Past experience has shown that adult learners process and apply learning more fully when they discuss and reflect on what they are learning. The following list of prompts are meant to facilitate your electronic discussion board or e-mail communication. You may use these prompts after activities from the LInC course, after discussions, feedback, or at any time you feel that your participants will benefit from a sharing of ideas and reflections. Your participants will benefit from this format whether you are using face-to-face, partial-online or full-online format for staff development. This is an extended list gleaned from several past courses. All of the listed topics and subtopics will not be necessary during your staff development. Pick and choose those you feel may benefit your participants. Using a cut-and-paste method to create a new topic or subtopic on your bulletin board or use in the body of an e-mail listserv message to your participants. The purpose of this format is to have your participants be able to get ideas from one another's responses and to have time to reflect before answering.
When using bulletin board, an initial setup is important whether you will be doing a complete LInC course or a shorter inservice. Creating topics and subtopics before your participants start the course promotes sharing and effective use throughout the course. This does not mean that you can not create more topics and subtopics later. Also encourage your participants to create their own subtopics to share their ideas and expertise. Make sure that you or your technology staff creates what is necessary on your server for using your selected electronic discussion board software. It is assumed that you have permission to organize the electronic discussion board.
Note: In a given class, we typically use all of these topics, but only a few of the subtopic prompts under each topic. This page lists topics and subtopic prompts and provides a rationale for each.
Issues - Class Management, AUP, Citation, Netiquette, and Copyright |
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Topic Prompt: This topic is for general information and administrivia.
Rationale: You want to complete these as needed to form a bond with your participants, to further communication and to have indicators on how they are doing. There are various subtopics depending on your staff development situation. Please add more subtopics as needed.
Subtopic: Getting to Know You
Prompt: So that each of us gets to know a little bit about each of the other participants, please introduce yourself. You may want to include your:
school/district and its location
position and main responsibilities
grade and subject you teach
experience (if any) with engaged learning
your favorite Web sites
any hobbies or anything else you would like to shareRationale: This should be completed in the first week of the course. If your participants do not know one another this will be a good icebreaker and will bring your group together faster through sharing background information. It allows participants to find other participants who teach the same grade and subject. These participants may wish to discuss ideas or do project work together later in the course.
Subtopic: Introductions
Prompt: We would like you to tell us something about yourself. This is what we would like to know:
What home page is your browser set to show when you launch Netscape?
List your top three favorite Web sites.
From the following choose one issue that strikes home and explain why:Technology and Classroom Management
Schools and Internet AccessRationale: This is an alternate prompt with the same purpose as the previous one.
Subtopic: Individual and Group Work Times
Prompt: Teams who have been most successful in LInC have scheduled regular weekly times to work on the course (both individually and meeting with their team). Please list the weekly blocks of times (day of week and time of day) that you plan to be working on the course. This will help your facilitator meet your needs. For example, if your facilitators know you have group meetings on Mondays, they can try to get project feedback to you before your next team meeting.
Rationale: Asking participants to post team meeting times should encourage them to schedule such weekly team working times on a regular basis starting at the beginning of the course. This will help them be successful. Also, this will help you know what day of the week it is most important for them to get feedback.
Subtopic: Office Hours
Prompt: What are your top three choices for office hours? Include day of week, range/time of day, and your time zone.
Example 1: Sometime on Monday is not a useful answer.
Example 2: This is a useful answer:
1) Monday between 6-10 PM CST
2) Tuesday between 4-6 PM CST
3) Saturday between 9-11 AM CST
Office hours will be arranged using the most frequently used times and days.
Rationale: You want this information so that you can try to schedule online "office hours" at the most common times given, so a facilitator can be "on-call" to provide help as your participants are working on the course.
Subtopic: Your Facilitators
Prompt: Each of the facilitators will use this area to introduce himself/herself.
Rationale: This should be filled out by each facilitator before the first day of the course if your participants do not know you. This is a good way of making your participants feel more comfortable.
Subtopic: Your Holiday Dates
Prompt: Please list the dates for your holiday breaks. Only one posting per team is needed. We would like to know your dates ahead of time though so we can plan around this.
Rationale: This should be completed at the beginning of the course. Use only if your participants are from different school districts to facilitate your course time frame.
