Education on the Internet
Number 23: 27th March 2002
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 19,730 subscribers to the newsletter.
All reviews are added to our web directory. There are sections on Primary Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Modern Languages, History, Geography, Design & Technology, Business Studies, Media Studies, ICT, Sociology, Music, Politics, Economics, Photography, Art & Design, Theatre Studies, Physical Education and Religious Studies.
John Simkin
Education World: In 1996 a group of people with a background in education in the United States decided to produce a website that would make the Internet easier for educators to use. The result is Education World, a resource that includes a search engine for educational websites, a place where educators can find information without searching the entire Internet; original content, including lesson plans, practical information for educators, information on how to integrate technology in the classroom, and articles written by education experts; website reviews; daily features and columns; teacher and principal profiles.
TagTeacherNet is a fast growing independent network of educationalists who wish to share and discuss ideas and skills. Today TagteacherNet has over 24,000 members and a vibrant discussion area, below are just some of the services TagTeacherNet offers: (i) Free Community Profile and Resource Portfolio: Recently launched, this new feature provides every new TagTeacherNet member with their own website called a community profile. Teachers can even use the system as a catalogue of web links for use with digital white boards or as homework links for students. (ii) Free Weekly Newsletter: Much more than a newsletter, the TagTeacherNet weekly email provides advice, gossip, articles on topical issues and offers. (iii) Comprehensive Resource Directory: Covering all curriculum areas and devised by practising teachers, subject associations and teacher advisors the resources areas continue to be one of the most popular areas of the site. (iv) Jobs: By joining forces with Jobsin, TagTeacherNet offers an unrivalled service. Jobs don’t just appear on TagTeacherNet but in Job Centres, digital TV, local radio and on over 27,000 other web sites. (iv) Online Educational Planner: The TagTeacherNet online planner records and displays educational events from around the country.
TeacherFocus features interactive forums for teachers in various areas of education. The current list of forums includes: New Teachers' Place, Educational Technology, Sciences and Mathematics, Literature and Humanities, Other Subject-Related forums, Higher Education and College Preparation; Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Special Education, and Teachers' Lounge. Also, the site presents a calendar with upcoming conferences and other events and a comprehensive resource directory with links to teaching resources, professional organizations, grant opportunities, and more.
Primary
First School Years provides free educational resources for parents and teachers of young children. As well as worksheets, flashcards and teaching ideas, First School Years also includes: A search which enables visitors to choose any day during the year and find out historical events which occurred on that day and which may be of interest to the 4 to 8 age range. A 'Word List' section which allows educators to find lists of words containing a particular phoneme or grapheme or are related to a particular grammatical concept. A growing educational directory. A list of recommended books and publications categorised by subject. First School Years is continuously "under construction" with new worksheets and other resources being added on a weekly basis.
Story Street: A free companion website from Longman to accompany Story Street, the fiction strand of the new reading programme Literacy Land. However, this website is ideal for practising Literacy and ICT skills even if you don't use the Story Street books. You can take a virtual tour of Story Street, find out about and email the authors including Jeremy Strong or send a postcard to a friend. The Story Street School Magazine is updated termly with new articles, jokes and news and schools are invited to send in their own magazines for publication on the website. The website offers a registration facility to notify you when new materials and special offers of interest are added to the website.
Numeracy Software: This website is for primary school teachers who would like to make better use of ICT in their mathematics teaching. There are sections containing Numeracy News and Numeracy Links but the most valuable feature is probably the Free Downloads. Here you will find free resources to download, including pre-written spreadsheets, logo procedure files, My World screens, data files, PowerPoint Presentations etc. These cover all areas of mathematics and are suitable for a wide range of pupils.
English
Anne Bronte: This web site presents both a literary, and a pictorial account of the life of Anne Brontë - younger sister of the more generally well known Charlotte and Emily - of 'Jane Eyre', and 'Wuthering Heights' fame respectively. It has a particular focus on Anne's connections with the seaside resort of Scarborough; a place she loved; a place she portrayed in both her novels - 'Agnes Grey' and 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'; a place where she wished to open her own school, and the place where she ultimately died and was buried. In 1897, a journalist declared 'It is impossible to stand by the tomb of the authoress of "Agnes Grey" and "The Tenant" without becoming possessed of a great yearning to know more about her'; and it was this sentiment, coupled with the knowledge of the hundreds of people who visit Anne's grave at Scarborough each year, that inspired me to create this website. The site presents you with a range of pages - covering various aspects of Anne, her life, and her achievements.
