Education
on the Internet
Number
54: 22nd January, 2003
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 31,315
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
spartacus@pavilion.co.uk
News
and Articles
Insight:
Policy makers, researchers, and education technologists can find information
on four key topics: education and technology policy, school practice
with information and communications technology (ICT), technology standards,
and research on education and technology. Advanced search and comparison
functions make the site a powerful tool for all who make decisions
regarding the integration of ICT in education.
Zap
is a multilingual website for children and teenagers aged 8-14 with
fun and educational activities. In addition to offering tips on netiquette
and safe surfing, based on research into young people's behaviour
and needs on the Internet. It is a fun and educational place for children
and teenagers to learn more about school-related topics and at the
same time gain Internet skills. There is also a safe search engine
of quality-checked sites.
Internet
Education: A class last year that used a textbook at the University
of New Mexico was replaced with one that used the Internet instead.
Students in the university evaluation rated the Internet class at
91 percent over 58 percent for the textbook class. Other measures
also went up dramatically. Students received their Internet assignments
with "hot links" in their E-mails. A reading was only a
click of the mouse away. Students went to more than 100 websites and
read or scanned what they found. Some sites even had videos that students
could watch on their computers. David L. Geary, who carried out the
research, points out that students liked the diversity of views they
found on the Internet, instead of the one view of one textbook.
Woody's
Webwatch: This website site offers links to places where students
or teachers/advisers can look for information on university issues,
gap years, professions, jobs and lifestyle hints. Functional and accurate
the online resource is free to all users. The site's creator is keen
for a wide range of schools to use the resource, so that young people
stay ahead of the game when it comes to higher education issues.
History
SchoolHistory Teachers
Section: A newly redesigned area of schoolhistory.co.uk, the teachers
section provides a 'one-stop shop' for advice, resources and practical
help for all history teachers. Includes a 'case-studies' section that
provides explanations and suggestions written from teachers' own experiences,
a 'create your own' section that draws together the interfaces that
allow teachers to easily create their own ICT activities, the downloadable
resources section offering huge numbers of .pdf worksheets and PowerPoint
presentations together with a recently developed section offering
ideas for lesson starters and plenaries.
Air
of Authority: This site is becoming established as one of the
leading sites covering the history of the Royal Air Force. Its main
focus is the organisational history of the service from its formation
in 1918 to the present day and includes details of its predeccessors
the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, were this is relevant
to the story. The site is constantly being up-dated and is in a constant
state of change. It currently gives formation details for a wide range
of RAF units from Ministry down to Squadron level. Air Council appointments,
Command and Group Commanders are given and individual biographical
details for over 500 senior RAF officers are given. Squadron histories
for all RAF squadrons are being added with many now complete. Each
squadron history is supported by a detailed break down of aircraft
used together with colour profiles of many of the aircraft types used
showing camouflage and markings."
English
Anthem
for a Doomed Youth:
This major exhibition of manuscripts, letters, diaries, works of art,
photographs and personal mementoes is currently showing
at the Imperial War Museum.
The Anthem for a Doomed Youth website features biographies of the
twelve poets in the exhibition: Edmund Blunden, Rupert Brooke, Robert
Graves, Julian Grenfell, Ivor Gurney, David Jones, Francis Ledwidge,
Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenberg, Siegfried Sassoon, Charles Sorley and
Edward Thomas.
International
Dialects English Archive: The International Dialects of English
Archive, IDEA, was created in 1998 as a repository of primary source
recordings for actors and other artists in the performing arts. Its
home is the Department of Theatre and Film at the University Of Kansas,
in Lawrence, KS, USA, while associate editors form a global network.
All recordings are in English, are of native speakers, and you will
find both English language dialects and English spoken in the accents
of other languages. Each recording is briefly described so that you
may better assess whether or not to download it.
Science
Yield:
This interactive Irish based website was set up as a result of requests
from young people and parents wanting accurate and non judgmental
information regarding sexual health. It aims to answer honestly, using
terminology that they use in every day life. The site looks at issues
such as safe sex, contraception and HIV and at development from child
to adult as well as the changes and challenges and the transitions
teenagers go through. In a recent study by Generatin RX 1 in 4 young
adults between the ages of 15 and 24 are using the Internet for health
information, and the majority are acting on what they find. Nearly
40% of those surveyed say that they have changed their own behaviour.
Many teachers and parents find that they are not fully equipped for
the delivery of sex education, this site can be used as a resource
in addition to the programmes carried out in schools.
A
Level Chemistry: This website is designed to help anyone studying
"A" level Chemistry or "AS" level Chemistry. It
has 120 pages of Chemistry notes, tests and exam questions for students
to use throughout your course. Browse the Revision Notes pages or
search for the topic of your interest. If you can't find what you
are looking for, join the mailing list and it will send you the latest
lesson notes, tests and exam questions before they are published on
the website.
MST:
This is a website for science teachers, students and their parents.
You will find many resources including lessons, units, experiments,
a teacher pdf page, information and links for middle grades areas
of study. The site is colourful and easily navigated. The site contains
useful information for teachers as background knowledge or for lesson
preparation. Students might use it in class for research, to do WebQuests,
to review for tests, to play games, or they might use the information
for tutorial or reinforcement of science skills.
Geography
Country
Profiles: This BBC website provides key facts, figures, timelines
and dates on all the world's leading countries. There is also a quick
guide and timeline on Nato and a chronology of key events concerning
the Vatican and the history of the Commonwealth.
Geography
in Action: This website has sections on sand dune ecosystems,
the urban structure of Belfast, the ethnic geography of Belfast and
landscapes of Northern Ireland (including peat bogs and deciduous
woodland). There is a geographical issue section with, at present,
one based on aquaculture in the west of Ireland. There are a number
of geographical images available as well. A section on vernacular
rural housing may have a more specialised user base, but the remainder
is, I hope, accessible to and useful for teachers of geography and
pupils of geography from KS3 to Post-16.
Physical
Education
Fitness
Analyst: This website provides a unique database with over 1000
of pages of information specifically designed to enhance every single
aspect of physical sports performance, from the amateur to the elite
sports professional. The site guides you through each stage of your
physical development in a clear, precise and easy to understand way.
Attention to detail is paramount as we progress people on an individual
basis so that they attain their goals. The website offers practical
advice based upon fundamental principles of training. It also has
'Star Interviews' where noted sports professionals share their experiences
and give advice to those wanting to achieve the same level of success.
Physical
Education: Schemes of Work: The
Standards Site is managed by the Department for Education and Employment's
Standards and Effectiveness Unit (SEU). The main objective of the
site is to supply teachers with "guidance and tools to help schools
improve effectiveness, raise standards and reduce workload".
This includes a selection of schemes of work for Primary Physical
Education.
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