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Art
Critical Thinking
Economics and Business
Home Economics
Guidance
Languages
Bi-lingual / ESL/ELD
Music
Special Education
Physical Education
Public Speaking/Theatre
Technology / Internet / Research

ALSO SEE: THESE 'ASK ERIC' LESSON PLAN SITES:
Health
Interdisciplinary
Physical Education
Vocational Education

and

Health Science Curriculum Online (NIH)



Gateway to Art History -- Blue Web'n Reviews says this site "is a great find for art history or western civilization teachers! Designed as an online supplement to the text book Gardner's Art Through the Ages, this hotlist's links lead to all the major periods of art studied in most western art history courses. "

ArtMuseum.net -- Created by Intel, these online exhibits are based on exhibits from a variety of museums around the world. Best clicks are the Family Fun games and Director's Tour,
both found at the Whitney exhibit. Some of the pieces are controversial. Preview first

Humanities websites -- This site includes the best humanities websites on the internet. Edsitement is a program of the National Endowment for the Humanities in the United States. It includes teacher guides and classroom materials and covers K-12, but focuses on middle and high school.

National Gallery of Art -- Permanent collection and special exhibitions. Many famous paintings are available for viewing on-line.

Art in Mathematics -- This resource guide at the Apple Learning Exchange describes the many connections between art and math and offers some excellent sites for further exploration of fractals, the Golden Ratio and much more. Great opportunity for integrated lessons.

Modernism in Middle School -- Art teacher Denise Mastroieni and librarian/drama teacher Kathy Tilley developed an interdisciplinary study uniton early modernism for their middle school students. Read how they did it at the National Gallery of Art website.

@rt room -- Written in an approachable and fun manner, this resource provides numerous guides for art activities. ". . . kids are offered opportunities to create, to discover, to imagine, to invent, to learn, and to make their thoughts become things."

Why is Mona Lisa Smiling? -- A ThinkQuest interactive exploration of Leonardo DaVinci. Developed by high school students in the U.S. and Sweden.

Art For Sale - A complete interdisciplinary lesson on the Web. Your art brokerage firm has been contacted by a rich entrepreneur. She made millions of dollars developing computer games, but her real interest is art. Currently she owns a vast European art collection including pieces by the famous artists VanGogh, Miro, DaVinci, and Rembrandt. However, her recent travels to the Pacific Northwest have peaked her interest in the cultures of that area. She has decided to add three pieces from that region to her collection. It is your job to research the art of the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Kwakiutl, and other tribes of the Northwest Coast and to select three pieces to add to her collection.

Arts in Education Resource Library - Large collection of arts advocacy resources collected by the national PTA. Includes many resources on arts standards.

ASK ERIC Arts Lesson Plans - Lots of well-documented lessons.

Eyes on Art - Seven creative activities to cultivate student interest in art. One activity has students examine pairs of paintings and answer probing questions about them.

Marilyn's Imagination Factory - Here's a site that can help students turn solid waste into art as they learn about recycling and environmental issues.

Leonardo! - One of the best sites devoted to the original "renaissance man" features the Leonardo De Vinci Museum.

Diego Rivera Virtual Museum -- Highlights the beauty and passion of noted Mexican muralist and activist Diego Rivera. You can learn about his life, view many artworks, tour a Live3D gallery, and explore his writing. Available in both Spanish and English versions.

Arts Links and Lessons - Developed by a Tennessee art professor.

NevaSoft Art Resources -- Links to art lessons and activities.



Mission: Critical -- A self-paced interactive tutorial for critical thinking. Introduces students to the basic concepts of logic and reasoning.

World Builders -- Talk about higher order thinking! This site supports a course about designing entire planets. It includes lessons, many links to web pages, teacher resources, science notes, and planets created by teams of teachers who participated in the course. Developed for a university course, it has been used by K-12 teachers to develop world-building units. The developers describe their course as a model of "constructivist and problem-based learning"

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page -- Extensive site helps meet the needs of parents and educators of gifted children. Included are articles, research, books, organizations, conferences, on-line support groups, academic programs, products, and organizations that support gifted education locally, nationally, and globally. Teachers of the "non-gifted" will find ideas here, too.

WebQuests -- The label "webquest" has become a popular way to describe inquiry-based activities, and quite a few education sources are using the term. These "WebQuests" were created by graduate students in telecommunications courses at National-Louis University. This page lists topics but you'll have to explore further to determing grade and difficulty level. For a deeper discussion and exploration of the Webquest phenomenon, visit The Web Quest Page.

