Notes on Content for Learning and Teaching Using the World Wide Web

A presentation at the October 16, 2001 Meeting of the

UCONN Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa

By David Stoloff, Professor, Education Department,

Eastern Connecticut State University

Email: stoloffd@easternct.edu

This presentation may also be downloaded for interactive use at

http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/stoloff/content101601.htm

Formal Education Online

OnlineCSU – http://www.onlinecsu.ctstateu.edu - offering online undergraduate and graduate courses, a growing number of online programs – including the MS in Library Science, and programs under consideration – a MS program in Educational Technology [http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/edtech.html] and a MS program in Data Mining

Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium – http://www.ctdlc.org - offering online undergraduate and graduate courses from the postsecondary institutions in Connecticut; some online lesson/unit plans found by logging in as a student with k12tech as log in and password – and reviewing the table of contents

California Virtual Campus - http://www.cvc.edu/catalog/index.asp

African Virtual University - http://www.avu.org/ - “(AVU) is a ‘university without walls’ that uses modern information and communication technologies to give the countries of sub-Saharan Africa direct access to some of the highest quality academic faculty and learning resources throughout the world.

Virtual High School - http://vhs.concord.org/ - in Connecticut, East Haven High School is listed, although no courses seem to be offered this year.

Virtual High School Consortium – includes high schools in CA, MA, ME, NY, NJ, CO, NM, TX, NC, PA, DC, … http://www.ci.shrewsbury.ma.us/Sps/Technology/virtual.htm

Some states with their own virtual high schools –

Kentucky - http://www.kvhs.org/

Michigan - http://www.mivhs.org/

Florida Virtual School - http://www.flvs.net/

Texas Virtual School - http://www.texasvirtualschool.org/

Homeschool.com - http://www.homeschool.com/ - educational resources for alternative learning and teaching

Content as Supplement to Instruction

Resources developed by educational technology students at ECSU –

Electronic textbooks - http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/textbooks.html over 120 lists of websites on specific topics related to K12 curriculum

Lesson plans – http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/lessons.html - over 80 lesson plans which incorporate website resources into the curriculum

PowerPoint presentations - http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/powerpoint.html - over 50 presentations, which would supplement classroom presentations

Curricular units - http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/units.html - over 90 units of about a week-long classroom activities around an instructional theme, which incorporate educational technology and internet resources

The Capitol Region Educator’s Portal - http://crecportal.edgate.org/main.html - resources for educators, students, and parents

iCONN - http://www.iconn.org - “iCONN is part of the Connecticut Education Network. It provides all students, faculty and residents with online access to essential library and information resources.”

ThinkQuest - http://www.thinkquest.org/ - “ThinkQuest is a global network of students, teachers, parents and technologists dedicated to exploring youth-centered learning on the Net.” ThinkQuest for Tomorrow’s Teachers – a Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology US Department of grant - http://t3.thinkquest.org/ - is a consortium of 14 teacher education programs throughout the country, including Eastern Connecticut State University – preparing preservice teachers to make use of the WWW in learning and teaching.

MERLOT – Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching - http://www.merlot.org/Home.po - “MERLOT is a free and open resource designed primarily for faculty and students in higher education” – including links to thousands of simulations, information websites, and collaborative sites.

Teachers.Net - http://teachers.net/ - provides a lesson plan bank, other curriculum resources, a chat center, online meeting space, and a job bank.

Education Index® - http://www.educationindex.com/ - an annotated guide to education-related sites on the Web

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence – FREE - http://www.ed.gov/free/ - “More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make hundreds of Federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find.”

The Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) http://www.thegateway.org/ - “The key to one-stop, any-stop access to high quality lesson plans, curriculum units and other education resources on the Internet!”

Education World http://www.education-world.com/ - “a home for educators on the Internet, a place where teachers could gather and share ideas.”

Connecticut Commission on Children - http://www.cga.state.ct.us/coc/ - Filled with resources

CTREAP - http://www.ctreap.net/ - High-tech Placement Program

Other links to educational resources may be found at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/textbooks/edresources2.html

Virtual Architecture - http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~jbharris/Virtual-Architecture/ - Dr. Judy Harris’ website in support of Virtual Architecture, with links to telecollaboration and teleresearch websites

Collaborative Projects

SchoolWorld Internet Education http://www.schoolworldonline.org/ - the Global Internet Classroom for Kindergarten - Grade 12 students, teachers and parents.

World Wise Schools (WWS) - http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/index.html is an “education program that seeks to engage learners in an inquiry about the world, themselves, and others” sponsored by the Peace Corps.

Kidlink ^sm - http://www.kidlink.org/ “is a non-profit grassroots organization working to empower children through the secondary school level with free educational programs.”

Journey North - http://www.learner.org/jnorth/index.html - “over 6,000 schools, representing more than 300,000 students, participated in the Spring, 2001 Journey North Program.”

The Global School http://www.gsh.org/ - provides “online opportunities for teachers to collaborate, communicate, and celebrate shared learning experiences.”

Electronic Emissary http://emissary.ots.utexas.edu/emissary/ - “teams of volunteer teachers, learners, and assistants exploring telementoring projects and techniques together.”

Next Steps

Online resources for future teachers - http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/yes.html - with online learning modules on Career Planning, Diversity in the Classroom, Special Education, Technology, Objectives and Goals, Classroom Management, Assessment, …

Summer Institute for Future Teachers websites - http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/sift.html

Planning for the development of an online discussion group on teaching for future teachers and a workshop and a week-long institute for future teachers using technology during June 2002 – for details, please contact Ms. Hannah Sellers, Assistant Professor, Education Department, Eastern Connecticut State University, email: sellersh@easternct.edu

Continue to develop website as instructional resources which are linked to state standards - http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dtl/curriculum/index.htm and national standards - http://www.ncate.org/standard/programstds.htm

Other recent sources for curriculum guidance –

PreKindergarten through Grade 12 Computer Technology Competency Standards for Students - http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dsi/technology/StudentCompv2.pdf

Connecticut Teacher Technology Competencies - Course of Study - http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dsi/technology/CourseOfStudy.pdf

Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology - http://www.ctedtech.org

Connecticut Education Network - http://www.doit.state.ct.us/cen/Index.htm

Last updated 10/17/01