From: "Education World Reviews Newsletter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 14:34:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Education World Site Reviews Vol. 7 Issue 35
Education World Reviews ---------------------------------- Volume 7, Issue 35 August 27, 2002 ********************************************** Dear Education Professionals, Welcome to the Site Reviews Newsletter, published weekly as a free service by Education World(R)! You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to Education World's Site Reviews Distribution list. If you enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to forward it to other teachers! If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you may sign up at http://www.educationworld.com/maillist.shtml ********************************************** Education World's newsletter is brought to you by Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures(R) Why should you visit colgatebsbf.com? Because ... * It features hundreds of cross-curricular lessons and activities for grades K-3! * It offers the best in oral health education for kids! * It was developed by teachers just like you! Plus. . . The site is an EdPress Winner and was voted "Web Site of the Week" by Teaching K-8 Magazine! Featuring online activities as well as printables, this site makes learning fun! Also, check out the "Kids" and "Parents" sections, which provide terrific reinforcement for your classroom teaching. All content is ready-to-use and FREE! Visit us now at http://www.educationworld.com/go/base?id=COS ********************************************** THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS ********************************************** Meridian http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r0802-19.shtml Middle school computer technologies journal. Embassy of France: Just for Kids http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r0802-20.shtml Take a virtual tour of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. National Geographic GeoBee Challenge http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r0802-21.shtml Test your students' geography knowledge. Exploring Autism http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r0802-22.shtml A look at the genetics of autism. Jazz in America http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r0802-23.shtml Learn all about jazz. ****************************** REVIEWS ****************************** OVERALL GRADE: A Meridian http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian GRADE LEVEL: Professional CONTENT: A This online journal, published by graduate students at North Carolina State University, focuses on research and practice of computer technology in middle school classrooms. AESTHETICS: A With a minimum of graphics and a clever use of JavaScript, the site is attractive and user-friendly. PDF versions are available for printing. ORGANIZATION: A The main page has a left-side navigation menu as well as a bottom navigation bar that leads to the major sections of the site. Internal pages have a top and a bottom navigation bar for ease of movement within the site. REVIEW: A This electronic journal is dedicated to sharing and expanding teaching and learning with computer technologies in middle school classrooms and beyond. It offers a wealth of information for faculty, students, and practicing teachers, as well as an outlet for publishing research, articles, book excerpts, and commentary. The current issue includes articles dealing with such topics as school violence, gender differences in technology use, image processing, virtual field trips, and technology use in the earth sciences. All back issues of the journal are available in the Archive. RELATED REVIEWS: Teachers: Grades 6-8 http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/teachers.shtml#6-8 Teachers: Methods & Strategies http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/teachers.shtml#Methods%20&%20Strategies ------------------------------- OVERALL GRADE: B+ Embassy of France: Just for Kids http://www.info-france-usa.org/kids/index.html GRADE LEVEL: 3-8 CONTENT: B+ This site offers lots of information about the country of France, from its geography to culture and the arts. AESTHETICS: B+ The use of color, child-friendly graphics, and adequate spacing make the pages neat and attractive. ORGANIZATION: B+ A front-page image map provides access to the seven sections of the site. Internal pages have a left-side menu for navigating among the sections. REVIEW: B+ The Embassy of France: Just for Kids is a good starting point for students to get a glimpse of the country and culture or for teachers wanting quick facts to add to an area study. The content is organized into seven sections: France at a Glance, History and Geography, Culture and Art, Economy, Life in France, Apprends le France and Jeux Games. Students who are studying the French language can practice their skills by reading the articles from a French children's magazine. Although they are written entirely in French, each story has clickable words that display their English equivalents to help with understanding. Visitors to the site can also listen to an interview with the French ambassador or an audio clip of the national anthem. RELATED REVIEWS: Social Sciences: General http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/soc_sci.shtml Social Sciences: Area Studies http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/soc_sci.shtml#Area%20Studies Social Sciences: Culture http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/soc_sci.shtml#Culture ------------------------------ OVERALL GRADE: A National Geographic GeoBee Challenge http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/ GRADE LEVEL: 3-8 CONTENT: A This site features interactive geography quizzes that are geared toward students in grades 4-8 and are related to the National Geographic Society's annual Geographic Bee. AESTHETICS: A