Why Is the Mona Lisa Smiling? -- This ThinkQuest project by students at NYC's John F. Kennedy High School explores a theory that the Mona Lisa is actually a painting of Leonardo DaVinci himself. Teachers who are curious about ThinkQuest and collaborative Internet projects will gain much insight from this brief essay by the students' teacher, Steve Feld.




The Economic Education Website -- A good resource for economics educators, K-12 through college. Lesson plans, a multitude of annotated links.

The National Council on Economic Education -- This nonprofit partnership of leaders in education, business, and labor is devoted to helping youngsters learn to think, choose, and function in a changing global economy. At the top of the site, click on "Standards" for NCEE's set of voluntary curriculum standards and benchmarks of what students in grades 4, 8, and 12 should know about economics.

Consumer Education for Teens -- "Do you really want 10 CDs for a penny? Find out here." The International Baccalaureate InfoTech III/IV class at Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines,
Wash., created this site as a special project for the Washington State Attorney General's Office. This resource, developed by teens, helps teenagers (a group commonly targeted by businesses and scam artists) become educated consumers, as well as giving them somewhere to turn if they have questions or get ripped off. Teens can learn not only about music clubs, but about tattoos,
telemarketers, telephone calling cards, and more.

Economics -- Looking for ways to integrate economics into your daily lesson plans? This site offers links to teacher resources, exchange rate calculators, and even the U.S. and Canadian national debt clocks.

Economics Education -- Brought to you by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, this site offers curriculum materials, publications and resources, and links to other sites.

Merrill Lynch Family Saving Center -- This site offers ideas for teaching students about saving and investing. Merrill Lynch worked with the *Wall Street Journal Classroom Education* and the Bank
Street College of Education to create materials and activities for all grade levels. Visit the Teachers' Page for an activity--complete with handouts--on investigating investments.

SMG 2000: The Stock Market Game -- The Stock Market Game (SMG2000) is an electronic simulation of Wall Street trading, designed to help students and adults understand the stock market, the costs and benefits involved in decisionmaking, the sources and uses of capital, and other related economic concepts. Teams of students in grades 4-12 compete against each other during the fall and spring semesters of each year.

Internet Resources for Teachers of Economics in Secondary Schools -- Robert Dixon, an economics professor at the University of Melbourne, has compiled a comprehensive guide to teaching economics in secondary schools.

Stef's Education Site -- Excellent teacher-developed site with information, lesson plans, and professional development tips in accounting, economic, business law, computer applications. Includes some middle school applications.
CNBC Student Stock Tournament -- The tournament portfolio begins with $10,000 in "virtual money." Teams of students may trade any common or preferred stocks valued at $5 or more listed on the three major exchanges. Teams can own up to 20 stocks. Quarterly prizes. For grades 4-12.

Great Ideas for Teaching Marketing -- The tips are teacher-tested and written and that they are categorized by marketing topics (product, consumer behavior, pricing, etc.). From South-Western College Publishing.

Final Bell: Play the Market -- This CNN-sponsored game begins every two months, but you can enter at any time. Includes a tutorial. Grand prize is a laptop computer but smaller prizes are awarded daily.

Think Smart -- A ThinkQuest winner designed by high school students, which lets you play the market, but unlike many other sites, you must pay broker fees and you can borrow money to increase your investments. Includes the students' own "real life experiences."

Wall Street Sports -- Another stock market simulation, but this time students can buy shares of favorite athletes and trade them like any other stock. Successful investors can win prizes.

Good News Bears Stock Market Project --This 1995 middle school project is still very useable and includes lesson plans, student handouts, etc. The site was originally created as an online competition to teach students to use research tools to develop a stock portfolio, to be able to track and manage stocks, and to recognize the effects of economic indicators and other factors on the stock market.

Lemonade Stand --This classic small business simulation nvites students to explore the law of supply and demand. Players must decide how much lemonade to make, how much to charge for each cup, and how much to spend on advertising. This could be part of a unit on profit. Appropriate for elementary and middle grades.

Adbusters -- Adbusters magazine regularly challenges our commercial-saturated, consumer-obsessed culture. The Adbusters website reflects the magazine's goal of raising our consciousness about the hundreds of commercial messages we are bombarded with daily. The site could be part of a balanced exploration of commercialism and can help students "question what's presented." Students will also enjoy the Adbuster spoofs on popular ads like Calvin Klein and Joe Camel.