Subtopic: How are they doing?
Prompt: Use these to foster communication among your participants, offer feedback, and determine how they are doing. Some of the prompts we have found useful:
What are your best hopes?
What were the three most interesting and/or puzzling things that came up today?
What realizations did you come to that will allow you to move forward in your project design? Explain a concept that became clearer to you today?
Where are you at this point?
Where do you need to go tomorrow?
Suggested agenda activities?
What do you feel good about at this point in time?
What do you need to know more about?
How bright is that light at the end of the tunnel?
What is left on your TO-DO list?
During this week's class, what was helpful to you and what realizations/ideas became clearer to you?
Rationale: Use these as needed throughout your course. People need feedback and the more you can give your participants the better their projects will be. Try to respond in a timely fashion to their questions and concerns. We have found that this not only will assist them but will also help relieve their stress level.
Topic Prompt: This topic is for communication and collaboration about your selected issue related to use of technology in education. You may want to use this area for:
Questions about doing the ed/tech simulation.
Postings to find people interested in working together on the same issue you are interested in.
Postings to get opinions from people in other districts about the issue you are investigating.
Please start a new subtopic for each new issue.
Rationale: This topic should be used for encouraging collaboration during the ed/tech simulation. It is a perfect medium to promote bonding, teamwork, and collaboration among your participants. The participants will be creating these subtopics. These will give the participants who would like to work with others an opportunity to express their interests. For further reference see the Discussion Plan: Ed/Tech Simulation.
Subtopic: Put issue title here.
Prompt: Put questions, opinions, and whether you would like to work with others here
Example: Student Photos on the Internet
Prompt: Jane, Jim and I are very interested in STUDENT PHOTOS ON THE INTERNET. Our school has a policy, but we want to "beef it up" and have been very interested in this. We are already looking for further information and would be interested in working with others on this. Our school's policy/form is posted at this address: http://www.school.k12.us
Topic Prompt: This topic is for posting the education technology issue you selected to investigate (http://www-ed.fnal.gov/lincon/el_simact2.shtml). You can include active links in your postings by listing a full URL (that starts with http:// and ends in a space). Include a few links (URLs) for useful related resources. Include this in the prompt if needed: First-hand information about how the issue is handled in your district and how it is handled in one or more of your colleagues' districts.
Rationale: This topic creates an area for participants to present the results of their work on the education technology issue simulation. Remind your participants to respond in the same subtopic if they have chosen the same issue.
Subtopic: Put title of selected issue here.
Prompt: Put selected issue for presentation here.
Example: DISTRICT SUED FOR CHILD USING INTERNET PICTURE WITHOUT PERMISSION
Prompt: Our district had a problem with using a picture of a student without permission. As a result, we can no longer use any pictures of our students. Do you agree or disagree with this policy? If you agree or disagree, what arguments support your opinion?
Topic Prompt: This topic is for discussion for engaged learning, best use of technology, and your projects.
Rationale: Use these subtopics as needed to promote understanding for creating an engaged learning project with the best use of technology. The concept of engaged learning is extremely important for your participants to obtain. They must also know how to use technology effectively, not to just use technology for its own sake.
Subtopic: Investigating Engaged Learning (EL1, EL2, EL3)
Prompt: After you have read and reflected about the learning taking place in this project, please respond to the following questions:
EL1. What was effective about the project, I Want to be an American Citizen and why?
EL2. Are there any aspects of this project that you find puzzling?
EL3. How does technology help to engage the learner?
Rationale: Use after the engaged learning project introduction (http://www-ed.fnal.gov/lincon/el_project_intro.shtml). Used to help the participants learn the indicators of engaged learning, to identify the indicators of engaged learning in a project, to learn the indicators of high- technology performance, and to identify the indicators of high-technology performance in a project.
Subtopic: Investigating Engaged Learning (EL4)
Prompt: Activity EL4. After analyzing the project in this lesson, make a list of the indicators of engaged learning that are not found in this project. Are there any indicators that you could find a way to include.
Rationale: Use after the Engaged Learning 4 Activity (http://www-ed.fnal.gov/lincon/el_invest.shtml). It is important for your participants to learn the indicators of engaged learning, to identify the indicators of engaged learning in a project, to learn the indicators of high technology performance, and to identify the indicators of high technology performance in a project.
