Education on the Internet
Number 56: 5th February, 2003
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 32,256 subscribers to the newsletter.
All reviews are added to our web directory. There are sections on Internet Services, 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
Socrates is an EU education programme. It aims to raise standards and achievement in all levels of education by encouraging and supporting European co-operation on a range of projects, initiatives and professional development opportunities. Socrates is administered on behalf of the UK education departments by a network of organisations which together form the National Agency for the programme. The UK National Agency provides information, support and advice for the UK education field, and consists of the following bodies: The British Council, the National Foundation for Educational Research and the UK Socrates-Erasmus Council.
Pari Center: The Pari Center for New Learning is located in the medieval hilltop village of Pari, south of Siena in Italy. The Center was created by F. David Peat and Maureen Doolan and is concerned with community, art, science and the sacred. It runs international conferences and courses and has an active program of short and long term visitors. The Center has a library and is creating a small museum. The website, which is updated on a very regular basis, posts reports on its conferences, courses and other events; its library contains papers on science, culture, economics, ethics, science and religion, creativity and education. Thanks to a grant from the Metanexus Foundation the Center is also engaged in dialogues between science and religion. Its research projects include corporate ethics and a consideration of new economic models.
GCSE & ICT: Peter Whittaker has been the headteacher of Hall Green, a comprehensive in Birmingham, for 13 years. During this period the proportion of pupils passing five or more GCSEs at grades A to C has risen from 17 per cent to 71 per cent. Whittaker believes much of this improvement is due to the school's use of computers.
Chalkface Project: Recent studies show that mixing e-learning with traditional classroom learning can lead to significantly improved results. The Chalkface Project is so confident of its new web-based course covering the complete GCSE Double Award in Applied Business that it is offering to refund the cost of the course for every student who does not achieve a Grade C or above at the first attempt, under any examination board. The course is eligible for e-learning credits and is free to preview on the Chalkface website.
History
Welsh History: NGfL Cymru provides both online teaching and learning materials and a network of links to selected websites which offer high quality content and information relevant to teacher and student needs. The section on Welsh History includes lessons on Tudor Wales, Civil War in Wales, Chartism in Wales, The Rebecca Riots and Working Children in the 19th Century.
Vietnam War Interactive Portfolio: This website contains over 80 photographs taken in Vietnam between 1969 and 1970, while E. Kenneth Hoffman was stationed there as a military photographer. Categories include Children, Montagnard Tribesmen, Military, Vietnamese people, Protest & et cetera, and Shrines. Using HyperNews software, visitors have the opportunity to contribute their own comments about the images or the war. Or, they can react to the comments left by others. Over 5000 comments have been recorded since the site was created in April of 1996.
Nordic Underwater Archaeology: If you like history and scuba diving, this topic may be something for you. The Baltic Sea, in Northern Europe, is a cold brackish sea where wood is preserved for centuries. Many sunken ships still wait to be discovered, there and worldwide. This website aims to be a reference and contact list for anybody involved in underwater archaeology, particularly in Northern Europe, and to inform about our maritime heritage, and how to take care of it. Resources available here include hundreds or articles, as well as a glossary; pointers to archives, literature, journals, and conferences; information on search and investigative tools and techniques; and information on current projects.
English
Wikipedia Encyclopedia: Wikipedia is an international, open content, collaboratively developed encyclopedia. The project started in January 2001 and currently covers a vast spectrum of subjects and has over 100,000 articles in English as well as about 37,000 articles in other languages. The Literature Encyclopedia includes sections on Genres, Literary Techniques, Literary Figures, Literary Themes and literature by country or language.
John Keats: A comprehensive study of the life and works of John Keats. The website includes a biography, a chronology of his life and work, in-depth studies (Byron on Keats, Shelley on Keats, Fanny Brawne, Keats and Rome), selections from his letters, contemporary descriptions, latest news on John Keats (new biographies etc.), critical opinions, images, bibliography and links.
Geography
Reclaiming the Everglades includes a rich diversity of unique or rare materials: personal correspondence, essays, typescripts, reports and memos; photographs, maps and postcards; and publications from individuals and the government. Major topics and issues illustrated include the establishment of the Everglades National Park; the growth of the modern conservation movement and its institutions, including the National Audubon Society; the evolving role of women on the political stage; the treatment of Native Americans; rights of individual citizens or private corporations vs. the public interest; and accountability of government as trustees of public resources, whether for the purposes of development, reclamation, or environmental protection. The materials in this online compilation are drawn from sixteen physical collections housed in the archives and special collections of the University of Miami, Florida International University and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.
