From: Education World Reviews Newsletter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 4:11 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Education World Site Reviews Vol. 7 Issue 42
Education World Reviews ---------------------------------- Volume 7, Issue 42 October 15, 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 Hewlett Packard Modernize your lesson plans Round out your lesson plan with the HP iPAQ Pocket PC H3950. From connect the dots to calculus, it's the only teaching aide you need to make sense of things in (and out) of the classroom. Features include a 400MHz IntelR PXA250 processor, 65,000-color TFT display and 64MB SDRAM for exceptional performance. Complete with Pocket PC 2002, giving you Microsoft Pocket WordT, ExcelT, OutlookT, Internet ExplorerT and Windows MediaT Player - all mobile. And all standard. But category-leading features and productivity-enhancing applications mean nothing if they don't come in an affordable package. So, now through October 31st, we're offering 180-day same-as-cash financing on the HP iPAQ Pocket PC H3950. Plus a free ruggedized case to help keep that package protected. For full details and product information, visit http://www.educationworld.com/go/base?id=AAL ********************************************** Education World's newsletter is brought to you by Riverdeep Riverdeep is the leading publisher of K-12 interactive curriculum--featuring the Destination Series, and award-winning titles from Edmark and The Learning Company. The company mission is to offer a wide variety of engaging, research-based online and CD-ROM solutions to help meet the critical mandates of No Child Left Behind. For more information visit us at http://www.educationworld.com/go/base?id=AAR ********************************************** THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS ********************************************** Astro-Venture http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r1002-07.shtml Students get to role-play NASA occupations! The Shape of Life http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r1002-08.shtml The mysteries of life, a site to accompany the 8-part PBS TV series. Share the Technology http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r1002-09.shtml Recycle used computers! RETA (Rural Education Technology Alliance) http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r1002-10.shtml Resources for bringing rural schools up to speed with technology. Amazing Space http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2002/r1002-11.shtml Out of this world activities! ****************************** REVIEWS ****************************** OVERALL GRADE: A+ Astro-Venture http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/astrobiology/astroventure/avhome.html Grade Level: 5-8 CONTENT: A+ Astro-Venture, by NASA Quest, is an interactive multimedia site that gives students in grades 5-8 the opportunity to search for and create a planet suitable for human habitation while role-playing NASA occupations. AESTHETICS: A+ The site is colorful and engaging. Special plug-ins are required, so be sure to check out the technical requirements. Scripts are provided for the content of the animations in an effort to make the experience accessible to everyone, whether or not you have access to computers with multimedia capabilities that are up to the task. ORGANIZATION: A+ The site is well organized and user-friendly. The various sections of the site are listed in a table of contents on the main page. Students are guided through the modules by both text and audio presentations of the instructions. REVIEW: A+ Students are sure to enjoy the interactivity of this adventure. They will be guided through four training modules as they learn how astronomy, geology, atmospheric science, and biology affect a planet's ability to support human life. After each training session, students are given a mission to complete, using scientific inquiry, to select a planet and star system that meets the requirements for human habitation. The final mission requires students to use all of the knowledge they have acquired to create a simulated planet that has all the characteristics in each of the four areas required to make it habitable to humans. Additionally, there is a Teacher/Parent section with lesson plans and suggestions for use, career fact sheets, and other related resources. This is a web site you don't want to miss! RELATED REVIEWS: Science : Space Science http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/science.shtml#Space%20S cience Science : General Science http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/science.shtml#General%2 0Science Science : Earth Science http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/science.shtml#Earth%20S cience Science : Life Science http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/science.shtml#Life%20Sc ience Counselors : Careers http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/counselors.shtml#Career s Students : Career Exploration http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/students.shtml#Career%2 0Exploration ------------------------------- OVERALL GRADE: A+ The Shape of Life http://www.pbs.org/kcet/shapeoflife/index.html Grade Level: K-12 CONTENT: A+ The Shape of Life, from PBS, is the accompanying website to the eight-part television series that, according to the homepage description, "reveals the dramatic rise of the animal kingdom through the breakthroughs of scientific discovery." AESTHETICS: A+ This site is of extremely high quality, with stunning photos, videos, and a user-friendly layout. RealPlayer is required for viewing the video. ORGANIZATION: A+ Users will find this site easy to navigate in several ways. Each of the eight episodes can be entered from the main page by clicking on the representative photo. There is also a top navigation bar for accessing the major areas of the site. Internal pages have top and bottom navigation bars as well as a left-side sub menu for moving within the section. REVIEW: A+ The Shape of Life "tells the story of the great diversity of animal life on Earth." Students and teachers from grades K-12 will find something of interest here. Each of the eight episodes deals with one aspect of the evolution of animal life from finding the first animal to how humans fit into the shape of life. By clicking on the Image Guide link in the top menu, users are taken to a comprehensive index of photos of the scientists and animals featured in the series. Activities and Resources include a few learning activities that can be used from the Web page and the entire activity guide with a wide variety of projects can be downloaded in .pdf format. For research, students can click on the Animals link to find information and photos grouped according to phyla. Explorations and Scientists features biographical information and career sketches of the scientists and videos of their investigations. Additionally there is a glossary and links to related resources for further exploration. RELATED REVIEWS: Science : Life Science http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/science.shtml#Life%20Sc ience Science : Zoology