Subtopic: Investigating Engaged Learning (EL5)
Prompt: Activity EL5. What questions do you have about engaged learning and high-technology performance?
Rationale: Use after the Engaged Learning 5 Activity (http://www-ed.fnal.gov/lincon/el_invest.shtml). It is important for your participants to learn the indicators of engaged learning, to identify the indicators of engaged learning in a project, to learn the indicators of high technology performance, and to identify the indicators of high technology-performance in a project.
Subtopic: Best Learning Experiences
Prompt: Reply to this subtopic with a list of the characteristics that the best learning experiences you discussed have in common. Consider:
What was the student's role?
What was the teacher's role?
What was the student task/product?
How were the students assessed?
How were the students grouped?
Was technology used? If so, how?How can this learning experience be adapted to other areas?
If you are working in a group, select a recorder to post one list for your group's discussion as a reply to this existing subtopic.
Rationale: This topic is for posting the results of participants constructing engaged learning discussion. The discussion should increase their buy-in while still promoting ownership and being able to recognize this learning in activities they have already done.
Subtopic: Technology-Supported Engaged Learning
Prompt: You have now participated in several simulations and activities related to engaged learning and best use of technology such as:
Constructing some of the engaged learning indicators from your own best experiences.
Doing the ed/tech project simulation from a student's perspective.
Reading Plugging In.
Seeing a modeled project discussion.
Trying your hand at revising an existing proposal to make it more engaging and to make it use technology more effectively.Please take a moment to reflect on these and respond to the following.
What insights occurred to you about engaged learning?
What ideas occurred to you about how to use technology effectively in your project?Rationale: Use after your participants have completed several of the engaged learning activities. Having participants reflect on the engaged learning activities they have just participated in and synthesize what they have learned. This prompt is also important for maintaining communication and to give you an indication of how they are doing.
Subtopic: How are you doing?
Examples:
Prompt: Is the Internet just the wallpaper on a box (the school)? How might the Internet be an opportunity to create a new box?
Prompt: Which activities/documents related to engaged learning were most beneficial in creating your project?
Prompt: Pick a partner and review each other's student pages. Look for ways that the student page shows evidence of engaging the students as well as affording them the opportunity to make the best use of available technology. Please e-mail your partner and briefly explain what you saw in terms of those key components, and include any other compliments and possible suggestion to improve clarity.
Prompt: Consider the projects you've seen thus far and pick two or three that were the most engaging for students and made the best use of technology. Please elaborate--and be very specific as you comment in the HOW and WHY categories.
Rationale: Use weekly to encourage participant's responses to the course. All the above examples will give you feedback on the participant's progress on engaged learning. This will help you provide activities helpful to your participants.
Topic Prompt: This topic is for posting and discussing of project ideas and proposals. Reply to the topic using the title of your project topic idea. Keep the project topic idea title one or two words. Include a short description of the topic idea.
Later, reply about your two possible proposals. Here you will be creating your own subtopic; see example: Subtopic: Title of Project Proposal or by Your Name/School/District. When submitting your proposal use your facilitator's format.
Rationale: Use when you feel your participants have a clear idea of engaged learning and how to effectively use technology. It is important for your participants to have feedback about their project ideas and proposals early. We have found that feedback early on their ideas and proposals from facilitators and other participants help the author create better projects. Make sure that if the other participants are contributing they do "wows" along with offering comments about the proposals. Your participants may be able to use these comments to their advantage.
Subtopic: Title of Project Topic Ideas
Examples: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Pollution, Recycling
Prompt: Please post your project topic ideas here. Remember these are not project proposals; these are just topics that already are a part of your curriculum. This list will be helpful to other participants brainstorming possible project ideas. This list might also help you connect to someone who is also considering a similar idea. For more information, go back and look at the Getting Started on Your Project pages.
Subtopic: Title of Project Proposal or by Your Name/School/District
Prompt: Your two proposals should be about different topics. The proposals should be short: about one- half page in length. We suggest you write your proposal in a text editor first and then copy and paste it into the electronic discussion board. One posting per group working on the same project is all that is needed. You do not need to include rationale or state goals in your proposals. Please do provide the learner outcomes though. Be ready to share your proposals and provide feedback for your colleagues' proposals in the next chat. Create a new subtopic with your team name and post both proposals to that subtopic.