The Center for Commercial-Free Public Education -- Established by critics of Channel One, this site provides information about increasing corporate involvement in American schools -- from the opposition's point of view. A related site, "Corporate Watch," also examines the connections between public schools, corporate marketing, and business support of vouchers.

Edustock - Designed to teach what the stock market is and how students can become investors. Developed by high school students as part of the ThinkQuest competition (won "best entry"). Well done!

Aunt Edna's Kitchen -- Great resource for home economics teachers. Includes recipes, nutrition information, and cooking utilities. Actually, it's a good site for anyone who likes to cook!

Nutrition Navigator -- This online guide is designed to "help you sort through the large volume of nutrition information on the Internet and find accurate, useful nutrition information you can trust." Search the site or browse links for kids, parents, and educators. Sites are reviewed by Tufts University nutritionists and are updated quarterly.

Home Economics Resources Online -- With a message board and categorized links, this resource helps home economics teachers connect and share resources.

Food Zone -- This award-winning "way cool" site is for grades 8-12, with information on nutrition, the cell and the digestive system; includes intermediate and advanced experiments and quizzes, as well as a resource section for teachers.


Please suggest resources for this section

Education World's "Guidance Week" resources -- A collection of useful links.
A Collection of Guidance Resources -- A great "starter" list for folks looking for guidance resources on the Web -- but with a heavy emphasis on high school and college admissions counseling.

American School Counselor Association -- See especially the links page, and the separate page on social and emotional counseling.

Adolescent Directory On-Line -- Resources on adolescent development, conflict and violence, mental health, health risks, and student-oriented materials.

College Is Possible -- Created by the Coalition of America's Colleges and Universities to address the concerns of families preparing to send kids to college. The site offers lots of great advice on the importance of advance preparation both financially (parents) and academically (students). The site also offers resources to help families choose the right college.

Middle School Advisories -- "Many middle-school programs suffer from poorly implemented advisories," notes Education World in this special report on ways to improve "the linchpin of the middle-school movement." Says one education professor/expert: "Too often advisory groups are too large (more than 20 students) and the time is too brief (less than 20 minutes). It isn't unusual to find that little or no in-service preparation was invested in preparing teachers and the program, resulting in highly diverse commitments." (Also see this article on revamping advisories.)

Adolescent Risk-Taking -- These materials, prepared by the Casey Journalism Center for Children and Families from the work of Lynn E. Ponton, MD, author of The Romance of Risk: Why Teenagers Do the Things They Do, appeared on a listserve for journalists who cover children and youth. They include: "Guiding a Child or Teen in Risk Assessment;" "Adolescent Risk-Taking: Healthy vs. Unhealthy;" and "Ten Tips for Parents: Understanding Your Adolescent's Behavior."


Foreign Language Instruction

Latin Lovers -- The Latin teachers at Homestead High School have figured out how to make learning the dead language a lively experience! Engage your students with Latin translations of modern tunes like "American Pie," "Fire and Rain," and the King (the Memphis one, of course).

Alta Vista Translation Service -- This site will translate a text or URL for a webpage from English to Spanish, French, Portuguese, German or Italian or vice versa. Blue Web'n review says "the grammar and accent marks aren't perfect but a surprisingly understandable translation appears."

Spanish Family History Project -- Each student in the Spanish Immersion class at James Link Middle School (San Francisco) produced a family history page as part of this project. Most are in Spanish. Nicely done -- teachers can draw good ideas from this, and Spanish readers will enjoy persuing the family histories.

Kokone -- This Spanish-language kids' site is about Mexico's culture. It includes some great information about the indigenous peoples --- their traditional culture and lifestyle, and their impact on modern culture. The site is mostly in Spanish, but one excellent area ---Animals of the Ancient Miztecs--- is translated into English. This is the kind of site that will make kids want to learn Spanish just so they can spend time exploring this site. (Education World A+ site)

Hot Internet Sites en Espanol! -- Created by educator Beth Bustamante, this hotlist includes elementary, secondary, and teacher resource links.

ASK ERIC foreign languages lesson plans -- Well-documented lessons.

Spanish Language Books -- Here's a searchable database of more than 3000 recommended books in Spanish for children and adolescents published around the world. Bi-lingual site.

