Teacher resources

• Media Theory. The home page of a dedicated lecturer, committed to keeping this site very much alive. Full with on-line resources, for learners and teachers. Links to sites of the Media and Communications Study Site, the Association for Media, Communication and Cultural Studies, and a list of publications on the issue of Media Studies. If media are your interest, this site is worth wandering through.

• Schwab foundation for learning. This website provides information and resources for parents, educators, and other professionals who are making a difference in the lives of young children with learning difficulties.

• Big Sky Telegraph. By demonstrating how all citizens can be both learner and teacher, this network (which started as a rural network) demonstrates how ongoing knowledge access, skill training, and citizen evaluation of highest value resources, can become a vehicle for rehumanizing and revitalizing communities of all descriptions. The site offers a variety of services, including teaching local communities how to use the Internet. Connects educators by way of the Telnet function to the Internet, as well as to research information and professional development resources.

• R.I.D.E. (Resources In Distance Education). The goal of this project was to create a Web based resource for the use of educational technology in distance education. As the project evolved it became particularly focused on the potential use of the World Wide Web in distance education.

• EdWeb. The purpose of this site is to explore the worlds of educational reform and information technology. "With EdWeb, you can hunt down on-line educational resources around the world, learn about trends in education policy and information infrastructure development, examine success stories of computers in the classroom, and much, much more." Check out the EdWeb K-12 Resource Guide, including the Online Discussion Groups and Electronic Journals. A very exhaustive list of online discussion groups and electronic journals related to education, learning, instructional design and what more. Regularly updated!

• Thinkquest. Think the Web is an awesome communications tool? You'll realize you've had no idea of its potential until you check out the winning entries in the Third Annual ThinkQuest Awards. Youngsters from 18 countries are represented in this Internet-based education program.

• Mission Critical Thinking. "If it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be;
  but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic."--Lewis Carroll
  An interactive tutorial for critical thinking, in which you will be introduced to basic concepts through sets of instructions and exercises. Through immediate reinforcement for right and wrong answers to a series of increasingly complex exercises, you will begin to utilize the essential tools of intellectual analysis.

• TeachNet. Contains a searchable database of about 500 classroom projects, each battle tested and easy to use. TeachNet is a site/network for teachers, independent and non-profit, that supports innovative teachers who exemplify professionalism, independence, and creativity in public school systems. (Warning: US-oriented)

• Science Museum Network. A museum-based education project where you find, among others, a link to the Science Museum of Minnesota. This Museum presents "Maya Adventure", a World-Wide Web site that highlights science activities and information related to ancient and modern Maya culture. Also the other links are worth exploring!

• Explorations in Learning & Instruction: The Theory Into Practice Database. (TIP) The site has a lot of interesting elaborations on some 50 different learning theories, concepts and application domains. TIP is a tool intended to make learning and instructional theory more accessible to educators. The database contains brief summarizes of 50 major theories of learning and instruction. These theories can also be accessed by learning domains and concepts.

• The Globe Programme. Thousands K-12 science classes around the world (70 countries) are collecting environmental data and posting it to this site. Research scientists use the data and offer feedback. Brows the site for the temperatures of yesterday accross the globe. The site offers interactive, GIS based interface Really a site to wander around a bit.

• Open Learning Australia. True learning, all through the web and the mail: that it is possible we know. How it can be done on a larger scale shows this site from 8 universities in a country that knows what it is talking about...

• The Globe Programme. Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) is a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. GLOBE students make environmental observations at or near their schools and report their data through internet.

• MayaQuest. In Spring 1995 and Spring 1996, a team of five explorers bicycled to ruins in Mexico and Central America, met with on-site archaeologists, and attempted to unlock one of the most perplexing mysteries: the collapse of the ancient Maya civilization. But the team wasn't alone: over 1 million children, teachers and others from around the globe helped to lead the expedition by way of the Internet. Now opening the doors for next year's projects!

• World Lecture Hall. Contains links to pages created by faculty world-wide who are using the Web to deliver class materials. You will find course syllabi, assignments, lecture notes, exams, class calendars, multimedia textbooks, etc.

• Engines for Education. A "hyper-book" by The Institute for the Learning Sciences about what's wrong with the education system, how to reform it, and especially, about the role of educational technology in that reform.

• Fundación Omar Dengo. The Foundation Omar Dengo is a pioneer in the introduction of computer technologies, innovative educational programs and new learning environments into the country's public elementary schools system. It stimulates learning processes, creativity and development of thinking skills in public education and in the different situations in which learning takes place.
  En Español: La Fundación Omar Dengo (FOD) es una institución privada, sin fines de lucro que fue creada en 1987 con el propósito de contribuir al desarrollo educativo,cultural, científico y tecnológico de Costa Rica.