Lord of the Flies: William Golding published Lord of the Flies in 1954. The book describes in detail the exploits of a band of young children marooned on a desert island after a plane crash. This website contains descriptions of the main characters, summaries, and themes and symbolism in Lord of the Flies, as well as a 3-dimensional rendering of the island. Additionally, vocabulary words with definitions have been added to the site. If you can't find everything you need here, links are also provided for further reading.
ICT
TECHtionary: The producers of this website claim that it is the world's first animated dictionary on technology. With more new terms everyday the website currently includes more than 600+ terms and 250,000+ Macromedia Flash animation effects on telecommunications, data communications, networking and Internet technologies, TECHtionary can be accessed anytime-anywhere to learn how things work. TECHtionary also provides key terms and concepts for preparation of the NACSE – National Association of Communications Systems Engineers.
Burford School ICT: The Burford School KS3 ICT website has been created for students, parents and teachers. Schemes of work are based on the QCA model, but have been adapted to develop environmental education themes. The site is divided in to separate sections covering each KS3 year group. Hints on using different types of software are provided. There are many help pages for students, copiable worksheets and links to other useful websites. The main aim is to make resources available to students when and where they have access to ICT facilities. The emphasis is on producing resources for our own students, but there is a lot of material for the wider audience. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions and suggest developments which they would like to see on the site.
Science
Nature Grid: Canterbury Environmental Education Centre is located on the 23-acre Broad Oak Nature Reserve. The reserve is a fine example of how a former industrial site (gravel pit) has been reclaimed and enhanced to provide a variety of habitats including, large areas of open water, marginal reed beds and wetlands, woodland, scrub and grassland. Carefully constructed pathways, bridges, bird hides and other structures enable the visitor to enjoy the variety of life living here. It is possible also to view the reserve from the unique vantage point offered by the Water Trail. The centre's website includes teaching material on grasslands, woodlands, ponds, rivers, plants and biodiversity.
Longman Science: Free, time-saving resources for Science teachers. Classroom materials include a "scientist of the month" feature, web activities to help you make the most of the Internet within Science, curriculum support articles and a planet diary. You can also use this website to access Longman's range of companion websites and its online catalogue. The website offers a registration facility to notify you when new materials and special offers of interest are added to the website.
Geography
GeoExplorer: This website has been produced by Gavin Richards, a former head of Geography at Maiden Beech School Somerset, now a freelance author and educational consultant specializing in Geography and ICT. GeoExplorer started as an INSET resource and has gradually developed into its present form. There are over 800 pages providing access to free geography resources, including revision sheets, photos, virtual fieldwork, outline maps, and over 1200 geography links to many web resources to support students and teachers of geography or those simply with a general interest in geography. The author has an interest in photography and develops innovative ways of presenting geographical photos. The VR Geography section allows students to visit and interact with different environments around the world, there is even the opportunity to become a virtual geologist!
All About Rainforests: Rainforests are very dense, warm, wet forests and are havens for millions of plants and animals. Rainforests are extremely important in the ecology of the Earth. The plants of the rainforest generate much of the Earth's oxygen. These plants are also very important to people in other ways; many are used in new drugs that fight disease and illness. This website provides a good overview of the subject. It also includes an illustrated glossary and a list of rainforest links.
Economics
Bank of England: The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom. The Bank was founded in 1694, nationalised in 1946, and gained operational independence in 1997. This website briefly describes what the Bank does - its main activities and responsibilities. From here you can go to the different areas of the website to find out more about each part of the Bank's work and the relevant material produced by the Bank. This includes material on monetary policy, financial markets, banknotes, banking, financial stability, and the Euro.
British Economy Survey: Statistics for Education has made available on its web site, back issues of the British Economy Survey going back to the autumn 1999 issue. This journal provides an essential up-to-date source of information on the state of the British economy. The contributors are all experienced writers in the areas of Economics and Business Studies and choose their own approach to each topic. The blend of analysis and vital factual information will vary from section to section, but the overall aim is to provide a critical understanding of a wide range of contemporary developments. It is organised under 14 regular sections: 1: Government economic policy; 2: Structure of industry; 3: The public sector ; 4: The monetary system; 5: Public finance; 6: Industrial relations and employment; 7: The UK balance of payments; 8: The UK and the European Union; 9: The UK and the world economy; 10: Human resources in business; 11: Production and operation; 12: Marketing; 13: Accounting and finance; 14: Special article; Questions and answers.
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.
