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resources for your classroom.
Sites to See: April Fooled!
Today's Web users can select from millions of Web pages created by experts, pseudo-experts, enthusiasts, fanatics, and the just plain ignorant. With so many resources -- some exemplary and some artfully packaged trash -- how can students tell what's real and what's not? These sites provide April Fools Day fun and all-year media literacy lessons.
Strategies That Work: Curbing Cheating
A 1998 national survey found that four out of five top high school students admitted to cheating at some point. Is cheating a problem in your school? Education World explored that issue with students, teachers, and other experts who offered workable strategies to curb cheating.
Twenty-Five Activities to Keep Kids' Brains Active in the Hot Summer Sun
As students set out on summer adventures, send their parents a much-needed "life preserver" -- a list of 25 activities to share and enjoy with their children. These fun activities cover all subjects and grades; you will find something for everyone.
Lessons for War
As the war in Iraq heads into its third week, teachers at every grade level are struggling for ways to help students deal with the war and with issues related to the war. To aid you in that effort, Education World has collected some age-appropriate online lesson plans.
How Busy Is Your Class's Tooth Fairy?
First graders from around the world will keep track of their missing baby teeth as part of an Internet Tooth Tally Project sponsored by Wilburn Year Round Elementary School in Raleigh, North Carolina. The students will also practice their computation, graphing, and map-reading skills as they participate in the project.
Teens Explore Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Have you noticed that your high school students get too little sleep? Have you noticed that a lack of sleep might affect the school performance of your students? Science teacher Andrea Lynne Winkle is using the Internet to collect data related to students' sleep patterns. Any high school teacher is invited to participate!
Web Site Tracking Everest Ascent
STEPOnline.com, a Web site that promotes healthful choices for teens, turns an Everest expedition into a mountain of lessons about facing personal challenges.
Worldwide Internet Math Project a Shoe-in for Success!
Students across the United States and the world joined fifth-grade students from Connecticut to count the number of metal eyelets on their shoes. The collected data is being compared, graphed, and calculated!
The Bancroft Arnesen Expedition: Two Teachers Take to the Ice to Expand Classroom Walls
Braving wind and ice, Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen attempt to become the first women to cross Antarctica. As educators, they realize that the expedition could serve as an inspiration to children. As they struggle to attain their lifelong goal, they share their experiences with kids through the Internet. Included: A teacher and her students share their reactions to this ultimate virtual field trip!
Who Said That? How to Cite Electronic Resources
Increasingly, students are using electronic resources for researching papers, projects, and reports. This week, Education World explores a variety of bibliographic styles for citing those resources. Included: Four mini style guides students can save -- and use!
Fact, Fiction, or Opinion?
Evaluating Online Information
The Internet is a rich source of information---and a prolific dispenser
of misinformation. Help your students learn to tell the difference!
Included: Links to site evaluation tools!
Getting Started on the Internet: The Key to Keypal Success!
Keypals (computer keyboard pen pals) are a popular tool for developing students' communication, language, and keyboarding skills -- and more! The key to keypal success lies in careful planning and commitment. Included: What teachers are doing to create successful keypal exchanges, and online resources to help teachers locate keypals!
Scavenger Hunts: Searching for Treasure on the Internet!
Internet scavenger hunts are a way for students to practice problem solving, improve their reading and comprehension skills, and learn how to search the Internet. This week, Education World shows you how it's done.
Included: A sampling of online scavenger hunts for students of all ages!
Kathy Schrock: An Educator's Best Friend!
Technology guru Kathy Schrock explores the Net to find the best sites for educators. In this exclusive Education World interview, Schrock talks about how she got started, and about the books and the Web site that she has created to help teachers work the Internet into their lessons.
"Flat Students" Go Down on the Farm!
"Four or five years ago, I couldn't understand why anyone would want [a computer] cluttering their classroom…" says teacher Becky Ross. But Ross is a convert now! The "Flat Stanley" Internet project, based on the children's book of the same name by Jeff Brown, has spawned a new activity that has her "flat students" visiting farms all over the world!
Getting Started on the Internet: Developing an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for Internet use is one of the most important documents a school will produce. Creating a workable AUP requires thoughtful research and planning. Education World offers food-for-thought and a few useful tools for educators faced with developing a workable AUP for their school's students.
Apple and Pumpkin PIE (Poetry Is Exciting)!
One teacher's successful "Apple a Day" Internet project has spawned a new project. Join teacher Susan Silverman in the "Pumpkin Patch" this year. Getting involved is as easy as pie!
Getting Started on the Internet: Safe Surfing
How can teachers and computer specialists help teach students the skills they need to be efficient and safe Internet surfers? Education World offers ideas and Internet resources for tackling the task in this article, the sixth article in our "Getting Started on the Internet" series.
The Internet Safety Debate
Yes, it's OK to filter Internet content in schools. No, students should learn how to handle the Internet as it is. The debate continues... no solution in sight.
Getting Started on the Internet: Add YOUR Name to a Listserv -- TODAY!
Every teacher should join a listserv. Listservs offer a quick and easy way to connect with teachers around the world. Don't miss out on the sharing, the learning, and the fun!
Included: Links to hundreds of listservs for educators.
Getting Started On the Internet: Simple Projects!
The fourth article in our Getting Started series focuses on simple projects. Join Trudy Schnorr's third graders as they count insects and other creepy crawlies! Join in -- see what's bugging other classes around the world!
Included -- Links to tons of other simple projects!
Getting Started on the Internet: Searching the Web Is as Easy as ABC!
The third article in our Getting Started series focuses on simple searching. Teacher Tammy Payton's first graders are the super-est searchers around! Her "easy-as-ABC" project can work at any grade level.
Included -- Ideas for searching across the grades and the curriculum!
Getting Started On the Internet: Start Simply!
The Internet? Don't even think about it -- yet! First, use a few simple activities to get students comfortable with using the computer as a word processing tool.
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