http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/science.shtml#Zoology Science : General Science http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/science.shtml#General%2 0Science Counselors : Careers http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/counselors.shtml#Career s ------------------------------- OVERALL GRADE: A Share the Technology http://sharetechnology.org/ Grade Level: Professional, Parents CONTENT: A Share the Technology is a website that provides a national searchable database for the donation and distribution of used technology equipment. AESTHETICS: A This is a text-based site that uses wide margins and color for added appeal. ORGANIZATION: A The site is user-friendly with links clearly designated in the text on the main page, and there is a bottom navigation bar. All pages are linked back to the homepage. REVIEW: A This site can be very helpful if you have used computers that you are ready to dispose of or if you are a disabled person, non-profit organization, or school in need of the equipment. The database provided allows those with computers to donate to post a donation offer free of charge. These offers can be searched by state and contacts are made privately. Those in need of the equipment can also post their requests to the database. Users will find information and guidelines for donations of software and hardware in the information section. The site only accepts computers that are at least Pentium processors or Power Macs. Other donations, such as keyboards, printers, hard drives, scanners, mice, and modems are also accepted into the database. Included is a link with instructions on how to recycle your inkjet and laser printer cartridges. RELATED REVIEWS: Educational Technology : Computers http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/ed_tech.shtml#Computers Educational Technology : Miscellaneous Technology http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/ed_tech.shtml#Misc.%20T echnology Educational Technology : Software http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/ed_tech.shtml#Software Administrators : General http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/admin.shtml#General Parents : General http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/parents.shtml#General Parents : Kids & Disabilities http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/parents.shtml#Kids%20&% 20Disablities ------------------------------- OVERALL GRADE: B+ RETA (Rural Education Technology Alliance) http://www.ruraleducation.org Grade Level: Professional, Parents CONTENT: B+ The Rural Education Technology Alliance (RETA) is an organization of leading technology companies such as Cisco Systems, General Communications Inc (GCI), LearningStation, Polycom, and Sun Microsystems that seeks to "help implement strategies to improve education technology in rural areas." AESTHETICS: B+ The site has a nice, clean layout with few graphics. ORGANIZATION: A The right side navigation menu offers access to the main areas of the site and a link back to the homepage. REVIEW: B+ Administrators, teachers, education associations, community organizations, and policymakers interested in narrowing the "digital divide" that puts rural schools behind the times in technology implementation will find helpful resources at this site. Visitors will find the latest news and information about the No Child Left Behind Act as it pertains to rural schools. Case studies from Oklahoma, Arizona, Alaska, Kentucky, Louisiana, and North Carolina highlight how these rural schools have integrated technology to make a difference in the learning of their students. There is also a database of targeted resources grouped into five categories: Rural Education Organizations, Technology and Education Organizations, E-Rate Resources, Other Funding Resources, and Rural Education and Technology Articles. RELATED REVIEWS: Administrators : General http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/admin.shtml#General Administrators : Grants http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/admin.shtml#Grants Administrators : Issues http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/admin.shtml#Issues Administrators : Organizations http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/admin.shtml#Organizatio ns Parents : Parental Involvement http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/parents.shtml#Parent%20 Involvement ------------------------------- OVERALL GRADEl: A+ Amazing Space http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/ Grade Level: K-12 CONTENT: A+ Amazing Space offers interactive, Web-based activities designed by teachers and staff of the Space Telescope Science Institute located in Baltimore, Maryland. Many of these lessons were created in 1996, but are updated and include current photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope as well as videos and animations that will spark student interest in space science. AESTHETICS: A+ The site is attractive, colorful, and engaging. QuickTime and Macromedia's Shockwave Player are required for viewing. It can take a while to load on a slow connection. For those without the necessary technology tools, each lesson has been developed so that it can be easily modified to be used offline with the downloadable worksheets. ORGANIZATION: A+ Each of the eight modules can be accessed directly from the main page by clicking on the image map. The module then opens in a new window and has its own navigation tools that are easy to follow. REVIEW: A+ Amazing Space lives up to its name! Students from kindergarten to high school are sure to love the fun and interactive activities offered on this site and will learn lots doing them. Activities include sending a comet smashing into Jupiter in Planet Impact, exploring an eerie celestial phenomena in the Truth About Black Holes, collecting Solar System Trading Cards to learn about the objects in the solar system, training to be a scientist at the Hubble Deep Field Academy and much more. Each of the activities has an extensive teacher's page that includes lesson plans tied to national science standards, science background information, links to resources used in the lesson and more. Included is a What's New section and a Gallery of the latest photographs and news releases. RELATED REVIEWS: Science : Space Science http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/science.shtml#Space%20S cience Internet : Interactive Web sites http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/internet.shtml#Interact ive%20Websites Students : Games & Fun Sites http://www.educationworld.com/awards/past/topics/students.shtml#Games%20 &%20Fun%20Sites ********************************************** ===================================== Education World (R) http://www.educationworld.com/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===================================== -- ************************************************************************* NOTE: Gleason Sackmann is the owner and host of this list. All inquiries regarding this list and its contents should be directed to Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. 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