Geography Pages: A large site featuring Geography resources, images and classified weblinks for Key Stage 3, GCSE and 'A' level, plus some Primary and SEN materials. Contains the details of a research project carried out on the use of the Internet by Geography teachers. Updated weekly, and produced by a teacher from Norfolk, UK. Recently, for example, had a section on the East Coast Floods of 1953. Also has a Panic button for his students to press if they get stuck on their work!
Art
Painting the Weather: This online exhibition draws together the most striking weather-inspired works housed in collections around the UK. The website features 100 paintings by 80 artists including Monet, Dürer, Degas, Renoir, Reynolds and Van Gogh. There are special in-depth commentaries on 15 key works and routes into the show by theme, artist and where you live. You can examine the paintings in detail with a high quality zoom and send e-cards. Visitors can also listen to an audio tour conducted by Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum.
Salvador Dalí Museum: This museum is the permanent home of the world's most comprehensive collection of the renowned Salvador Dali's work. Compiled by the A. Reynolds Morse and Eleanor Morse over a 45-year period, it is celebrated for its 95 oil paintings, and features excellent examples from Dalí's four major periods - Early (1917-1927), Transitional (1928), Surreal (1929-1939), and Classic (1940-1970s). With oils spanning from 1917 through 1970, the collection provides an excellent overview of Dalí's major themes and symbols. Characterized by its diversity, it includes the Impressionist and Cubist styles of his early period, abstract work from his transition to Surrealism, the famous surrealist canvases for which he is best known, and examples of his preoccupation with religion and science during his classic period. In addition to the 95 oil paintings, the collection includes over 100 watercolors and drawings, 1,300 graphics, photographs, sculptures and objects d'art, and an extensive archival library.
Politics
UN Security Council: In the second-half of the nineteenth century liberals in Britain were united in believing that you could not have a true democratic system unless elections were by secret ballot. It was argued that if employers and landlords knew how people voted they could punish them if they did not support their preferred candidates. Or more importantly, those in power could pay their workers and tenants to vote for their candidates. This problem was solved in 1872 when William Gladstone's government brought in the Ballot Act which guaranteed a secret system of voting. Today liberals appear to be united in arguing that a military invasion of Iraq should only take place if it has the support of the UN security council. This article in the Guardian newspaper explains how the vote of the security council will be no more democratic or less corrupt than elections held in Britain in the early part of the nineteenth century.
Pioneers of European Unity: It has been argued that the inevitable war against Iraq will not only be about oil but America's increasing influence over a Europe which has become a dangerous rival in political and economic matters. In this interpretation of recent events, a divided Europe is just as important as the control of Iraq's oil supplies. This website looks at those political figures who genuinely believed that the best way of maintaining world peace was by creating a united Europe.
Active Citizenship: To mark the introduction of Citizenship in the National Curriculum, the DfES in association with Barclays is running a competition to celebrate 'Active Citizenship'. Are your students involved in the life of your school, neighbourhood or local community? Tell the DfES about it and your school could win prizes to enhance your understanding of active participation. The first prize is a trip to Brussels, the historic city that is home to the European Parliament. The prize winner can take three friends and/or relatives.
Switzerland and the EU: As part of the Spring Europe project Roger Scupham has created an Internet discussion forum on the relationship between Switzerland and the EU. Scupham raises several questions including: How would membership affect the cherished Swiss principle of neutrality? How would the economy, culture and global position of Switzerland change if Switzerland were 'in Europe'? It was only a year ago that Switzerland finally voted to join the United Nations, but are they ready for the next step?
Internet Services
POP Peeper is a free utility that runs in your Windows task bar and alerts you when you have new email on any of your POP3, Hotmail, MSN or Yahoo accounts. You can also use POP Peeper to read and delete your email. POP Peeper supports HTML email, so you can see your email the same way as you would in your email client.
Web Ferret: The latest version of this popular software is designed to assist users in finding the information they need by utilizing several search engines. Helpful features include the ability to query a number of different search engines, along with the ability to validate selected results, save search histories, and filter out pornography and inappropriate language.