Prompt 2: Post a second draft of your two project proposals or new proposals in the electronic discussion board based on feedback and ideas from your colleagues and your facilitator. Post in the same subtopic you created previously to post both of your new draft project proposals.
Rationale: The second prompt should be used after feedback has been given from you about their original proposals. This is a two-step process where they will post their proposals and revise if necessary. These proposals must show indicators of engaged learning in order to be good starting points for your participants. Make sure your participants realize that they must revise these before continuing with their project. They must have your approval before advancing to the next step. Having them revise their proposal is beneficial because they will not have completed many of the components for their project, so they will not be frustrated about having to change lots of project pieces. It will also give you a better idea if their project will be engaging and reflect the best use of technology.
Topic Prompt: This topic is for questions, comments, and tips related to technical skills. This is a way you can get technical help if you are not able to come to office hours. Feel free to chime in if you know an answer to someone else's question. When you post a question, be sure to include the name of the software, version, and whether you are using Mac or PC. If you saw an error message, please include the exact text of the message. If the tool or service you have a question about is not listed yet, please start a new subtopic on that topic.
Rationale: Post these at the very beginning of your course so your participants have an always available place to post their questions. Your participants will have varied technical backgrounds depending upon their past experiences. Enabling them to post their questions, comments and tips as they occur will help you plan technical sessions for the participants to better meet their needs. It will also serve as a resource for those who may have the same questions or may be interested in learning more about this area. Encourage sharing of technical skills and knowledge. People who cannot attend office hours will appreciate being able to post their questions whenver they have them. This is better than using e-mail because people can benefit from seeing each others questions and answers.
Subtopic: Electronic Mailing Lists (Listservs)
Prompt: This conversation is for questions and discussion about using electronic mailing lists/listservs.
Rationale: Participants will use this as needed for questions about using the listserv. Listservs can be a very effective format for sending information to your entire group of participants. It can relay questions that a participant has so that all the participants have an opportunity to respond. Since this format uses e-mail, there is no record of messages unless the individual saves each message. Warning: Stress the correct use of this format so that you do not have participants using this inappropriately.
Subtopic: Electronic Discussion Board
Prompt: This conversation is for questions and discussion about using our electronic discussion board.
Rationale: Use at the beginning of the course. The bulletin board format is an excellent method for having participants post any questions and comments throughout the course. They will be able to review any question and discussion stated by another participant, respond to another participant's question, and ask their own questions and/or give comments. This subtopic is effective if you are monitoring the messages frequently and responding in a timely manner, either through the bulletin board or using other communication methods. You can also use this subtopic to post frequently asked questions about using your discussion board or to respond to a participant that has a question about how to use the electronic discussion board.
Subtopic: Online Chat
Prompt: This conversation is for questions and discussion about using an online chat--including questions about the chat software.
Rationale: Use before your first scheduled discussion using the online chat. Best used with a scheduled time and program topic throughout the course, chats are effective formats to discuss topics with the entire group or subgroups. Unlike bulletin boards, the participants will have immediate feedback to comments and questions. It is highly necessary for all participants to be able to use this method of communication, especially for partially or totally online courses. Try to respond to any question in this area as quickly as possible, particularly if you are using an electronic discussion board as a major part of communication with participants.
Subtopic: Finding Information (Searching)
Prompt: After you have read through the pages on searching for information (http://www-ed.fnal.gov/lincon/tech_find_info.shtml), please post questions here about strategies for finding things on the Internet. Also share your ideas about your favorite search tools and search strategies for finding information.
Rationale: Use as needed depending upon your participants' background. The more familiar they are with the Internet and can effectively search, the more effectively they will use the Internet in their classrooms with their students and creating their project.
Subtopic: FTP/WS_FTP/Fetch Questions
Prompt: Post questions about file transfer here.
Rationale: Participants will use this as needed to upload and download with pages and software. Stress the importance of correct use of file transfer, putting their files and graphics correctly in folders, naming their folders and files correctly, and correctly setting up their FTP before they transfer files. We have had several past participants mention that this area was more difficult for them and the use of the Web pages on FTP and animations helped. Depending on your participants' past experiences, you might still have people with problems in this area. Remind them that the more practice they have in FTP, the more proficient they will become. Remind them also that their pages may look great on their computer but they might have missing graphics, pages and/or links if they have not correctly linked them on their pages before they uploaded them to the server.
