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Item (linked) |
Rationale |
Listservs or
Forums
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ncte-talk-kitchen
|
I started out with ncte-talk, but I was overwhelmed
with 100+ messages a day, so I unsubscribed and subscribed to ncte-talk-kitchen,
which is supposed to have a lower volume. Still, I'm receiving an
average of 30 messages a day. I have gotten some really good ideas
on lesson plans from them, but you have to weed through some junk, too.
Some people seem to use the listserv for whining. For example, one woman
wrote that she was upset that her school was getting a new principal for
next year because she was afraid he was going to change things. However,
there have been some good discussions on topics, such as class size, and,
as I said, I've gotten some good lesson ideas and useful websites from
this listserv. Therefore, I would recommend ncte-talk-kitchen for
English teachers as long as they have the time and patience to sort through
all of the messages. |
|
grendel
|
This listserv focuses on medieval literature.
The traffic has been really low, though. I've only received one message
from someone that was looking for ideas for teaching Beowulf. I'm
going to stay on until the school year starts and see if it gets better. |
EnglishTeachersHS
k-12Teaching
|
These are both yahoogroups. I haven't received
any messages from either one, so I don't know if they are good or not.
I will wait to see if they become active when school starts. |
Telecollaborative
Projects
|
The
Computer Chronicles Learning Circles
|
The Computer Chronicles looks really neat.
It is one of iEarn's learning circles projects. For the Computer
Chronicles project, your class works with 7-9 other classes on your
grade level to publish an online newspaper. The objectives of the
project are to develop and improve reading, writing, and communication
skills. Each class participating in the project will sponsor one
section of the newspaper and solicit articles from its partner classes
and edit them to create that particular section, and then all the sections
are put together to make the newspaper. There are many themes
and project ideas given for teachers to choose from. Step-by-step
instructions are listed for the teacher for everything from getting ready
for the project to closure. Quotes from teachers who have participated
in this project are listed as well. Some said that it gave their
students' writing "a real purpose and audience." Others stated that
the project "stimulated global awareness" in their students. If you want
to participate in the Computer Chronicles, you must first register with
iEARN
and fill out a placement form. You will be notified in two
weeks as to who is in your learning circle. |
|
On
the Trail of Lewis and Clark
|
This is a collaborative social studies
and language arts project for grades 4-8. Each participating class
will research a different Native American tribe along the Trail and report
its findings online to the other classes that are participating in the
project. Each class will also design a board game that focuses on
the Expedition of Lewis and Clark. Each class can then exchange games
with other participating classes. There is a student pages link where
classes can post pictures of their board games, and some also posted class
pictures. Students are also able to participate in research challenges,
history reports, and online discussions about the ethics of historical
incidents. There is also a teacher support link that contains tips
for teachers and ideas for activities. In addition, students can
get help from a history expert online. If you have the time to spend
6-10 weeks on Lewis and Clark, I think students would enjoy this project
and learn a lot from participating in it, but most history teachers I know
seem to be rushed to cover a large amount of material in a short amount
of time. |
|
Building
Bridges
|
This is a year-long project for grades 4-8.
Participating classes are paired up and have the opportunity to participate
in one activity a month with their partner classes. Activities range
from exchanging data to parallel problem solving. All activities
are supposed to be closely tied to national standards for elementary and
middle schools. Last year's schedule of activities is posted on the
project's website, and I think they look like things kids of this age would
enjoy doing. I also think that since this project only involves one activity
a month, it might be more feasible than projects such as the Lewis and
Clark one in terms of time involved. To join this project send e-mail to
caddison@bbn.com |
|
Search Tools
|
Allexperts.com |
My students are required to do research papers
on topics related to their technical areas. I think allexperts.com
would be a good research tool for them to obtain reliable information because
it enables them to talk to volunteer experts on their particular topics.
The Health/Fitness and the Kids categories have many of my students' research
topics listed. I sent a question to an expert under the topic of diabetes
and received a response back within two hours. |
| MedHunt |
MedHunt is a specific search engine for medical
topics. It would also be a good place for my health professions students
to look for research for their papers. Credible information from doctors
and other medical professionals can be obtained here. Students are
also able to ask the doctors questions about their particular topics. |
| Infoplease.com |
Infoplease.com offers information from reputable
sources such as encyclopedias, almanacs, and government agencies.
I integrate all of the literature that I teach with history, so I conducted
some searches under the History/Government category. My searches
came up with some very good sites that I would recommend to my students.
However, Infoplease.com has many advertisements on its page, which could
be distracting to students. |
Lesson Plan
Sources
|
KidReach
Reading Center
|
KidReach is a lesson plan site specifically for reading
and literature teachers, grades k-12. You click on your grade level,
and it shows you novels, plays, poetry and short stories for which they
have lesson plans available. In addition to plans for specific works
of literature, this site also contains a bank of "extra activities" such
as ideas for journals and reading groups. At this site, I found two lessons,
one for Macbeth and one for Frankenstein, that I would use
with my seniors. I also think several of the extra activities, such as
the collage activity, contain good ideas for getting kids excited about
reading. |
| HealthTeacher |
HealthTeacher is a lesson plan site specifically for
health teachers of all grade levels. There is a wide array of topics
here for health teachers to choose from, and the lessons are very well-organized.
For example, each lesson I looked at contained a materials/preparation
list, specifically stated objectives, and step-by-step instructions for
the teacher. I teach students in the Health and Human Services cluster
at Sussex Tech, and I found some ideas here that I could use for integration.
I also e-mailed the URL to our health professions teacher! |
Data Sets or
Online Tools
|
ElectraGuide |
This online tool helps students find topics, formulate
thesis statements, and build outlines for persuasive essays. First,
the students click on "Topic-o-Rama" and scroll through a list of 50 topics.
I thought most of them were quite good. For the thesis statement,
students have to answer six questions about their topic. Then, at the click
of a button, ElectraGuide arranges the information provided by the student
into a thesis statement. Once the student has a thesis statement,
he/she clicks on "Outline" and ElectraGuide walks him/her through writing
the outline, placing the major headings where they belong. The student
adds the details. ElectraGuide is a good tool for students who have
trouble narrowing their topic and organizing their ideas. However,
students should be warned that they can't use the outline as ElectraGuide
gives it to them; they must add in specific details. I would also hope
that after using ElectraGuide a couple of times, the students would feel
more comfortable writing thesis statements and outlines and no longer need
it. |
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