Japanese On-Line - A free, 16-lesson Japanese language course. Includes dialogues, grammar, vocabulary, cultural and sound files. Teaches Japanese language and culture through the vehicle of an English-speaking family moving to Tokyo. Prococious middle schoolers can manage alone.

Sign Language - Students can learn more about American Sign Language at this animated personal page.

Human Language Page - Pulls together quite an array of language resources on the Internet. Some sites actually do the translation for you! You can also try the military's Linguist's Network.

Tennessee Bob's Famous French Links - an exhaustive list of Francophone websites. Need a subway map to Paris?

Webspañol -- Translated Beatles lyrics, Spanish penpals, and lots of fun and useful stuff. Take the Spanish test and find out your language level.

Mundo Hispano - The Spanish Language Learning MOO. Who? Find out here.

ABC daily newspaper - See the latest issue of the prominent Spanish daily.

Mucho - Lots of links to Spanish-language newspapers, cultural sites, and literary archives.

Bilingual Books For Kids -- Commercial site offers a wide variety of books with side-by-side English and Spanish texts. This site has thousands of children and young adult books in Spanish.

German Studies - The German Internet Project at UNC-Greensboro is one of the most comprehensive sites for German teachers.

Japanese Language and Cultural Network - Contains curriculum material for Japanese classes.

The Diego Rivera Virtual Museum -- Highlights the beauty and passion of noted Mexican muralist and activist Diego Rivera. Available in both Spanish and English versions.


Bi-Lingual and English as a Second Language

Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs -- Oversees educational programs and services available under the Bilingual Education Act. (Also known as Title VII of the Improving America's Schools Act.), including grants to meet the educational needs of limited English proficient (LEP) children and to strengthen the professional development of personnel who work with these students.

National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE) -- Funded by Title VII, NCBE provides a dynamic resource of information in numerous formats, and offers services for meeting professional educational needs.

Center for Applied Linguistics -- Terrific resource on issues of language and culture, bi-lingual education, "ebonics," teaching foreign language in the early grades, and more. CAL also manages the ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics.

Dave's ESL Cafe -- See especially the Ideas and Hints of the Day sections.

New standards for English Language Development -- Groundbreaking content standards for ELD/ESL programs hold out the promise that non-native English speakers in the Long Beach schools will make more rapid progress through the labyrinth of bilingual and sheltered language programs. Look at some of Maria's writing and her teacher's standards-based analysis and read about a school with 60 % ESL kids that once had only a "30 % program".

Bilingual Language Academies -- You'll find lots of bilingual resources at this site for bilingual schools in the San Francisco area.

English as a Second Language -- Super site for teachers of English as a Second Language. The monthly magazine The Internet TESL Journal includes articles, research papers, lesson plans, classroom handouts, teaching ideas, and additional resources. Lots of links.

Teaching Reading to Bilingual Students -- This article in School Administrator discusses some of the latest research in the area.

The National Association for Bilingual Education -- Includes discussion of the 10 components of a good bilingual program.

Multilingual and Multicultural -- A comprehensive site from the University of Southern California's Center for Multilingual, Multicultural Research. Focus on Latino and language-minority teachers.

Practical Ideas on Alternative Assessment for ESL Students -- ERIC Digest.

ESL Home Page -- Designed as a starting point for ESL learners but useful for teachers, also.

Optimal Resources in ESL -- University of Oregon professor's ESL site has up-to-date info.


Essentials of Music -- This site is like having a music textbook online, says one reviewer. Check out the glossary, where you can read the definition for saxophone, then click to hear an example of tenor sax in Ravel's "Bolero." Eras and Composers round out the offerings.

Energy In The Air: Sounds From The Orchestra -- Research keeps reaffirming the benefits of listening to music, especially orchestral music, on the development of higher brain function. If you want to get your class interested in orchestral music, then this is the site for you. Features downloadable music clips, information about the instruments, quizzes, and a section on sound waves. (Education World A+ site)

Allegro -- Music education search site puts resources for music educators and students
at your fingertips. You can search categories ranging from curriculum resources to musical games.

Music Education Directory -- This site offers different categories of links for music teachers, divided into pedagogy, resources, professionalism, and community.

Music Education Launch Site -- Organized to offer four different "launch pads"-- for people interested in learning more about music, for music educators, for music education Web publishers, and for people who just want to have fun with music.

