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.
European
Union Online: Nine in ten schools in the European Union now have
Internet access, and pupils have access in eight in 10 of those, according
to the European Commission. The average number of students per computer
with Internet access is 24, while the average number of students per
offline computer is 12. The level of Internet access in schools varies
from country to country, however. The number of students per online
computer is between three and 50, and the number per offline computer
is between three and 25.
World
Tests: This week saw the launch of the British government's world-class
online tests for students. Developed by the Qualifications and Curriculum
Authority, these online tests are aimed at the top 10 per cent of
pupils. Pupils in the US, New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong were
also involved in this experiment but over 60 per cent of the children
taking the tests were English. It is reported that only 27 schools
in England took the maths and problem-solving exams for 9 and 13 year
olds. However, the Department for Education and Skills claimed it
was pleased with the mix of schools that volunteered for the tests.
ICT
in State Schools: A report commissioned by the British Education
Suppliers Association (Besa) was published online this week. Based
on responses from more than 2,000 schools in the UK, the survey claims
that schools have an average of 26 computers with Net access. However,
the report points out that an average of just six students can use
interactive websites at the same time. This figure drops even lower
if the students are trying to access streaming video or audio. There
are now almost one million PCs in schools, although up to 25 per cent
are so old they are considered to be ineffective for Internet use.
Ray Barker, director of Besa, argues that the high cost and availability
of fast Internet access remains the main problem for teachers and
students in British schools.
Creativity
in Education Community: The Open University Creativity in Education
Community encompasses a wide range of people across the spectrum of
education. It aims to carry out a systematic programme of research
on the nature and practice of creativity in educational contexts,
to investigate the culture of educational systems and to explore the
perspectives of learners and teachers with respect to creativity in
teaching and learning. It organizes programmes of research seminars
and conferences, circulate information and support creativity projects.
History
Teaching
History with Technology: This journal is designed to help history
teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms. It attempts
to fulfill this function by providing teachers with models that document
how others have incorporated technology to enhance their students'
learning experiences. New issues of the journal appear online twice
each year. Past issues of the journal are indexed and archived. In
each of the articles, the reader will find a short account of the
objectives of the activity carried out in class. The underlying philosophy
of this structure is that teachers can make most effective and innovative
use of technology by learning how some of their colleagues have made
good use of technology in their classroom.
24
Hour Museum: This critically-acclaimed website guide to UK museums
and galleries, launched its newly designed site this week with a section
dedicated to teachers, offering information and support for schools
across the UK. The updated site offers teachers a curriculum navigator.
The database allows them to enter information such as subject and
key stage coding in order to supply them with suggested museums and
galleries. The search also gives details of educational facilities
and resources currently available. For example, if a teacher requests
appropriate information for 9 year olds studying Tudor history in
the North East region, the results will recommend relevant institutions.
Victorian
Books: The 19th century witnessed the economic, social, political
and cultural transformation of Britain. The printing and publishing
industry was caught up in this transformation, benefiting from the
application of power to the various stages of the manufacturing process,
but also able to exploit developments in other technologies, most
notably the railways and telegraphy. This website celebrates this
process with sections on printing technology, illustrations, lithography,
wood engraving, the novel, yellowbacks, penny dreadfuls and children's
books.
English
GCSE
English: GCSE Guide is a site developed specifically for students
and for those wanting help with GCSE level exams. It has been created
in a simple way, with a very wide range of content that enables quick
and valuable usage. The site is wholly free to use and is frequently
used by teachers, pupils, college students and professors from all
around the world. The site includes an English section with every
topic necessary for GCSE level exams, coursework advice and practise
papers with answers. Finally there is also a Bookshop where carefully
selected texts have been added to give that extra bit of help.
T.
S. Eliot: Bruce
Bong has produced a very personal view of the work of T. S. Eliot.
Bong attempts to imitate the style of his other literary hero, Raymond
Chandler. This is unsuccessful but Bong does supply a list of websites
that are useful to anybody studying the work of T.S. Eliot. The website
provides links to T. S. Eliot discussion groups, articles and other
sites that contain biographical details of the writer. Bong also includes
examples of poems where the writers have attempted to parody Eliot's
style. The website also directly links you to websites where you can
print out Eliot's poems.
Under5s is the site for everyone
involved in pre-school education and childcare; teachers, nursery
nurses, students, child minders, nannies, and of course, parents.
The creators of this website believe that preschool is the most important
stage for learning; positive experiences provided at this time having
a lifelong influence. The authors also believe that education should
be fun, and actively encourage learning through play. The site has
free information and resources, including - topic webs, lesson plans,
worksheets, colouring pages, activities and more. It is also an interactive
site with message boards, feedback forms and polls.
