Education on the Internet
Number 117: 21st April, 2004
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 48,955 subscribers to the newsletter.
All reviews are added to our web directory. There are sections on Internet Services, Online Seminars, Primary Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Modern Languages, History, Geography, Design & Technology, Business Studies, Special Needs, Media Studies, ICT, Sociology, Music, Politics, Economics, Photography, Art & Design, Theatre Studies, Physical Education and Religious Studies.
John Simkin
Online Debates
Forums and History Teaching: In this excellent seminar Richard Jones-Nerzic explains the various ways that online forums can be used by the history teacher. This includes: History Help (teachers provide learning support on a needs basis); Historical Debates (students discuss and construct and deconstruct interpretations of contentious events in history); Empathetic Simulations (students take on the role of historical characters); Remote Seminars (guest teacher leads a discussion with students on a topic of their particular expertise); Oral History (students interview an individual who was an eyewitness to event of historical importance); Remote Group Work (students prepare for a class activity by sharing ideas in a private online area). If you have views on this subject, register with the History Forum and join the debate.
News and Articles
Online Exams: Ken Boston, chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) yesterday signalled the imminent end of the conventional paper-and-pen exam when he predicted that all youngsters could be taking their national tests, GCSE and A-level exams on screen at a computer in just five years' time. Boston claims that as well as responding to "tick box" questions, students will be guided through interactive problems. It has even been suggested that students could even be asked questions about coursework from home using mobile phones.
Second World War Project: The International Education Forum is setting up a question and discussion area on the Second World War. It is hoped that a large number of people with first-hand experience of the war will agree to answer student questions and to take part in debates about the conflict. We are especially keen to get people from a wide variety of different countries to take part. For example, it would then be possible to have people from several different countries answering questions on subjects such as air raid shelters and food rationing. If you are interested in taking part in this activity either email me via the forum or post your comments on the International Education Forum.
Teachers Online: A typical monthly newsletter contains the latest ICT-related news, gathered from the leading educational press each month. The newsletter also lists a diary of events including the online and offline events of the ICT Advice service and those of the leading educational associations offering advice and support to the classroom practitioner. New relevant print and multimedia publications are highlighted and informative web reviews showcase the best new sites and additions to the tried and trusted favourites.
History
Martin Shackleford Archive: Martin Shackleford has investigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy for over 30 years. His primary focus has been on the photographic evidence. He has also written a large number of articles on the case and for many years was a major contributor to Fair Play Magazine. This website provides access to some of these articles. This includes articles on Gerald Posner, Oswald's defection to the Soviet Union, Clay Shaw's involvement in anti-Castro activities in New Orleans and the failure of the HSCA to resolve the medical issues in the assassination.
JFK Assassination Debate: This website enables people interested in the most important murder case of the 20th century to ask questions and to submit comments on the case. Recent discussions have concerned CIA Disinformation, Deaths of Witnesses, Don B. Reynolds and LBJ, James Files, Who killed JFK?, John Martino, Zapruder Film, Robert Kennedy and the Death of JFK, Lee Bowers, Billie Sol Estes, William Pawley, Earlene Roberts, David Sanchez Morales, Buddy Walthers, William Pitzer and the Men Who Killed Kennedy television series. If you have views on this subject, register with the International Education Forum and join the debate.
ICT
European Schools Project is a project for promoting telecommunication between primary and secondary schools all over the world. It was started at the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) by Henk Sligte and Aad Nienhuis. There are now more than 300 participating schools from over 26 countries from all over the world. The project has websites in English, Dutch, Czech, Danish, German, Finnish, Swedish, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Slovenian and Slovak.
ePALS: Engage yourself in a multicultural e-learning community of students and educators, partners and friends, sharing authentic writing and learning experiences in a safe communications environment. It provides discussion boards, password-protected chatrooms and monitored email accounts and claims it is used by 4.5 million students and teachers in 191 countries.
Science
Doctor Over Time: It didn't really matter what ailed you. If you were sick in 1900, your doctor couldn't do much more than provide comfort until your body defeated the illness, or until the illness defeated you. The doctor had a few goodies in his little black bag, though: morphine and aspirin to ease pain, quinine to fight off malaria, smallpox vaccine, and digitalis for heart failure. How that black bag has grown in the past century! There are medicines and treatments for almost every illness known to man. This activity shows how doctors over this century would have handled the same afflictions. All you have to do is complain to the doctor, then see how he or she responds.
KidsHealth: Created by The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, the award-winning KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. KidsHealth has been on the Web since 1995 - and has been accessed by over 100,000,000 visitors. KidsHealth has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents - each with its own design, age-appropriate content, and tone. There are literally thousands of in-depth features, articles, animations, games, and resources - all original and all developed by experts in the health of children and teens.
Mondern Languages
Windows on the World: The site is managed by The British Council Education and Training Group. It is a free, easy to use database for schools and colleges that wish to develop links with other institutions worldwide. School and college teachers register their institutions on the site, informing others that they wish to develop a link. Using the search tool teachers can also browse the thousands of schools and colleges already registered on the site. Once a possible partner school has been found teachers can make contact with each other directly to negotiate a link.
French Exchange: The Lefèvre Trust offers exchange visit bursaries for young people aged 13-18 wishing to undertake an exchange with a French partner. The Trust was established by the will of Madame Nina Lefèvre, a British citizen domiciled in France, who died in 1975. The Lefèvre Trust welcome applications from groups; e.g. youth groups, sports clubs, artistic/cultural organisations as well as school groups, as well as from individuals. Please note however, that the rules of the Trust insist all potential participants must attend state secondary schools and colleges in London. The fund is intended to support school-age children from the two countries equally in exchange visits; grants of up to £8000 can be awarded, to be split equally between the London and French partner.
Physical Education
FA Learning: With the launch of its first ever online qualification in January, FA Learning is now offer a number of different resources that are all available immediately to everyone that registers with the website. Psychology for Soccer Level 1 is aimed at coaches and parents of 7-12 years but is also a great way to understand the fundamentals of sports psychology. Launched in January the course now has over 400 enrolled students enjoying the new style of learning as well the additional benefits as part of the £57 course fee.
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.
Book Section
The President of Good and Evil: George W. Bush talks constantly about ethics and values - in starkest terms, about good and evil. It is the hallmark of his presidency and impossible to ignore. This book is an attempt to hold the policies of George W. Bush, and his actions as president, up to an ethical standard, including his own. But it goes beyond that: it is also a study in a distinctively American ethic, for there are many features of his ethic that are not widely held elsewhere in the developed world. Peter Singer's penetrating examination of Bush's ethics asks whether they are anything more than self-serving - a vitally important question, since the actions which follow the rhetoric affect the lives of everyone on the planet. (Peter Singer, Granta, ISBN 1 86207 693 6, £8.99)