• Back to School, the Electronic Library Classroom 101. A class on the net for librarians and others in search of learning resources with little or no net experience. The course presents a beginner's course in the Net and its various tools targeted toward librarians and other information professionals. Lessons include information on participating in mailing lists, usenet newgroups, and cover basic Internet tools including telnet, ftp, archie, gopher, veronica, and the world wide web.

• Virtual Frog Dissection Kit. Is that clear or not? Real interactive bloody stuff! Students can dissect a frog and then test their knowledge of frog anatomy by playing the Virtual Frog Builder Game. We found it in the "Academic Guide to the Internet".

• KIDLINK. Does it all for children from 10-15 years, world-wide (over 80 countries), and since a couple of years already, also in other languages than English.

• UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet). A network of schools throughout the world, launched in 1953. ASP promotes education for peace, tolerance and international understanding in order to prepare children and young people to meet the pressing challenges facing humanity as we are about to enter the twenty-first century. ASPnet aims at mobilizing schools throughout the world with a view to undertaking pilot projects to strengthen the role of education in promoting a culture of peace and tolerance. Twinning between participating schools and exchanges of materials, teachers and students is an integral part of ASPnet activities.

• Alaska Pacific University's HTML GUIDE. The author tells us that she is working on a modest effort, it's what you call modest... The first steps of the creation of a distance learning "how to" site for small colleges and faculty members new to Internet technology is impressive. At this point, you'll find a well designed HTML guide, and more is promised!

• NASA Langley's HPCC/IITA K-12 Program. They have some interesting course materials about teaching the use of the Internet in education.

• PanGea. Dans cet programme, des écoles de tous les continents se mobilisent pour mettre en place des activités favorisant l'inter-culturalisme, une conscience écologique, ainsi que le développement de pédagogies actives et l'utilisation des nouvelles technologies de communication.

• 2B1. There is a new force in the world: the growth of cyberspace. Inherent in this force is a breakdown in barriers of geography, age, economics, gender and culture. Sounds very LWF?

• LETSNet. A dynamic on-line environment where teachers can develop their understandings of the Web and find ways to effectively use - or make sense of - the World-Wide Web in their classrooms. To help teachers achieve these goals, we have organized teaching resources around classroom teachers' stories, including lesson plans, curriculum standards and guides, pointers to e-mail discussion lists, and many other Internet and Web materials.

• Virtual Online University. Virtual Online University, Inc. is a non-profit corporation offering a novel and effective approach to academic excellence, professional development and life-long learning. The site offers apparently a full fledged K-12 home schooling program: curricula, support and what more. It does seem to cost something, but rather peanuts (not for the real South though). It also discusses the cryptic Multiple-Object Oriented (MOO) environment. Something to learn here??

• Teachers Talking About Learning (TTAL). Teachers Talking About Learning (TTAL) is designed to support the professional development of teachers in countries where UNICEF works. It aims to support teachers to explore ideas, discuss issues and take action through collaborative projects. 'Explore Ideas' section has a large selection of current articles, research, and opinions. 'Discuss Issues' section is an online community.

• Math and Science gateway. Check out this site, found through the Virtual Open University, (elsewhere in this database, where you can find other interesting links by the way...)

• Infobits. This site monitors and selects from a number of information technology and instruction technology sources and provides brief notes for electronic dissemination to educators. Here you find all notes online, and how to subscribe to this free service

• 1998 International Year of the Ocean - Ocean Education. In recognition of the importance of the ocean, the marine environment and its resources for life on earth and for sustainable development, the United Nations has declared 1998 as the International Year of the Ocean. On this page you will find free learning resources, educational activities and links to other relevant sites and organizations. Or visit the IYO home page.

• The Globewide Network Academy. This is an educational and research organisation dedicated to providing a competitive marketplace online for distance learning courses and programs. Their mission is to create a comprehensive source of information, a central listing of online courses and degree programs world-wide. Over ten thousand courses and degree programs are listed. They also support a discussion forum for distance educators and maintain a help-wanted database to connect educational institutions, teachers, and technical support personnel.

