There are 6 messages totalling 768 lines in this issue. Topics in this special issue:
1. MISC> [DIGITALDIVIDE] Ultra low bandwidth Google 2. MISC> [WWWEDU] Motivating & Retaining Online Learners-EBook Journal 3. MISC> [netsites] 1000 Journals 4. RESOUR> [netsites] Aging Parents and Elder Care 5. MISC> [netsites] Euclid 6. K12> Tech Tips | Travel the Globe Without Leaving Your School ***************************************** For individual postings, send the message: set net-happenings mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe, click and send (no body or subject: required) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Net-happenings mailing list is a service of Classroom Connect - http://www.classroom.com Archives for Net-happenings can be found at: http://www.classroom.com/community/email/archives.jhtml?A0=NET-HAPPENINGS Newsgroups: news:comp.internet.net-happenings http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&GROUP;=comp.internet.net-happenings ******************************************* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 09:00:52 -0500 From: Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: MISC> [DIGITALDIVIDE] Ultra low bandwidth Google From: The DIGITALDIVIDE discussion group [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Mike Liebhold Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 2:47 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [DIGITALDIVIDE] Ultra low bandwidth Google Here's a very cool development for bandwith starved users with only cellphone access to the net. Google can now be searched via e-mail using a demo from a company called 'Cape Clear. The demo is built on Google's publically available open APIs Simply address an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with your search terms in the 'subject'window. Then send. In about a minute, top ten search results arrive in a return e-mail. It really works. Try it! For more details see: http://www.capescience.com/google/ http://www.google.com/apis/ Mike Liebhold 10 Durham Road Woodside, Ca. 94062 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 650 245 7938 mobile ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 09:01:11 -0500 From: Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: MISC> [WWWEDU] Motivating & Retaining Online Learners-EBook Journal From: Vicky Phillips [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 8:52 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [WWWEDU] Motivating & Retaining Online Learners-EBook Journal GetEducated.com's Motivating & Retaining Adult Learners Online: A Journal of Research Articles and Practitioner's Tips ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This free downloadable journal features 13 research and practitioner's articles on the science and art of building virtual campuses that lead to better retention of the adult learner. Table of Contents: Student Retention in Distance Education --Mary Hricko Kent State University, Geauga Campus >From Face-to-Face to Virtual Tutoring: Exploring the Potential of E-Learning Support --V. Venugopal Reddy & Manjulika Srivastava Indira Gandhi National Open University Persistence in Distance Education: A Case Study --Lise Desmarais Candian Foreign Service Institute Facilitating and Sustaining Interest through an Online Distance Peer Tutoring System in a Co-Operative Learning Environment --Olugbemiro J. Jegede Open University of Hong Kong How to Initiate Intrinsic Motivation in the Online Student in Theory & Practice --Paul Kawachi Kurume Shin-Ai Women's College Retaining Adult Learners in a High-Stress Distance Learning Environment: The Purdue University Executive MBA in Agribusiness --Jay Akridge, Luanna DeMay, Liza Braunlich, Mike Collura & Mike Sheahan Purdue University Practical Considerations on the Use of Message Boards to Enhance Learning in a University Setting --Sharon Garrison & Marina Onken University of Arizona & Loyola University New Orleans The Importance of Learning Communities in Motivating and Retaining Online Learners --Holly McCracken University of Illinois Springfield How to E.N.G.A.G.E. 'Em: Tips for Encouraging Continual Student Involvement --Mary Dereshiwsky Northern Arizona University Setting Students Up for Success: The Instructor's Role in Creating a Positive, Asynchronous, Distance Education Experience --Gloria Sciuto Northeastern University Good Practices and Motivation in Online Courses --Carla Payne Norwich University Processes for Motivating Online Learners from Recruitment through Degree Completion --Heather S. Gibbons & George P. Wentworth Brenau University Non-Traditional Pharmacy Doctorate Degree Upgrade Program at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus --Sheri Perry & Ronald E. Ragan University of Kansas Edwards Campus Maximal Interaction in the Virtual Classroom: Establishing Connections with Adult Online Learners --Walter P. Rankin George Mason University Understanding Sources for Online Learning Excellence --Margaret A. Martinez The Training Place (CONTINUED - Read or download (PDF format) the entire journal, GetEducated.com's Motivating & Retaining Adult Learners Online A Journal of Research Articles and Practitioner's Tips, in the August 2002 Virtual University Gazette, http://www.geteducated.com/vugaz.htm) Vicky Phillips <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 09:01:56 -0500 From: Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: MISC> [netsites] 1000 Journals From: William Borders [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 8:02 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [netsites] 1000 Journals The 1000 Journals Project http://www.1000journals.com/ 1000 blank journals are being passed around the world. Those who encounter them