Music Teachers National Association Homepage

Music Notes: An Interactive Online Musical Experience -- Did you know that the jazz movement began in the 1890s? Or that the 17th century version of the violin family had instruments with 6 strings instead of 4? This site is full of music history, theory, styles, and some great games to test your musical IQ. (ASCD Bulletin)

A Musical Way of Learning -- WGBH/Boston offers some wowing statistics on the power of music education. Make sure to follow the link to tips and resources for helping music education in your school.

MusicNet -- This activity provides students with an interactive Music Education encyclopedia, tips from inside the music profession, and contests. For grades 6-12.

Mozart's Magical Musical Life -- Blue Web'n says "kids will love this interactive biography of Johannes Amadeus Mozart. The storybook is embellished with pictures, hypertext links to details, and audio files of Mozart's compositions."

Internet Piano Page -- Collection of classical piano pieces (MIDI format) played by concert pianists. Organized by composer (from Bach to Schumann), you'll find a nice sampling of each artist's work. Some pages include a link to the composer's biography. (Surfin' the Net)

Music, The Universal Language! -- Created by a music educator, this site includes lesson plans and techniques gathered during the author's twenty-plus years of teaching. Viewers can contribute lessons as well. In addition to the lessons, the site offers seasonal activities, music games, articles, news, and interviews. Users can listen to audio files or download pictures of various instruments.

Operabase -- Opera fans the world over, but especially in North America and Europe, will enjoy this major online resource. Available in six languages, the site hosts a database of 500 opera houses and festivals, searchable by keyword or browseable alphabetically (with numerous display options) or via clickable maps.

ASK ERIC Music Lesson Plans - Well-documented lessons.

Music Education - Resources from the Schrock links.

Music Online -- The MOTET Project seeks to merge the real-life performance world with on-line communication and the classroom to teach music. Includes telementoring, curriculum activities, virtual musical events, and more.

NevaSoft Music Resources -- Links to music lessons and activities.

Integrating Music Across the Curriculum

M.U.S.I.C. -- M.U.S.I.C. promotes the educational use of songs by teachers in all subject areas hence, extending the study of music beyond traditional General Music programs.


PE Lessons -- Youthline USA got it right when they wrote recently that "good physical education sites are not easy to find." They offer these solutions: Sports Media; Physical Education Lesson Plans, and especially Ayden Elementary School Physical Education (this site has over 400 links to other PE resources).

Non-Traditional Gymnastics -- "This is one jumpin' site about all non-traditional forms of gymnastics including creative, educational, developmental, and movement-based gymnastics. You'll find lesson plans, activities, assessments, a message board, and more! PE teachers should definitely check this site out for some great stuff on a developmentally sound curriculum for the wide range of ability levels we find in every class." (Education World review)


The Virtual Presentation Assistant -- An online tutorial for improving public speaking and classroom presentation skills. Includes selecting and researching your topic, analyzing your audience, supporting your points, using visual aids, public speaking Web links, and much more.

Middle School Theatre Program -- Actress Connor Snyder has developed a great service for middle school theatre arts programs, and schools can now purchase rights to single plays written specifically for middle schoolers at a modest cost. Visit the site to find out all about it!



The IDEA Practices Website --The latest news, legal updates, promising practices, and other information regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). And subscribe to a free monthly e-mail newsletter with IDEA-related news briefs, upcoming conferences and events, and new product and resource announcements.

Schwab Foundation for Learning -- Offers a wide range of services for parents and educators to provide information, support and resources to improve the lives of students with learning differences.

SERI - Special Education Resources on the Internet -- Large collection of well-indexed resources.

Council of Educators for Students with Disabilities -- The site contains disability law resources and a question and answer section for Section 504 and IDEA questions.

National Center to Improve Practice in Special Education -- Focus on technology, media.

Jerome & Deborah's BIG PAGE of Special Education Links -- They're not kidding!

LD Resources -- A variety of resources about learning disabilities.

LD Online -- Billing itself as "an interactive guide to learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and children," this site presents a wealth of information on the various types of learning disabilities and their treatments.

Autism Resources - Syracuse University's collection of worldwide links.

Sarah's Special Needs Resource Page -- Sarah Clutterbuck's page includes lesson ideas and content-oriented links.

Special Needs Education Network -- Canadian resource database includes information for parents, teachers, schools, and other professionals, individuals, groups, and organizations involved in the education of students with special needs.

Responses to Questions Teachers and Administrators Frequently Ask About Inclusive
School Programs -- Important questions schools and teachers need to examine as they pursue efforts to include more students in mainstream classes. Very useful KAPPAN article.