The GeoBee uses bright, child-friendly graphics that load very quickly and require no special plug-ins. Even classrooms with low bandwidth will find it useful. ORGANIZATION: A Navigation is as simple as clicking on the answer of choice and being transported to the next question. Previous quizzes are available from the navigation bar at the bottom of the main page. REVIEW: A The GeoBee Challenge is a great way for teachers to incorporate geography into the classroom. Interactive quizzes with only five short geography-related questions are posted daily, enabling students to participate in the challenge frequently. The National Geographic Society prepares all the material, and questions are similar to the ones asked in the annual Geographic Bee. Students are encouraged to try again if they answer a question incorrectly. Challenges for the three previous days are also posted. Included is a link to information on how to register and participate for prizes in the annual National Geographic Bee. RELATED REVIEWS: Social Sciences: Geography http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/soc_sci.shtml#Geography Internet: Interactive Web Sites http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/internet.shtml#Interactive%20Websites Students: Games & Fun Sites http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/students.shtml#Games%20&%20Fun%20Sites ------------------------------ OVERALL GRADE: A Exploring Autism http://www.exploringautism.org/ GRADE LEVEL: Parents, Professional CONTENT: A This site is dedicated to helping parents or anyone interested in staying abreast of the developments in the genetics of autism research. AESTHETICS: A This well-designed site is laid out in tables with photographs and blocks of color to separate the large amounts of text. ORGANIZATION: A Content is organized into six major areas that can be accessed from the left-side menu. REVIEW: A Families who struggle with the challenges of living with autism will find this site to be a great resource. Whether you are looking for a general overview of the disorder and the body of research that is associated with it or an explanation of how genetic principles relate to autism, you will find it here. An interactive timeline traces the history of the disorder from when it was first described in 1943 to the present. Included is a discussion of environmental influences on autism, frequently asked questions, the latest research news, and stories from families whose lives have been touched by autism and related disorders. RELATED REVIEWS: Parents: General http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/parents.shtml Parents: Children's Health http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/parents.shtml#Children's%20Health Teachers: General http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/teachers.shtml ------------------------------ OVERALL GRADE: A+ Jazz in America http://www.jazzinamerica.org/home.asp GRADE LEVEL: 9-12 CONTENT: A+ Jazz in America, sponsored by the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, provides lesson plans and other resources that trace the development of jazz as a part of the American music culture. AESTHETICS: A+ This well-designed site uses photographs and sound to enhance the information. Real Player is required for listening to the audio clips. ORGANIZATION: A+ Navigation through the site is easy and intuitive. Each page has a link back to the home page in the upper left-hand corner. There is also a handy help section for first-time visitors. REVIEW: A+ Students, teachers, or anyone interested in this style of music will enjoy the resources here. A complete resource library is available that includes a timeline, a glossary, photographs, audio clips, a list of important "firsts," information on selected artists, style sheets, and a history of jazz education. The program aims to help "students develop imaginative thinking, creativity, curiosity, a positive self-image, and a respect for their own and others' heritage." Lesson plans for grade 11 are currently available with plans for publishing grades five and eight in the near future. Each of the eight lessons addresses standards for U.S. History and Arts Education and includes a teacher's guide, handouts, assessments, and links to the supporting media. The focus of the lessons is the music and the role it has played in American culture. Classroom teachers have permission to download, print, and photocopy as needed. RELATED REVIEWS: Fine Arts: Music http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/fine_arts.shtml#Music History: General History http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/history.shtml History: American http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/history.shtml#United%20States ********************************************** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pardon this quick break from this week's Site Reviews newsletter. We just wanted to let you know that a NEW newsletter is in the works -- ********* Education World's Education Humor Newsletter ********** debuts the week of September 9! Sign up now on our newsletter signup page: http://www.educationworld.com/maillist.shtml ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sincerely, Lisa Gryskiewicz =================================== Education World (R) http://www.educationworld.com/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ******************************************* For digest instead of individual postings, send the message: set k12newsletters digest to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe, click and send (no body or subject: required) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] K12 Newsletters mailing list is a service of Classroom Connect - http://www.classroom.com Archives for K12 Newsletters can be found at: http://www.classroom.com/community/email/archives.jhtml?A0=K12NEWSLETTERS **********************************************************