will have the opportunity to add their own writings and drawings and pass them on to others. You can be a part of this experiment. ~~~~~~~~Bill Borders [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 09:02:29 -0500 From: Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RESOUR> [netsites] Aging Parents and Elder Care From: Samantha Shay [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 7:47 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [netsites] Aging Parents and Elder Care Aging Parents and Elder Care http://www.aging-parents-and-elder-care.com/ "For people with an aging parent or spouse, this informative guide to elder care offers a variety of articles, checklists and links to key resources." ~Sam Shay [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 09:03:20 -0500 From: Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: MISC> [netsites] Euclid From: Alan S. Harrell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 6:34 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [netsites] Euclid Euclid http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Euclid.html Biographical sketch on Euclid of Alexandria - "the most prominent mathematician of antiquity best known for his treatise on mathematics 'The Elements'." Alan [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 09:08:11 -0500 From: Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: K12> Tech Tips | Travel the Globe Without Leaving Your School From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 8:06 AM bigchalk's Tech Tips Newsletter August 2002 Issue http://www.bigchalk.com Welcome to this month's installment of Tech Tips, sponsored by OfficeMax.com. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/officemax02 Technology changes every day. Let bigchalk help you do your homework to stay current! Every month bigchalk plugs you into the tech tools teachers are talking about, and more. Includes hands-on information to help you make the most of technology in your curriculum. *******************ADVERTISEMENT******************** Visit OfficeMax.com for guaranteed low prices on your back-to-school needs. Don't miss special offers like 10 Mead color folders for $1, new low prices on select PDAs, HP printers starting as low as $49.98 and Microsoft's latest educational software, Microsoft Office XP for Students & Teachers (only $129.99). Plus, OfficeMax.com has free shipping on orders over $50. Visit OfficeMax.com today! http://i.bigchalk.com/U/officemax02 **************************************************** ++ TECH TIP: Travel the Globe Without Leaving Your School No matter what subject matter you teach, there's nothing like a field trip or other outdoor learning adventure to refresh your kids' senses and connect them with teachable moments that are difficult to replicate in a school setting. Whether gathering data on aquatic life at a nearby stream, walking in the footsteps of a famous figure at a historic site or studying animal behavior at a zoo, teachers have long taken advantage of these hands-on educational experiences. What if these kinds of learning opportunities were available to you and your students year-round, rain or shine? Although nothing can truly replace a real-world outing, experiencing high-quality Internet expeditions and virtual field trips can yield extraordinary educational rewards of their own. Science teachers can use email or video conferencing to enrich their existing curriculum by connecting kids to real scientists working on fascinating experiments and research projects that relate directly to the topics being discussed in their classrooms. Language-arts and social-science teachers can challenge students to write about what they think daily life was like in the past by visiting historical Web sites. Plus, the global reach of the Internet enables you and your students to visit more than 160 countries and hundreds of museums, national parks, federal and state government buildings, archaeological digs and scientific expeditions through your Web browser. Hundreds of similar opportunities are just waiting to be discovered -- online. So grab your mouse and prepare to disembark on a global educational trek. This month's issue of Tech Tips links you to dozens of online learning adventures, just in time for back to school! Virtual Expeditions Every day, expedition teams working in remote locations around the world open their laptops and power up mobile satellite Internet connections. Within minutes, their discoveries and digital photographs appear on the Web, providing students and teachers with a real-time connection to the very latest field research. These virtual expeditions have the power to break down the walls of your school, giving young learners the chance to both observe and actively participate in each team's work. Students can read about important new discoveries and then directly communicate with team members via email to ask questions. Once an expedition comes to an end, each team's findings, field notes, photos and other materials often remain online for repeated educational use. Although the group may no longer be available for two-way communication, educators can mimic the original time frame and follow the team as if they were still in the field. Best of all, there is no cost to participate in any of the virtual expeditions listed below! Manatees in Belize http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02MANATEES Subject areas: Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Geography Here's your chance to help save the manatees! Follow two research scientists and a team of volunteer researchers (including bigchalk's field agent and a high-school senior) as they work together in Belize to discover how humans can help endangered "sea