears on
the home page, and each of the internal pages has a top menu for moving between
the guides.
REVIEW:
A
Dr.
Barry Willis at the University of Idaho has made these guides available. Anyone
interested in developing, delivering, or evaluating a distance education program
will find all the information and strategies they need right here. This series
of guides cover such topics as teaching and learning strategies, instructional
development and the appropriate technologies, evaluation, copyright issues, a
glossary of terms, and more. Included are an overview, resource links, and links
to further information.
RELATED
REVIEWS:
Administrators:
General
http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/admin.shtml#General
Teachers:
General
http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/teachers.shtml#General
A
Complete Review of Some of the Best Teacher Web Sites of 2001:
There
are lots more to see in our BEST OF 2001 special edition at http://www.educationworld.com/best_of/2001/index.shtml!
At
Lake George We use Laptops- Learn about How to Integrate them into Your Lessons:
Learning
With Laptops
http://www.learningwithlaptops.org
Professional
CONTENT:
A
This
site, run by educators, provides useful information for anyone thinking about
setting up a laptop program in his or her school.
AESTHETICS:
B
This
is a very simple, bare-bones site. It is set in frames.
ORGANIZATION:
A
The
navigation menu is in the right frame, with the contents displayed in the main
window.
REVIEW:
A
Wireless
technology is making the use of laptops in the classroom an increasingly popular
idea. This site was created by educators as an independent resource for teachers
and administrators who are planning, implementing, or running a laptop program
in their schools. Users will find helpful software reviews, stories from the
field, the latest news and reports on the topic, and recommendations for
implementation from those with experience. A .pdf file of First Year Laptop
Program Reflections can be downloaded. It gives teachers and administrators an
opportunity to look at the experiences of others and to put into perspective the
pros and cons of a laptop program. Included is a list of laptops that have been
recommended for students by various schools.
RELATED
REVIEWS:
Administrators:
General
http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/admin.shtml
Educational
Technology: Miscellaneous Technology
http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/ed_tech.shtml#Misc.
4
2eXplore
The philosophy of this site is "When you're learning about something new,
it's nice to have more than one resource to explore." The site’s title is
somewhat deceptive, however; way more than the four promised resources are
provided for each listed topic! The site, provided by eduScapes,
introduces a new topic each week. The current eclectic list of more than 200
topics includes advertising, calligraphy, Charles Dickens, knots, Mesopotamia,
potato, Salem witch trials, tessellations, tobacco, Vietnam War, water, 100th
Day, and much, much more! Clicking a topic brings up a page containing The
Basics -- both an easy and hard definition of the selected topic; 4 2 eXplore --
four subtopics, each with a number of educationally appropriate links; Be An
Explorer -- several suggested activities related to the selected topic, along
with online resources necessary for completing each activity; More 2 eXplore --
additional links on the selected topic, including Web Sites by Kids for Kids;
and Words 2 eXplore -- vocabulary words related to the topic, often with links
to relevant Web sites. Why spend your own time searching for relevant,
educationally-appropriate Web sites when 4 2 eXplore has done it for you?
Hotlist
of K-12 School Sites
EducationalCyberPlayGround.com
provides this hotlist of K-12 school Web sites from across
the United States. Simply click a state on the U.S. map to find a list of
elementary, middle, and secondary schools with an online presence. Click a
school’s name to go immediately to its Web site. Whether you’re looking for
ideas for creating your own school or classroom Web site, pen pals to
participate in an online project, a teaching job in another city or state,
information about a particular school, or an idea of how your school compares to
others in the country, this is a great place to visit. The site also includes
links to each state’s school districts, education associations, and state
education standards. While you’re there, why not add your school’s site to
the list?
