Education on the Internet
Number 11: 12th December 2001
Introduction
Introduction
Education on the Internet is published by Spartacus Educational every week. The newsletter includes news, reviews of websites and articles on using ICT in the classroom. Members of the mailing list are invited to submit information for inclusion in future newsletters. In this way we hope to create a community of people involved in using the Internet in education. Currently there are 15,625 subscribers to the newsletter.
John Simkin
Web 100: With reviews of sites and ratings by users, Web 100 makes it easy to locate the Internet's top sites. Rather than overwhelming you with listings of hundreds of thousands of Web pages, the Web 100 provides an easily accessible selection of 100 sites in areas such as education. Web 100 compile ratings and rank the sites from 1 to 100. The programs also select a featured site each hour and provide a tally of statistics, such as the sites getting the most votes and those moving up and down in the rankings.
Curriculum Online: The British government announced on 10th December, 2001, its new plans for a digital curriculum. From next September £50 million is being made available to fund what the government calls Curriculum Online. The government claims it is the world's first partnership between the Government, leading public/private broadcasters and innovative software producers to provide materials for every curriculum subject to transform learning in schools. The scheme has five elements: (i) a "shop window" on the web, with online curriculum resources including a library of e-learning materials; (ii) access to commercial products for schools to buy, including a guide to the best written by teachers for teachers; (iii) "e-learning credits" - money for schools to buy digital curriculum resources; (iv) software to help teachers to find the resources they want; (v) a "watchdog" advisory panel to ensure resources are available for all curriculum subjects.
School Managers Centre: The EUN School Managers Centre (SMC) is a resource centre and virtual meeting place for school managers and administrators from all over Europe. The SMC provides information on on-going policy developments, activities, good examples of innovative practice and results from research in management of innovation.
Great Women: In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and 300 other women and men held the first Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls. The Declaration of Sentiments, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, was presented and passed by the convention. These resolutions included among other demands, that women have the right to vote. The struggle for women's rights had begun. Seventy-two years later in 1920, the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified, which gave women many rights, including the right to vote. In 1969 the women and men of Seneca Falls created the National Women's Hall of Fame, believing that the contributions of American women deserved a permanent home. The biographies of these women can now be found on this impressive website.
The Titanic: History on the Net has a new section on the Titanic. This popular topic fits into the national curriculum as part of the modern world and will be written as a resource to answer the question 'Why was the sinking of the Titanic such a memorable event.' The section currently includes an interactive page which looks at the Layout of the Ship and includes a worksheet, a bibliography and a further information section.
Swedish Emigration to America: This website provides a detailed account of the Swedish Emigration to America. The tidal wave of Swedish emigration began in the mid 1840s, when the first organized emigrant groups started to arrive in New York. Most of these people moved on to Iowa and Illinois and by 1930 there were around 1.3 million in the United States. In proportion to the population of their home countries, only the British Isles and Norway surpassed Sweden in the number of immigrants.
English
The Tolkien Society is an international organisation with the aim to encourage and further interest in the life and works of the late Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, author of two of the most well-known and best-loved books of the late 20th Century, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This site has information about JRR Tolkien, the books he wrote, his life and books others have written about him.
Novel Guide claims to be the premier free source for literary analysis on the web and aims to provide an educational supplement for better understanding of classic and contemporary literature. It gives a summary of chapters, character profiles and top ten quotes.
Teachit Competition: Many of you grappling with the new English A/AS specifications should visit this website for ideas, inspiration and even prizes. Cambridge University Press and Ink Pellet magazine have offered a selection of great books for twenty-one Teachit contributors. The 'Cambridge Contexts in Literature' series provides a flexible range of resources for the new Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced GCE qualifications. Teachit has one complete set of all eleven books to give away, plus ten sets of three popular books in the series; 'The Great War in British Literature', 'Post-Colonial Literature' and 'Metaphysical Poetry'.
Politics
Politics in the United States: An encyclopedia of American politics between 1840 and 1980. The website includes entries on political parties (10), pressure groups (26) and biographies of leading political figures: 1840-1900 (106), 1900-45 (56) and 1945-1980 (46). The text within each entry is linked to other relevant pages in the encyclopedia. In this way it is possible to research individual people and events in great detail. The sources are also hyper-linked so the student is able to find out about the writer, artist, newspaper and organization that produced the material.
American Politics: This site is aimed at those students studying American Politics at an Advanced level (17 to 18 year olds) and most sections have been updated to include the 2000 election result and issues that have arisen in the current government of George Bush. Topics included are: Federalism; the President; Congress; the role of the Supreme Court; elections in America; voting patterns in elections; political parties at a state and local level; pressure groups in America and public attitude towards politics in America. There is also a section for links to relevant and useful sites on American political issues.