cows" survive. Beginning later this month (August), visitors will be able to read first hand updates from the field, view photos, send email to the team and more. The expedition includes an interactive map of the region, resource links and ideas for ways to contribute to conservation efforts. Central American Sea Kayak Expedition http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02CASKE Subject areas: Geography, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Language Arts Created in partnership with the Central American Sea Kayak Expedition (CASKE), this expedition allows students and teachers to follow the experiences of two adventurer-anthropologists as they kayaked along Costa Rica and Panama during the spring of 2001. Students will learn about indigenous peoples, natural resources and survival skills. Seven activity sections and extensive resources for educators create a myriad of possibilities for integrating technology into your curriculum. Photo slide shows, an interactive map, updates from the field, Internet challenges and research resources are available. Virtual Expedition Links Dozens of fascinating online expeditions -- both current and archived -- are waiting to be discovered online. Follow these hand-picked links to the some of the best virtual learning journeys the Web has to offer. National Geographic: Outpost Expeditions Central http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02NATGEO One World Journeys http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02ONEWORLD Extreme 2001: A Deep Sea Odyssey http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02XTREME Jason Project XIII: Frozen Worlds http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02JASON Virtual Expeditions (VX) http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02VX Odyssey in Egypt http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02EGYPT Virtual Antarctica http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02VANT WorldTrek.org: The Odyssey http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02TREK *****************ADVERTISEMENT******************* Searching for an affordable way for everyone at your school to work with an integrated set of digital publishing tools? The Adobe(R) Publishing Tools for Schools licensing suite features Adobe PageMaker(R) 7.0, Adobe Photoshop(R) Elements and Adobe Acrobat(R) 5.0 -- all at a great price. Hurry -- this special offer ends 9.15.02! http://i.bigchalk.com/U/adobepack02 ************************************************** Virtual Field Trips Ever wonder how students in South Dakota can visit Sea World without leaving their classrooms? Or how Texas teachers can connect their classes to the Bronx Zoo? Thanks to the Internet, thousands of field-trip destinations are just a mouse-click away! Many of these special Web sites feature photo- or multimedia-enhanced tours, collections of articles and historical information, plus email links to on-site guides and historians. Some feature teacher guides complete with classroom curriculum materials and student activity sheets. bigchalk offers three no-cost virtual field trips, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All contain classroom integration materials and rich multimedia experiences. A Day in the Life of Colonial Williamsburg http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02WILL Subject areas: History, Social Sciences, Math, Language Arts "A Day in the Life" examines issues of social class, work, slavery, domestic life, education and entertainment in colonial America. Eight exciting learning activities are offered with corresponding lesson plans, resources from bigchalk's HomeworkCentral collection of educator-reviewed links and an extension Certificate program. Free lesson plans and printable teaching and learning guides developed by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation are included. Congo Gorilla Forest http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02CONGO Subject areas: Life Sciences, Geography, Social Sciences, Language Arts Now you and your students can visit the Bronx Zoo's gorillas online without the need for a yellow school bus, permission slip or bagged lunch! The Congo Gorilla Forest activities and supplemental teaching materials are based on research and curricula developed by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society for their popular Congo exhibit. The seven-unit program helps students understand what a rain forest is, how it works, which animals make it their home, why it's threatened and how people can help save it. Smithsonian: Sounds of History http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02SOH Subject areas: Social Sciences Sounds of History, developed in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, delivers more than 140 sounds that amplify study of the 10 historical eras designated in the National Standards of U.S. History. Students are challenged to archive each sound in the appropriate historical era and classify each sound according to appropriate content areas, such as "Sounds of Technology and Work" or "Sounds of Politics and War." Sounds of History includes a Teacher's Section with standards-based lesson plans and an extension Certificate program. Virtual Field Trip Links Think of the Internet as a wired "magic carpet" that can whisk you and your students away to far-off lands and historic locations in a nanosecond. These links will help you get started. Spotty's White House Tour http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02WHOUSE Virtual Tour of the Supreme Court Building http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02SUPREME Teaching With Historic Places http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02HISTORIC