Subtopic: HTML Tutorials and Useful Web Tools
Prompt: This subtopic is for sharing information about HTML tutorials or any other Web tools you think would be useful for your colleagues. A good Web site with links to tutorials for learning HTML, as well as other multimedia hints, is sponsored by Allyn and Bacon. To get directly to the Web tools part of their page, go to: http://www.abacon.com/pubspeak/deliver/webtools.html
Rationale: Use as an ongoing resource for your participants. If your participants are using a Web authoring tool, sometimes it is necessary to also know some of the commands in HTML to be able to edit their Web pages. If new technology has been developed as you are conducting your class, this is also a good way to share the information with all at one time.
Example: Checking Your Links, Spelling and Web Page Load Time
Prompt: There are some free programs that can save you time by testing your links for you. This can help you make sure your links are working for your LInC project. One of these programs is called:
Dr. HTML - Checks links and spelling too.
You can use it right from your Web browser--no need to download anything. To use it:
1. Click on the DR. HTML link above.
2. Type in the full URL for your Web page that you want checked.
(Example: http://www-ed.fnal.gov/lincon/w98/projects/chesapeake/present.html )
3. Click on Select From List Below for the tests you want.
4. Select Spelling and Verify Hyperlink tests.
5. Click on the Go button.You have probably noticed many sites with broken links. Sometimes the links are working when the page is created, but is broken later when a resource moves. So you may want to check your links periodically. I tend to check links at the beginning of each semester--just before a project gets used. If you prefer, you can do your spell checking in PageMill instead of Dr. HTML. In PageMill 2.0, do this by using the Search menu and selecting Check Spelling. PageMill also provides a way to check how long your Web page will take to download (including the images on your page). In PageMill 2.0, do this by using the Edit menu and selecting Download Statistics. Then select the modem speed you think your average viewer will have and click on OK.
Subtopic: Shockwave
Prompt: This conversation is for discussion and questions about Shockwave. Shockwave is a plug-in tool for your Web browser that allows you to view animations (such as animated technical instructions) inside your Web browser window.
Rationale: You need to use this prompt before your participants download Shockwave so they have a place to post questions. The Lincon course uses animations for FTP and for a Web authoring software to assist participants on the technical skills needed for file transfer and Web authoring. Many participants have stated that these animations have helped them visualize the text instructions found on our technology Web pages. These will be helpful in answering some or all of your participants' questions. One of the questions you can have is how to download Shockwave and use it. You can use the Shockwave directory listing as a resource for assistance in answering questions.
Subtopic: Writing Web Pages - Editing
Prompt: Post any questions or tips you may have on using PageMill and/or editing your Web pages.
Rationale: Use as needed as your participants create their Web pages. Will be very useful to assist your participants between a scheduled discussion or office hour. Make sure that you check this topic area frequently to effectively help your participants. We have noticed that the participants have used this subtopic to share shortcuts on editing they have found as they use the Web page authoring software. This is a very effective subtopic for both beginners and experienced Web authors.
Subtopic: Writing Web Pages - Web Page Design
Prompt: Think about your favorite and least favorite Web sites. What did you like about your favorite sites? What made them easy to use? What suggestions do you have to improve them if they were yours? What did you dislike about your least favorite sites?
Alternate Prompt: Post the summary list of tips from your discussion about good Web design.
Rationale: Use before your participants begin to create their Web pages. Change the above prompt to fit your participants. You may post a prompt for your participants to compile a list of what they liked or disliked about certain Web pages including what could be changed to make them more readable, easier to navigate, etc. You may use project Web pages or utilize their past knowledge of the Internet by prompting them to comment upon different sites they have seen. The end product for this subtopic is a good reference source for your participants to be able to use later when they are creating their pages. If you find that they are not compiling a list that will benefit them, refer them to Web Page Design: Is Less Better or What Is Too Much? for tips on good Web page design and the Web Page Design Rubric or include some good Web page design tips to assist them first.