Political Cartoons: The Political Cartoon Society is a non-profit making organisation for those interested in History and Politics through the medium of cartoons. The website, which is open to both members and non-members, exists to promote the political cartoon by way of amusing, informing and educating. Facilities include a Home Page with information on the Society; an Exhibition and Events Page to advertise forthcoming exhibitions of original cartoon art based on political and historical themes; a Research Library for students and researchers, a Cartoon Gallery of original cartoon art by leading cartoonists both past and present, a Cartoon History page with a growing selection of essays for cartoon enthusiasts and students of history and politics; a Bulletin Board to voice opinions; and a Cartoon Book page for the sale of cartoon books both new and used.
Sociology
World Catalogue: Sociology: Set of links to selected, evaluated and annotated resources for sociology, maintained by the Exeter University Library. Material is listed under Sociologists, Schools and Theories, Teaching and Methodology, Popular Culture, Social Change, Sociology of Children, Sociology of Economics, Education, Gender and Sexuality, Law and Crime, Sociology of Medicine, Politics, Race and Ethnicity, Religion, Sport, Work and the Family. The website also includes links to a large number of online journals and discussion groups.
BUBL Sociology Reference Library: BUBL Information Service, based at Strathclyde University Library, is a searchable database of Internet resources of academic relevance. The websites are organized by Dewey Decimal Classification and is browsable by subject or class number. The Sociology main page has eleven main categories: Sociology: General Resources, Societies, Social Interaction, Social Processes, Social Change, Population, Young People, Women, Social Classes, Racial and Ethnic Groups and Culture and Institutions. Each website listed has a brief review with information on the people and organizations that have created the website.
Sociological Tour Through Cyberspace: Michael Kearl, Professor of Sociology at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, has produced what he calls a Sociological Tour Through Cyberspace. Kearl is interested in exploring the potential of the Internet to "generate discourse" and to help it become a "theatre of ideas". The website features commentary, data analyses, essays, and links to other websites. Subjects covered include 'Death and Dying' and 'Social Inequality'. The website also includes a useful guide for writing research papers.
The Marx/Engels Archive: This website provides a comprehensive collection of the writings of Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels. The material available is constantly expanding and eventually it will contain everything the two men published. It also includes material from writers influenced by Marx and Engels. The website is produced by a group of volunteers from Colorado's Progressive Sociology Network and is completely free to use. The authors tell us that "the real profit will hopefully manifest in the form of individual enlightenment through easy access to these classic works".
Music
South Hunsley Music Department: Ray Burrell's website contains online guides for KS3, GCSE and AS/2 level students. Uses exciting graphics, MIDI files, and downloadable MP3s of students' work, and links to other useful sites.
Music for Teachers: This website is designed and managed by Keith Havercroft, the Music Adviser for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin. All materials are free and designed to save music teachers time in the planning of schemes of work.
Classical Net: Dave Lampson has produced a marvellous website for all lovers of classical music. He has created over 5,500 files himself and provides links to another 3,800. There is a Composer Master Index that list an amazing number of classical composers. Each biographical entry includes several pages of hyperlinked text, a portrait of the composer and a list of their major works. The website also includes sections on Reviews & Articles, Books & Scores, Classical CD Buying Guide and Recommended Classical CDs.
BUBL Music Reference Library: BUBL Information Service, based at Strathclyde University Library, is a searchable database of Internet resources of academic relevance. The websites are organized by Dewey Decimal Classification and is browsable by subject or class number. The music main page has twenty-one categories that include: Music: General Resources, Journals and Magazines, Ethnomusicology, Composers, Vocal Music, Opera, Musical Instruments, Chamber Music, Keyboard & Percussion Instruments, Stringed Instruments, Wind Instruments and Brass Instruments. Each website listed has a brief review with information on the people and organizations that have created the website.
Physical Education
Sports Lessons: Joe Paslov from Bridgeport, Connecticut, has produced a website where teachers can exchange ideas for physical education lessons. At the moment there are lessons ranging from Floor Hockey to Wild Horse Round-Up. Most of the lessons have been supplied by US teachers but there are several contributions from Canada and Brazil. Hopefully British teachers will see this review and begin sharing their good ideas with the Internet community. On Monday nights Joe Paslov hosts an open forum for physical education teachers.
Fitness Partner Connection Jumpsite: Vicki Pierson and Renee Cloe are qualified personal trainers who met on an Internet fitness discussion group. Together they have produce a superb website for anyone interested in fitness. They manage to communicate an enthusiasm for their subject that is contagious. The wealth of material appears under the headings: Fitness Library, Training Activities, Mind/Body Fitness, Weight Management, Health, Food & Nutrition, Sports Medicine and Online Publications. There is a Fitness Forum where you can discuss fitness, nutrition and health with other visitors. Another feature is the Bulletin Board where you can try and find a fitness partner.
Sports Coach: Brian MacKenzie, a senior B.A.F. coach, has produced a website to help athletes and coaches achieve their athletic goals and to assist students studying sport related qualifications. Topics include Coaching, Conditioning, Endurance, Environment, Heart Monitors, Injury, Mobility, Nutrition, Plyometrics, Skills, Speed, Strength, Stress, Supplements, Test and Training Plans.
Do you want to have your website listed in our web directory? If so, send a brief description (about 150 words) and the URL to spartacus@pavilion.co.uk.