Lonely Planet: Country Tours http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02LONELY World Safari http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02SAFARI Virtual Museum Links http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02VMUSEUMS California Mission Tour http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02CAMISSION A Trip Through the Grand Canyon http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02GRAND Alcatraz Island Tours http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02SFO Sistine Chapel Tour http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02SISTINE Virtual Field Trips & Tours http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02VFT http://i.bigchalk.com/U/TT-AUG02TOURZ Five Integration Tips Now that you know about more than a dozen exciting virtual expeditions and field trips, the next logical question is: "How can I use these gems in my busy classroom or library media center?" Below are six classroom-tested ideas provided by other Net-savvy educators who have used online journeys with their students and reported great success! 1. Many sites provide a ready-made collection of classroom lessons and activities. Print out these free materials and compare them with the goals and objectives of the curriculum you're planning to employ several weeks or months in the future. When you find a match, incorporate the new material, being sure to block out enough time to explain the site to your kids and link the lesson to the topics you're teaching. 2. To warm up for a virtual field trip, break up your students into small groups and assign them one of these tasks: create a short time line of activities for the class to engage in during their journey based on the available information at the site; draw pictures of the destination (or people or animals) found there; make a list of 10 key words and definitions related to the trip and the themes presented; or create an oral presentation to introduce the entire class to the destination and what kinds of things they'll see and do while they're there. 3. How can the themes and issues presented during your online journey be applied to your community? Find local links and have students brainstorm ways to put what they've learned into practice. For instance, Congo Gorilla Forest shines a spotlight on rain forests. Students learn that these are inspiring places that provide vital ecosystem services, but they're quickly disappearing due to human actions. How can we save the rainforest and protect local habitats at the same time? Have each student pretend to be a scientist, working in a natural area near your school. Ask each to write letters in the voice of the scientist. 4. Check the site to see if an email address is available for an expert, historian, Webmaster or other staffer at the expedition or field-trip Web site. Send messages to these individuals in advance of your journey to see if they'd be open to receiving questions from your students. If so, have students write a question to submit to the staffer, then as a group choose five questions to submit via email. Be sure to review the site's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) or teacher resource page to be sure your questions haven't already been answered. Have a different student read each response to the class. 5. Create an Internet field-trip log for students to fill out as they explore the destination. Include the following areas for students to fill in: name of Web site, Web address, three new things they learned, five new words they encountered and their definitions, a large box for students to draw something they saw, three questions they had about the site or topic being presented that weren't answered online, how they rate the site and what they liked or disliked about the online trip. 6. Short on time? Looking for a meaningful extra credit homework assignment related to a journey? One educator encouraged her kids to visit Colonial Williamsburg online, complete one of the eight "Day in the Life" activities, then email her with a 250-word essay outlining what they learned. The same idea can be applied to other sites. *****************ADVERTISEMENT******************* You've got one life. Make it count! Check out the Life Accelerator at navy.com. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/navylife02 ************************************************* TECH PRODUCT BUZZ If teachers, parents or students are raving about a new product, we hear about it. Our 'reviews' don't come from a testing lab; instead, they are derived from actual feedback and the real-world experiences of classroom users. Has a tech product made a huge impact on your teaching or learning? Tell us about it! Send email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ++ REVIEW: TourMaker Software ++ Price: $25 (Free Trial Version Available) Publisher: Tramline, Inc. Info: http://www.tramline.com If you're interested in using the Web to educate, you'll be hard pressed to beat the advantages of TourMaker Virtual Field Trips. Field trips created with this popular software tool provide an organized way to present Internet information, save hours of searching, provide contextual information about each visited Web site, allow simple navigation from one site to the next and allow students to follow links without fear of getting lost because they can always get back to the trip with one click of a button. Students can even create their own presentations! ++ REVIEW: Adobe(R) Publishing Tools for Schools ++ Price: $150 Publisher: Adobe Info: http://i.bigchalk.com/U/adobetools02 The Adobe Publishing Tools for Schools licensing suite provides an affordable way for everyone at your school to work with an integrated set of digital