PlaneMath -- Tteaches mathematics through a set of highly interactive lessons on aeronautics. The site is designed to encourage students with physical disabilities to consider careers in aeronautics but is useful to all classrooms for its outstanding lessons. (Education World review)



Improving Student Research -- Catherine Trinkle, a library-media teacher at Hazelwood Junior High in New Albany, IN, developed this site to help students "articulate their information needs, locate the best print and electronic resources to meet those needs, and use information intelligently and creatively." Based on the I-Search methods developed by the Education Development Center, Ms. Trinkle's page includes some tips on teacher-librarian collaboration.

International Technology Education Association -- The professional organization of technology teachers. "Our mission is to promote technological literacy for all by supporting the teaching of technology and promoting the professionalism of those engaged in this pursuit. ITEA strengthens the profession through leadership, professional development, membership services, publications, and classroom activities." Excellent site with many resources, including information about the Technological Studies Series: Grades 6-8.

The Technology Teacher -- On-line articles from the ITEA journal.

Technology education deserves respect -- An e-mail letter from a tech teacher.

Technology Education Standards -- Some of the issues are discussed here. Two sets of technology education standards are emerging. The Standards for Technological Literacy, spearheaded by ITEA and the National Research Council, address the broad range of technology skills referred to here by Dan Queior. Another initiative, the National Educational Technology Standards for Students, led by the International Society for Technology in Education, concentrate on educational computing and technology-based instruction.]

Technology in the Classroom -- This dedicated section on the Education World website explores ed tech issues and resources. Includes an editorial by Lynn Schrum, past president of the International Society for Technology in Education, "Let's Put the Pedagogy First: Technology as a Tool to Support Instruction." Also see: "Building a Technology Library."

Great Sites for Teaching Technology -- Compiled by the Education World website.

Integrating "SimCity" into the middle grades curriculum -- A fifth/sixth grade teacher describes how she and her school's technology integration coordinator helped prepare students to meet state curriculum standards in geography, history and economics in this article "Almost the Real World." ( From "Voices from the Field," an online magazine published by The Education Alliance at Brown University.)

Tales from the Electronic Frontier-- In this book from WestEd, ten teachers share actual classroom experiences using the Internet in K-12 science and mathematics. Their vivid, first-hand accounts illustrate how this powerful tool can enhance teaching and learning. Drawing on teacher successes and dilemmas, "Tales" can help expand classroom resources, engage students in new ways and connect with other teachers. The book includes over 50 annotated resources, sharing information about online math/science organizations and Web sites. Offered in print and electronic formats.

Project-Based Learning With Multimedia -- Support site for a pioneering program in schools in California's San Mateo county. The information on the site is designed to support schools locally but is useful to a much wider audience. Excellent description of what project-based learning with multimedia is all about, with important resources for maintaining such a program. (Education World review)

From Now On -- "From Now On: The Educational Technology Journal" offers a lengthy list of useful articles about technology-related curriculum and assessment.

Professional Development for Technology -- The CEO Forum on Education and Technology report, "Professional Development: A Link to Better Learning," finds that although the number of schools with computers and internet connections has increased over the last year, there are still too many teachers unprepared to integrate technology into their classrooms. The report also highlights schools and programs that are models in the use and integration of technology -- and recommendations for improving professional development. Link leads to complete report (PDF file) and ordering information.

Web-Based Textbook Project-- It's called "SciLinks" and it promises to revolutionize textbook publishing. Supported by the National Science Teachers Association and major textbook publishers, SciLinks textbooks closely integrate print content with a website. A code appears in the margin of textbooks to indicate where Web-based material is available. Students and teachers can then type that code into the sciLINKS Web site to pull up those resources, which include science news, activities, access to experts and links to and descriptions of other Web sites. Holt, Rinehart & Wilson already has two textbooks available. This NSTA webpage explains the project.

The School Leader's Guide to Technology Issues -- "The Leader's Guide To Educational Technology" from the National School Boards Foundation offers tools to help school leaders and policymakers become aware of educational technology issues. Research, analysis, and recommendations for policymakers and school leaders on student achievement, educational equity, and workforce preparedness. Available on-line in three formats. Also see the AASA article: Technological Literacy for Administrators (April 1999).

The Mad Dash to Compute -- Respected educational psychologist and author Jane M. Healy raises questions about the trade-offs, developmental issues and long-term ramifications of technology use in schools. "New technologies hold enormous potential for education, but before any more money is wasted, we must pause and ask some pointed questions that have been bypassed in today's climate of competitive technophilia."