• SOCRATES. This European programme is part of a broader strategy to promote the concept of lifelong learning in response to constantly evolving education and training needs. The programme interacts closely with other initiatives at European level, notably the LEONARDO DA VINCI programme for vocational training, YOUTH FOR EUROPE III, various components of the Fourth Research and Development Framework Programme, and EU actions in favour of disadvantaged persons and the promotion of equality of opportunity. Check out the Home Page of Directorate-General XII for more information on Europe's programmes on Education, Training and Youth

• CSS Internet News Resources. Some just have the opportunity to also do a good, if not better job as we do! On this three page site you find links to most interesting and comprehensive learning resources. From a complete online book on statistics to botanical learning guides. From what to do in December when you are in Africa to resources on astronomy. Math and science resources, as well as history. And this is just the first page, check out what the others have to offer!

• The Annenberg/CPB Projects. The site provides online French language courses as well as the Online Guide: an online database on more than 1,500 reform initiatives, resources, organizations, and conferences concerning math and science education. The Annenberg/CPB Project is leader in the US in helping colleges, universities, high schools and community organizations use telecommunications technologies to improve learning for all students, including the growing number of older and part-time students, and informal learners in their homes.

• Childhood schizophrenia. "I found adults lacking in originality, incapable of providing answers to the pressing questions which I had; with them, it seemed, most human activities were devoid of sense. When I wondered how children were born and why; when I asked about how come my mother was pregnant or why a neighbour had aborted; when I saw meaning in the movement of vulture's head; when I inquired as to the significance of the quick descent of a hawk on its prey, when I asked about a crow hopping about as though something was the matter with one of its feet, when I lighted on a new idea_when I asked such things I was told to be quiet. My parents loved me but I got no solace from them." Copyright Hal-Abuur, Journal of Somali literature and culture. By Nuruddin Farah. Plenty of other stories, mainly in Somali.

• NASA Educational Products. The page for the science teacher who wishes to know how microgravity can be a subject for 5 graders.

• What is an Educational Object Economy?. This EOE is a community of Educators, Developers and Businesses working together to use, create, and collaborate upon Educational Java objects on the web. Currently, there are over 1350 educational Java objects in the library, covering virtually every subject area. These interactive simulations, illustrations, and exercises are available at no cost for anyone with web access to use.

• The WWW Virtual Library Project. This very extensive resource on whatever subject you are looking for was started at CERN in 1991 by Tim Berners-Lee to keep track of the development of the World Wide Web that he had just created.

• Beginners Guide to HTML. This is a good primer for publishing on the WEB.

• Canada's SchoolNet. a wealth of resources in and about Canada. Consult with on-line staff, or develop a collaborative project with Canada's SchoolNet. In the context of Learning Without Frontiers, the Vision of Learners in the 21st Century discussion paper is a very interesting initiative!

• ELDIS Project. An activity by the British Library for Development Studies, at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. A comprehensive database with full text, on-line articles on issues relevant to development.

• Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections. The IECC (Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections) mailing lists are provided by St. Olaf College as a free service to help teachers and classes link with partners in other countries and cultures for e-mail classroom pen-pal and project exchanges.

• The Wild Ones. an ever-growing network of over 20,000 children, teachers, and conservation professionals in 25 countries around the world. The Wild Ones provides students ages 7 to 14 with an international perspective, opportunities for cooperative science activities, and a positive outlook on their capacity as individuals to improve the prospects for endangered species.

• New Horizons for Learning. This open learning community on the Internet is called The Building--more a verb than a noun, as it continues to grow daily. As the primary communication vehicle for our non-profit international education network, The Building:
  • acts as a catalyst for positive change in education
  • identifies, synthesizes, and communicates relevant research and information on effective teaching and learning practices
  • supports an expanded vision of learning that identifies and fosters the fullest development of human capacities
  • supports implementation of proven strategies for learning at every age and ability level
  • builds support for comprehensive lifespan learning communities.

• The Global Schoolhouse. Internet resources for the learning community! Networking classrooms, learning communities and lecturers, this site (from Microsoft) provides a rich resource of experiences, potential partners, and learning resources.

• Literacy Online. The International Literacy Insititute (ILI) and the National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) is a useful gateway to high quality adult learning and literacy resources available on the Internet: Research & Development in learning, training programs and publications and newsletters to download.

• Blue Webn. A searchable database of outstanding Internet learning sites categorized by subject area, audience, and type (lessons, activities, projects, resources, references, & tools). Blue Web'n does not attempt to catalog all educational sites, but only the most useful sites -- especially online activities targeted at learners.

• INNODATA. This is a database aimed at educational policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers and journalists. It can assist in the identification and monitoring of new experiences and approaches in education and the promotion of exchanges of information about educational change. This thorough work is done by the International Bureau of Education (IBE), which is a UNESCO affiliated institution.