publishing tools: Adobe PageMaker(R) 7.0 (education publishing made easy), Adobe Photoshop(R) Elements (easily create professional-quality digital images for print and the Web), and Adobe Acrobat(R) 5.0 (the best way to share documents online). Qualified educational institutions may purchase the suite at a discounted price of just $150. Act now -- this offer ends September 15. Find out more! ++ REVIEW: Two-Computer Solution: KVM Switch ++ Price: $50 Publisher: Hawking Technology Info: http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/cs112u.htm A two-port KVM Switch is an ideal school solution for controlling two computers with a single keyboard, monitor and mouse. By allowing a single console to manage both machines, a KVM Switch eliminates the expense of purchasing a separate keyboard, monitor and mouse for each PC as well as saving the desk space they would take up. It also eliminates the inconvenience and wasted effort involved in constantly moving around from one PC to another. The new CS112U switch sports a pair of USB ports to make it easy to share USB printers, digital cameras, scanners or any other USB peripherals with both machines. Best of all, there is no software to configure! It's 100% plug-and-play, not 'plug-and-pray' like many other devices. Find out more. *******************ADVERTISEMENT******************** Let the AICPA help you show your students how to make a difference -- one business at a time. Click here to receive great teaching tools. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/cpas02 **************************************************** ++ BIGCHALK TECH LINKS ++ Let bigchalk help you integrate technology into your classroom. Take an online course, read a hands-on tutorial to help you make better use of your PC, connect to the latest tech news, and even find online projects to integrate into your curriculum. It's bigchalk to the rescue! First IBM Computer Ships The first IBM personal computer (PC) rolled off the assembly line this month in 1981. Later that same year, Xerox introduced the graphical user interface, complete with a trendsetting "mouse" that selected icons and menus. Although Xerox never capitalized on these inventions, Apple used them in their Macintosh computer, which debuted in 1984. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/ibmpc81 bigchalk Web Site of the Month This month marks the 40th anniversary of the arrest of Nelson Mandela, one of the 20th century's greatest leaders. The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela, a Web site created by the staff of PBS's "Frontline" public-affairs series, strives to tell the story of this revolutionary turned president through intimate recollections with friends, allies, adversaries and his fellow prisoners on Robben Island where he spent 18 of his 27 prison years. The site offers a collection of video clips, rare photos, detailed articles, a chronology of his life and more. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/aug02site College Zone Read advice about getting into the college of your choice from myFootpath's admissions counselor in bigchalk's College Zone. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/czone01 bigchalk Portal Web Site Our Web site is home to four special pages -- WebExplore, TechKNOWlogy, Connect and Daily Bulletin. Each contains links to our most popular features, from fresh news scoops and a calendar of seasonal activities and timely observances to our widely acclaimed virtual field trips and online expeditions created in collaboration with leading research and cultural institutions. http://www.bigchalk.com/main/Teachers.html Search Box Want an easy way to give students and parents instant access to the Internet's largest, most up-to-date directory of learning sites? Add a free bigchalk search box to your Web page. Users can search our collection by keyword and filter their query by grade level. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/bcsearchbx Technology Tutorials Don't let technology get you down! Build your tech skills. Learn more about your Mac or Windows PC, master the latest software and more. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/techtutstt Internet Projects Don't miss out -- new online projects are accepting participants this month. Integrate technology into your daily lessons. Get started here: http://i.bigchalk.com/U/netprojectstt *******************ADVERTISEMENT******************** Ready for a break from lesson planning and grading assignments? Take a minute to enter bigchalk's Back to School Blast! You could win great prizes from OfficeMax.com, Adobe and VeryBestKids.com. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/btscontest **************************************************** Thank you for reading bigchalk's Tech Tips Newsletter. Be sure to preview each link and try any included projects or experiments before using them with your students. All Web sites included in this publication are subject to the bigchalk Linking Policy. http://www.bigchalk.com/corp/linkpolicy.html Looking for an archive of past Tech Tips? Connect to our Tech Tips collection. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/ttc We offer several newsletters of interest to students, parents, teachers and Web surfers. To find out more, link to our newsletter signup page today. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/signuptt/&Userid; To find out more about bigchalk, connect to our Web site: http://www.bigchalk.com If you have any questions or comments, please email our newsletter team via: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ End of NET-HAPPENINGS Digest - 12 Aug 2002 - Special issue (#2002-504) **********************************************************************