Mathematics
A+
Math is an interactive educational math web site that includes
games, flashcards, worksheets and homework helper sections. Teachers,
parents and students can use the web site to print flashcards or worksheets,
either custom or automatically generated. Students can practice problems
by solving worksheets or flashcards online and A+ Math will determine
how many they got correct.
Discovery
School WebMath: Discovery School provides educational content
and tools for teachers, students and parents. For teachers, the site
has over 300 comprehensive lesson plans supported by Discovery Channel
School video and an array of teacher tools. As well as Maths students
can find tools and information in the areas of English, Social Studies
and Science. Parents can also find information on educational products
and articles for helping their students in school on the site.
Footee:
The website, aimed
at 7-11 year olds, contains football related educational games and
movies (tutorials). Offline materials include free teaching pack for
teachers including lesson plans, activity sheets, poster and teaching
video. Footee combines fun, football and education and aims to motivate
children to learn through their love of football and interactive gaming.
Design
& Technology
Buckminster
Fuller: In this new addition to the Design and Technology Department
concerns the life and work of the engineer Buckminster Fuller. A visionary
who amongst other things gave us 'Geodesic Dome Structures' and the
futuristic 'Dymaxion car'. The invention of the geodesic dome was
a solution to the pressing housing problem at the time. Buckminster
Fuller also developed the first mass produced, prefabricated plastic
and duralumin houses. Buckminster Fuller was the first person to coin
the phrase 'Spaceship Earth'. He strongly believed that the creative
abilities of mankind were unlimited and that the use and development
of technology and design-led solutions would create a positive future.
German
Design Project:
Busstops is part of the five-year 'Art in the Public Sphere' project
in Lower Saxony, Germany, that was funded by the state lottery (Toto-Lotto).
Nine designers from all over the world were given the task of designing
a bus stop waiting room. The designers from America, Poland, Czech
Republic, Hungary, Italy and Spain, selected their sites from among
a pre-selected list of bus stops. Each site created problems that
the designers had to solve. For example, Alessandro Mendini from Milan
had the problem of designing a street-car stop at Steintor/Kurt Schumacher
Strabe, an area that has two extremely narrow, 50-yard-long boarding
areas. The finished bus stop waiting rooms, plus comments from the
designers concerned, are now available from this website and could
be used as a good starting point for a design & technology project.
Science
Response
and Restoration: The website for the Office of Response and Restoration
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a US government
agency. Staff members respond to oil spills and hazardous materials
accidents, and aid in the cleanup of hazardous wastesites in the coastal
zone. The website offers software, training materials, photos, and
information to emergency responders, students and teachers, and other
interested people.
Einstein
Revealed: This website produced by the WGBH radio and television
station, illustrates Einstein's revision of Newtonian physics through
a series of illustrated articles, a timeline and interactive games.
'The Time Traveller Game' needs a shockwave plug-in and a compatible
browser. There is also a Teacher's Guide available that suggests ways
that the material can be used in the classroom. The notes also include
a series of experiments that can be used to explain some of Einstein's
ideas.
National
Library of Medicine: The U.S. National Library of Medicine web
site provides free access to a wide variety of health information
for both health professional and the public. MEDLINE is the database
with 11 million easily searchable references and abstracts to the
scientific literature for covering the past 40 years. MEDLINEplus
has health information for the public, including useful information
on 500 "health topics," an illustrated medical encyclopedia,
information about prescription and nonprescription drugs, and tutorials
for patients on specific conditions. Students will especially want
to visit "The Visible Humans" - detailed computerized anatomical
data derived from cadavers, and "Profiles in Science," which
has extensive information about prominent 20th Century medical scientists,
including photographs, correspondence, and lab notes.
Geography
HungerWeb:
A website sponsored by the World Hunger Program and produced by Brown
University. The authors point out that the main "aim of the site
is to help prevent and eradicate hunger by facilitating the free exchange
of ideas and information regarding the causes of, and solutions to,
hunger." The information is organized under: Research, Field
Work, Advocacy & Policy and Education & Training. As well
as the World Hunger Education Service, the material is supplied by
Food First Information and Action Network and Hunger Notes, an online
journal. There is also a clear and concise introduction, explaining
the issues of hunger and malnutrition.
Sociology
Sociology
Online is a website that carries essays, interactive quizzes/crosswords
and slideshows on subjects within the domains of criminology, politics
and sociology. It also carries a regularly updated SocioNews page
from which students and teachers can link to other relevant materials
on the Internet. The website is intended primarily for A Level and
undergraduate students and their teachers/lecturers.
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.