Student Research in the Information Age -- Schools without a strong commitment to student questioning and research are wasting their money if they install expensive networks linking classrooms to rich electronic information resources, says writer-educator Jamie McKenzie. "As long as schools are primarily about teaching rather than learning, there is little need for expanded information capabilities.... (T)hey may not be prepared for this New Information Landscape which calls for independent thinking, exploration, invention and intuitive navigation." McKenzie also supports a "Module Maker" tutorial for teachers interested in building online research modules that challenge student thinking.

Module Maker -- Guides teachers through the process of creating online research modules for their students. The research model includes advice on asking good questions, scaffolding the assignment to direct student efforts, and setting up the online module in stages. Includes examples and templates to help teachers get started.

Webmonkey for Kids -- If you want to teach kids HTML, here's a good starting point, says the Blue Web'n review. Webmonkey for Kids includes HTML and Web design lessons, project ideas and templates, and a guide for parents and teachers.

The Power of Project-Based Learning -- A technology teacher at a K-6 school in Idaho describes a "hands-on, minds-on" learning laboratory created nearly a decade ago by educators, parents, and community members "who wanted to harness the power of project-based learning." Since it's impractical to fund equipment for individual classrooms, the district allocates money for a teacher specialist and a dedicated room in the school for the program. Article at the George Lucas Educational Foundation site.

How to Evaluate Education Technology Programs -- This useful 100-page on-line handbook from the U.S. Department of Education can help school and district professionals who have little or no formal training in research or evaluation make good judgments about technology planning. The book guides users through each step of an evaluation process "as painlessly as possible." (Released 12/98)

Computer Science On-Line -- On this middle-school-based business education and computer science site you will find handouts, notes, and links to over 200 student based web projects -- and a complete computer science curriculum for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Also see the Crews Middle School Stock Market Handbook created for eighth grade students and the seventh grade LOGO - programming web-games students create using MicroWorlds. 

The Regional Technology in Education Consortia -- The Regional Technology in Education Consortia (R*TEC) program is established to help states, local educational agencies, teachers, school library and media personnel, administrators, and other education entities successfully integrate technologies into kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) classrooms, library media centers, and other educational settings, including adult literacy centers. The South Central offers a helpful on-line planning tool called "Profiler."

What Does the Research Say? -- This useful page on the "Technology & Learning" magazine website, "What Does the Research Say About Technology's Impact on Education?" outlines the research challenges: "You can find a study out there addressing almost any question you might ask. More likely, you'll find two--one that says the technology was helpful and another concluding that it made little difference." The introduction is followed by interviews with eight leading researchers -- and an annotated listing of research documents, many of them on-line.

Web Design for Students -- "Lissa's HTML Help and Web Page Resources for Kids" can help students in grades 3-8 create their first WWW pages. Lissa, a precocious 12-year-old, also describes "some pretty advanced stuff in easy-to-understand terms" (Education World). Lissa includes tips on where kids can find free webspace on the Internet.

Ask Jeeves for Kids -- You may have felt something was wrong as you watched students struggling to search for valuable sites on the Internet. Although many believe the answer was teaching students Boolean logic, the real answer was to be patient and wait for the Web to get smarter. It has, and Ask Jeeves is a great example. (from the Blue Web'n review.)

Multimedia Development Tools -- A collection of free tools from Georgia Tech Research Institute for analysis, design, management, production, and evaluation of multimedia projects. It offers 39 templates, forms, logs, checklists, and worksheets -- including everything from an "Assumptions Checklist" to a "User Interface Rating Form." Download in Word or Clarisworks.

Access to technology for inner-city middle schoolers
Walk around an inner-city junior-high school and you are likely to see few computers or other new technologies. And even when students have access to computers, they rarely get a chance to experiment or create with them. Most adolescents are not developing the skills and attitudes that they need to succeed in today's digital world. This article presents a vision of how inner-city youth can gain that fluency through the Computer Clubhouse, designed by the MIT Media Lab to provide inner-city youth with access to new technologies and with new ideas about learning and community.