Library
in the Sky
The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory provides this database of more
than 1,600 useful educational Web sites. Sites are categorized into 14
Departments, including Arts and Music, Early Childhood, Foreign Language, Math,
Science, and Vocational, and 12 Materials, including Educational Games, Lesson
Plans, Professional Development, and Tutorials. Each Department is further
divided into subjects. The Web sites listed include resources for both teachers
and students. Some are well known to educators; many, such as 1001
Periodic Table Quiz Questions and Arctica
are tiny educational gems you might not come across anywhere else. This is
definitely a library that demands browsing!
GEC
Computers in the Classroom
You might not be aware of this site, maintained by the Greater Essex County
District School Board in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, because most of the
resources provided are relevant only to educators in that school district. Two
of its most important resources, however, are relevant to every teacher and they
make a visit to this extensive site well worth a click or two. The WebQuest
locator, for example is worth its weight in gold, no matter where, what, or who
you tech. This extensive list of WebQuests can be accessed by division (primary,
junior, intermediate, or senior), by subject, or by curriculum area. Best of
all, the links to all 730 WebQuests in the database have been recently verified!
My favorite site feature, however, is the monthly Computers
in the Classroom Newsletter, which is e-mailed to subscribers free of
charge. The lengthy newsletter, written in friendly, easy-to-read language,
contains lots of worthwhile information for teachers interested in incorporating
technology into their classrooms, including tips on using a variety of
technology tools, suggestions for creative lessons and activities, and links to
terrific Web site discoveries. You won’t want to miss and issue -- and you
don’t have to. All past issues are archived on the site.
http://www.about.com
(‘search engine’ home page)
http://www.about.com/education/
(check out the categories column on the left margin of the page:
Primary/Secondary, SpEd, etc)
http://homeschooling.about.com/
(an example link within the above education category)
http://www.about.com/homework/
(links to subject specific about.com websites in left margin: English,
FL, SS, Math, Science …)
Numbers
from 1-10 in more than 4,500 languages
OK, you can count to 10 in English, Spanish, French, and German. But can you
count to 10 in Bijago, Chinook, Aleut, Middle English, or Russian? This site,
which includes the numerals from 1 to 10 in at least 4,000 languages I’ve
never even heard of, is sure to stimulate your students’ interest in geography
or history and to provide a fun activity to extend almost any social studies
activity. Unfortunately, the site provides little pronunciation guidance -- but
then, who will know the difference?
Find a map for anywhere ready to print- free and quick!
UT
Library Online
I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for a map to use in
some classroom activity or another. It usually takes hours of searching to
locate a map with the appropriate labels (or absence of labels) I need for the
particular activity I have in mind. No longer! This extensive list of links to
maps and map sites is the answer to a social studies teacher’s prayer. The
site, maintained by the University of Texas at Austin, contains links to general
map sites, as well as to sites containing country maps, state maps, city maps,
weather maps, historical maps, and outline maps. In addition, the site’s
Cartographic Reference Resources section provides links to gazetteers, distance
calculators, time zone guides, sun and moon rise/set calculators, tide
predictors, map projections, map scale calculators, and glossaries and map
guides. If you can’t find the map you want here, chances are you won’t find
it anywhere!
http://www.teachnet.com/
GRADE LEVEL: Professional
CONTENT: A+
Teachnet is an informative site designed for K-12
educators. It includes a variety of helpful resources, including lesson plans,
forums, articles, useful tools, and more!
AESTHETICS: A+
The easy-to-read layout has simple graphics and cheerful
colors.
ORGANIZATION: A+
The site is divided into three main sections, available in
the left side index. Each of the main sections has it's own index; subsections
also have individual indexes.
REVIEW: A+
Teachnet is a one-stop source of information for teachers.
Whether you are looking for lesson plans for a particular subject area,
information on such topics as classroom management and substitute teachers,
forums for discussing educational issues or the latest news in education, this
site has it all. The Power Tools section is filled with how-tos and quick tips.
A long list of ready-to-use bulletin board ideas can be downloaded, printed, and
built. Lesson plans are categorized by subject area and there is an e-mail
discussion list available as well as online forums. New material is posted
regularly, so keep checking back to see what's happening.