Subtopic: Writing Web Pages - Formatting
Prompt: This subtopic is for posting questions and discussion about adding formatting to your Web pages.
Rationale: Participants will use this as needed to create Web pages. Use using an editor to write HTML documents as a reference if needed.
Subtopic: Writing Web Pages - Links
Prompt: This conversation is for posting questions and discussion about creating links in your Web pages.
Rationale: Participants will use this area as needed to post their questions about creating links. You will be able to assist your participants even if you do not have a scheduled chat or office hour for your participants to receive assistance. Make sure that you check this topic area to effectively assist your participants. We have used this as a resource also to clarify how links should be effectively used on a Web page as a navigation tool.
Example: Web Utilities to Check Your Work
Prompt: I thought it would be helpful to include an area that provides some help with your Web site. I've used external programs to check my sites and they can be very helpful--especially to check external links. The one I use now is: http://www.netmechanic.com You can not only check all the links in your site, but also spell check, check download time, see what your images will look like with a reduced file size, and more. All but the images will be e-mailed to you. If nothing else, use the link check.
Subtopic: Places to Get Graphics
Prompt: Post URLs where you have found useful graphics that can be used in your Web pages. Include whether you have permissions to use the graphics, what kind of credit/acknowledgement the author requires, and whether there is a charge for the graphics.
Rationale: Use as needed as your participants create their Web pages. Encourage participants to share their favorite graphics sites. We have found that participants sharing with one another benefit all and you do not have to wait until a scheduled discussion or office hour for your participants to receive information. Remind your participants about the issues regarding the use of graphics that they do not create themselves. With more people using the Internet, legal issues of copyrights and citations will be important and necessary topics for your participants to consider as they create their pages.
Subtopic: Writing Web Pages - Adding Graphics
Prompt: Post questions and discussion of creating graphics and adding graphics to your Web pages.
Rationale: Participants will use this area as needed to post their questions about graphics. We have found that participants sharing benefit all and you do not have to wait until a scheduled chat or office hour for your participants to receive assistance. Make sure that you check this topic area to help your participants outside of office and chat times. As a side topic you might want to include the use of citations when using graphics that are copied from the Internet or to include a reference to the creator of the graphics. This subtopic could also include using animated graphics and the effective use of graphics on their Web pages. See Graphics, Graphics, and More Graphics as a reference.
Topic Prompt: This topic is an open area for discussion on any topic related to education or technology (that don't fit under other topics). Feel free to start new subtopics in this topic as needed. Be creative and have fun!
Rationale: Use throughout the course but make sure the topic is available from the beginning of your course so participants get in the habit of sharing ideas and resources with each other from the very beginning. Since each school/district is different, your discussions on education or technology will vary depending upon your participants. Stress that this is their area to comment or start a discussion on any related topic. It is a good area to promote group communication while providing a means for each individual to be heard. Some subtopics that participants have created in the past are below:
Subtopic: Ways to Get Support
Prompt: Post here if you have ways to get your school or district to support your projects. This can be grants or creative ideas.
Rationale: Use as needed. Since technology is encouraged by national, state and local standards, your participants may not have had time to think about how this can be accomplished in their classrooms under present conditions. New technology may have to be acquired to complete engaged learning projects. Use this area to brainstorm ideas to gain support from the school and/or district to support your participants.
Subtopic: Finding Collaborators and Experts
Prompt: Reply to this discussion with URLs and tips for finding other classrooms who might want to collaborate on your project or to find experts to have your students consult.
Rationale: Use as needed. This subtopic will be a great resource for your participants to use with their projects. It will provide sites and opportunities to bring experts into your classrooms electronically giving them a resource to assist students. You may want to post some sites first to promote a better discussion.
Example: Favorite Math/Science Web Sites and Links to Experts
From: "Christine S. Marszalek" <corky@popmail.mcs.net>>
Subject: Ask Expert SitesHi All,
The topic of access to experts came up last night during chat and I promised those in channel 5 that I would send on to them some sites on the Internet that have been used successfully by those within my school. Thought maybe they might be useful to all. There are many more sites like this, but these are a few you might find interesting. Enjoy.