• Gordon's Entomological Home Page. Is a scorpion an insect? Did you know that in a square meter of healty farmland there are more individual insects than there are human individuals on our planet? Do you have a clue what the biggest insect is? To these and many other questions you will find answers on this very comprehensive, price winning site.

• TERC. A nonprofit research and development organization committed to improving mathematics and science learning and teaching. Founded in 1965, TERC is internationally recognized for creating innovative curricula, fostering teacher professional development, pioneering creative uses of technology in education, contributing to educators' understanding of learning and teaching, and developing equitable opportunities for underserved learners. A truely inspiring site!

• Tapped In. A shared teacher professional development (TPD) workplace patterned after a real-world conference center. Teachers with diverse interests, backgrounds, and skills can share experiences, engage in mentoring and collaborative work, or simply meet their colleagues.

• The Complete works of Shakespeare. One example of some sound eduactional resources available on the net: For those English teachers who are looking for a topic...

• Voices of Youth. This interactive web site was developed by UNICEF to create an appropriate environment for children and adolescents to take part in discussions on current global issues and concerns. Youths from around the world are encouraged to speak up and are asked to discuss how the world could become a better place where the rights of each and everyone, particularly children, are exercised. Voices of Youth topics include carefully researched photo essays, case studies, and in a few cases quizzes or drawings, all on topics which explore global processes that affect young people's lives and welfare, including HIV/AIDS, Child Labour, War, Urbanization, Gender discrimination, and Youth/Children's Rights. Each topic is linked to a trilingual discussion forum.

• The Exploratorium. On-line since December 1993, The Exploratorium's net presence, called ExploraNet, has been a center for experimentation on how to bring experiences and resources like the Exploratorium to students, teachers, and people who may not have the opportunity to come into the actual physical museum itself. In addition to the regular information about the museum the museum has tried to incorporate as much content as possible. On this web site, you will find pictures, news items in science, electronic versions of our famous hands-on exhibits, even how to dissect a cow's eye!

• The Children's Literature Web Guide. A very rich resource on literature for teachers, parents, children, writers, story tellers and more.

• Teaching & Learning on the WWW. Here you will find hundreds examples of how the web is being used as a medium for learning. This searchable collection includes sites that range from courses delivered entirely via the web to courses that offer specific activities related to a class assignment or perhaps courses that offer class support materials via the web.

• The Global Schoolhouse. The place where classrooms on the Internet meet to share ideas and join in collaborative projects. The Connected Classroom is designed to link classrooms from all over the United States and the world into one global classroom.

• The Gutenberg Project. This is a serious effort to provide on-line access to electronical versions of public domain material. From Shakespeare to an English translation of the Koran, you find it here!

• Library Support for Distance Learning. This site is an effort to provide easy access to web-accessible resources dealing with library support for distance learning. In addition to links to general sites on distance learning, you will find:
  • Links to about 20 Web-accessible papers/articles that I've selected to help people think critically about distance learning generally.
  • Links to 50+ Web-accessible papers/articles/reports dealing specifically with library support for distance learning.
  • Links to more than 60 individual library sites, with examples of how the these different libraries offer services to distance learners.

• Media Awareness Network. A Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to media education and media issues affecting children and youth. This site contains a wide range of copy-right cleared resources for teachers, some of which include: an electronic "verticle file" of newspaper articles; over one hundred and fifty elementary and secondary lesson plans; an "Issues" section that explores privacy, portrayal of diversity, ownership and media violence; and advice to parents on encouraging media and web literacy in their homes -- to name just a few. En Français et Anglais.

• The Logo Foundation. A nonprofit educational organization devoted to informing people about Logo and supporting them in their use of Logo-based software and learning environments.

• NASA's Educational Resources. NASA, the US Space Agency, is made up of many different programmes, each of which has fascinating learning resources available. One way to get into this vast amount of material is through this link (scroll down!!). The two categories to look for on this page are:
  • Online resources for educators
  • Education Home Pages by NASA Field Center (each one will have educational resources)

• The United Nations CyberSchoolBus. This interactive site is designed for students and teachers everywhere and carries projects and resources about the United Nations and the world we all share. The French and Spanish pages are expanding! Check out the on-line databases (data from 185 countries), learning materials, quizzes, and more!

• Development Education Program (DEP). This site's interactive learning modules use charts, maps, case studies, photos, and data tables -- all based on World Bank data and resources -- to teach about social, economic, and environment issues of sustainable development. Special features include an on-line student newspaper and an extensive "For Teachers" section. A new site by the World Bank Economic Development Institute.