Make free posters for your classroom!
OVERALL GRADE: B+
Print-a-Poster.com
http://www.print-a-poster.com/
GRADE LEVEL: Professional
CONTENT: B+
Print-a-Poster.com offers free printable posters in a wide
range of categories.
AESTHETICS: B+
The consistent layout and color scheme of all the pages
make the site user friendly and attractive.
ORGANIZATION: B+
The site is set in frames with the navigation menu in the
left frame. A navigation menu also appears at the bottom of the pages. The
collection is also fully searchable.
REVIEW: B+
Do you need some new colorful posters to spice up your
classroom? Print-a-Poster is just the place to go. Posters are divided into six
categories: Educational, Motivational, Inspirational, Workplace, Famous Sayings,
and Just for Fun. The designs are original artwork and can be printed in one
size for personal use. They are also available for purchase in various sizes.
Additionally there are links to other "free stuff" sites.
School Renewal WebCenter
http://www.schoolrenewal.org
GRADE LEVEL: Professionals, Parents
CONTENT: A+
The School Renewal WebCenter is "a resource for school
leaders who are engaged in the continual process of school renewal." It
offers ideas and strategies that have been found to be effective.
AESTHETICS: A+
The site uses soft colors, large print, and a consistent
layout that make is easy to read. QuickTime is needed for the videos, but the
Web editors have included a text script for each video for those who are unable
to view it.
ORGANIZATION: A+
The major areas of the site are available on all pages from
the left-side navigation menu. Links are clearly marked within the text, and a
link back to the home page is provided. Visitors can search the database of
resources by keyword, site type, script, or challenge
REVIEW: A+
In this age of accountability, school leaders are
constantly being pressured to improve the educational impact schools have on
students. This site offers strategies and ideas that teachers, administrators,
and parents can use to help in this process. Strategies are discussed in the
context of other schools where they have been tested. Administrators can see the
benefits and the drawbacks of using them as well as explore how the problems
were solved in other school districts. These resources look at school renewal as
an "ongoing process of individual and organizational reflection, and
critical inquiry." A strategy of the month is featured that includes video
clips of the strategy being implemented. Additionally, the site explores reasons
for change, challenges encountered, differing philosophies of change, and
related Web resources. This is one that especially administrators will want to
bookmark!
RELATED REVIEWS:
Administrators: General
http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/admin.shtml
Administrators: Education Issues
http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/admin.shtml#Issues
New
Resource!
Online Tool Offers Teacher Training
In its continuing effort to support classroom teachers, the U.S. Department
of Education recently unveiled a new online tool that offers elementary and
secondary school teachers on-demand professional development training for
improving student achievement.
The Teacher-to-Teacher e-Learning resource, offered free of
charge, links educators to a collection of videos from the Department's summer
workshops for teachers. Available online or via satellite TV, the workshops are
taught by exemplary teachers and education experts who demonstrate practical
examples of successfully translating scientifically based research into
classroom practice and using data to inform instruction.
The sessions cover a variety of subject areas, from reading instruction to
science and mathematics, and may be taken for credit for a possible two hours of
in-service work. Most of the video workshops include an overview, note-taking
guide, course assessment, follow-up activities, principal's implementation
checklist and additional resources.
The e-Learning program is part of the Department's Teacher-to-Teacher
Initiative to help educators share best practices for putting research to work
in the classroom. The initiative includes regional workshops, a national summit,
roundtable discussions with teachers about the support they need to meet the
academic needs of their students, a teacher toolkit, and electronic updates of
useful information for teachers.
To access the Web site for the Teacher-to-Teacher e-Learning tool, visit www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html
Multimedia: Great free sites for projects
and instruction:
Free multimedia sites abound on the web. Some you can download to include in
multimedia projects, while some can only be streamed to view or listen to over
the Web. American Rhetoric contains downloadable audio files at www.americanrhetoric.com
The Internet Archive is a great source for video at www.archive.org
The O