Intel Resources and Tools for K-12 Education -- Intel created this site to increase technology literacy among students and inspire them to learn more about the science behind computer technology. Be sure to see The Journey Inside, a free technology education curriculum kit for students in grades 5-9. (Blue Web'n review)

webTeacher -- Teach yourself to master the Internet and integrate new technologies into student learning through this comprehensive, interactive, 80-hour, self-guided and self-paced tutorial, available to teachers free over the Internet. Created by teachers. Learn to navigate the 'Net, link to educational web sites, develop lesson plans, create your own home page.

Research on technology integration -- Emily Vickery, a former classroom teacher, who now consults with Apple Computer, the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, and other clients, answers a question about research on the use of technology in the curriculum. Includes links to other research discussions and resources.

AT&T Learning Network Virtual Academy -- Teachers can take on-line classes at accredited colleges and universities and discuss the latest teaching and technology trends with colleagues. Read a press release here. Site has a marketing aspect -- schools can earn "Learning Points" by banking ATT long-distance calls.

From Now On -- An educational technology journal. Direct access to many useful articles and research summaries.

eSchool News -- A weekly magazine about K-12 instructional technology.

ASK ERIC technology lesson plans -- Well-documented lessons.

Six Paths to China -- The Blue Web'n review describes "Six Paths to China" as "a living example" of Web teaching/learning strategies described in a seminal article on Web pedagogy: Working the Web for Education. Developed by the article's author, Tom March, "Six Paths to China" demonstrates how teachers can target student learning using a Topic Hotlist, Subject Sampler, Multimedia Scrapbook, Treasure Hunt, or WebQuest. This revised version of the popular website "Searching for China" includes "more scaffolding for student cognition and more effective use of the Internet."

Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal -- The goal of this new on-line publication is to introduce educators "to the reality and possibilities of applying the latest technology to teaching and learning in the middle school classroom." First issue includes stories about a learning game called "Kid Designer," a middle school nature area with a technology aspect, and the results of a two-year study focusing on gender, science education , and "the introduction of networked digital media for learning in middle schools." Produced at N.C. State University.

Model of Effective Dimensions of Interactive Learning on the World Wide Web -- Developed by a University of Georgia professor. Includes Powerpoint slides.

I*EARN -- Links schools, youth service organizations, human and environmental/ development agencies together in an effort to help international youth solve problems together by participating in concrete, meaningful projects using communications technologies. Visit their award-winning site, which includes descriptions of projects in social studies, language arts, science, and community service.

Leadership and the New Technologies -- This website supports school district leaders using technology to improve teaching and learning. It provides news, resources, links, online workshops, and discussion forums for members of the LNT community--superintendents, assistant superintendents, curriculum coordinators, technology coordinators, principals, technology committee members, and others with leadership roles in schools and school districts.

Managing Computers in Labs and Classrooms - an e-mail conversation.

The Academic Cooperative - Web site offers news, curriculum, grants and resources for secondary computer science, engineering and information technology educators. Includes a curriculum grant program for high school teachers supported by Microsoft.

Keeping Kids Safe in the World of Technology -- This hotlist by educator Linda Uhrenholt links to online safety guides, software, parent groups, library information and search engines for kids.

Girl Tech -- Girl Tech's mission is to encourage girls in technology use by creating products and services just for them. Colorful and lively with areas such as Chick Chat, Game Cafe, Invention, Girl Views, Sports, Girls' World, Bowtique, Tech Trips.

Headbone Derby - A website designed to teach 10-14 year olds a constructive framework with which to use the Internet. Includes research puzzles for students. Uses an engaging cartoon-story approach. Teachers' guide.

The Well Connected Educator -- Part of the Global Schoolhouse, this site shares "success stories, models, strategies, and specific examples of how to use technology for teaching and learning," as well as perspectives on key issues in educational technology.

The Technology Coordinator's Homepage - Integrating technology and instruction.

Resources for Technology Educators -- Some helpful links.

Distance Learning on the Web - How to use the WWW to create active learning experiences within a classroom-based course. Primer on "constructivism."

The Tech 10! Monthly -- The TECH Museum of Innovation selects and reviews 10 technology websites each month that the editors believe will be of interest to teachers and students. The emphasis is on middle grades and older audiences.

Teacher Tales from the Electronic Frontier -- Ten teachers recount how they used the Internet as a teaching tool for K-12 math and science. Intriguing descriptions of quality projects. Example: Linda Matson at Pease Middle School in San Antonio describes how "poor air quality in an urban school sparks student interest in science."

Tele-Learning -- Project OWLink seeks to create new models for teaching and learning with teledistance and the Internet. Includes math, science, English, and writing.





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