================================
Some sites that provide interaction with various experts:
Ask an Expert
http://njnie.dl.stevens-tech.edu/curriculum/aska.html
From the New Jersey Department of Education comes this great site with links to experts in all areas of expertise. Find an expert by searching in the appropriate section of Science and Technology, Medicine and Health, Computing and the Internet, History and Social Studies, Economy and Marketing, Professionals, Personal and College Advisors, Library Reference, Literature and Language Arts, or Just out of Curiosity. The site also lists some other "Ask-an-Expert" sites on the Web.
NASA's Quest Project: Online Interactive Projects
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/
This site showcases the interactive online projects hosted by NASA. Currently these include Women of NASA, Space Scientists Online, Space Team Online, and Aero Design Team Online. These projects allow students to share in the excitement of NASA's authentic scientific and engineering pursuits like flying the shuttle and International Space Station, exploring distant planets with amazing spacecraft, and aeronautics/airplane research. The focus of these projects is the enthusiastic people of NASA; it is hoped that students will finish the project feeling like they've met these interesting folks through chats, e-mail, Q&A and live audio/video programs.
The National Student Research Center
http://youth.net/nsrc/nsrc.html
The National Student Research Center helps students from distant schools have the opportunity to participate in cooperative student research teams and interschool research projects, exchange scientific data, query a support team of professionals about their topics of study, and send research abstracts to the NSRC for publication in its printed and electronic journals and databases of student research. The site offers students the ability to publish their scientific papers in the site's e-journal.
Earthwatch Online Resources
http://www.earthwatch.org/ed/olr/resources.html
As part of the Earthwatch global classroom, these people encourage teachers and students to send in questions addressed to specific Earthwatch projects. Depending on the nature of your inquiry, your question will be routed to the Center for Field Research at Earthwatch, the project scientist, and/or an Earthwatch teacher fellow who has worked on the project. Please be sure to check the project's online resources such as the Mission Alert or Ground Truth before posting a question. You may find your answers there.
Great Lakes Information Network
http://www.great-lakes.net/
The Great Lakes Information Network, or GLIN, is a partnership that provides one place online for people to find information relating to the binational Great Lakes region of North America. The site offers a wealth of data and information about the region's environment and economy, tourism, education and more. Educators and students will find all sorts of resources, including curriculum guides, directories, interactive software and more. Be sure to check out their E-mail Lists section at http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/listlist.html
GLIN hosts more than 50 e-mail lists on a range of topics. Some are private for people participating on certain groups or project teams; others are public and open to anyone with an e-mail account. If you're interested in creating a new Great Lakes list, contact the GLIN Webmaster.
Mathematics Center
http://www.eduplace.com/math/
>From Houghton Mifflin comes this site with the following major sections: (1) Brain Teasers where you match your problem-solving skills against their series of challenging word puzzles; (2) Math Project Watch where you can find other classrooms to participate with you in a Web project related to mathematics; (3) Parent Handbook: Help Your Child Understand Mathematics which gives parents a wealth of ideas and resources to use with their children; (4) Activity Search which is a database of classroom activities by grade level and curriculum area; and (5) Math Links - a directory of just math-related Internet sites.FRONTIERS Web site on PBS Online
http://www.pbs.org/saf/
On the Web site, you'll also find an array of activities and features related to the show, including cool science projects for students, opportunities to ask Alan or the scientists questions, links to other science sites and resources, photos of Alan on location, a teaching guide for classroom use, opinion polls, contests, surveys, and much, much more!
Science Netlinks
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com
This is a great resource for teachers from American Association for the Advancement of Science that can point you in the direction of good science resources on the Internet. It includes activities and a discussion board where you can pose questions.
America Dreams
http://www.internet-catalyst.org/projects/amproject/splash.html
As we near the dawn of a new millennium, America Dreams creates a timely forum for citizens to consider the dreams of our past, the realities of the present and our hopes for the future. This project, a collaborative effort by Leni Donlan and Kathleen Ferenz, 1997 Fellows, American Memory Program, Library of Congress, challenges students to explore the American Dream from three perspectives: as historian, as celebrant, as storyteller. The site includes teachers' notes, calendar of events, Internet relay chat, CU-SeeMe, and Wall of Dreams.
Society of Wetland Scientists
http://www.sws.org/index.html
The Society of Wetland Scientists is a non-profit organization founded in 1980 to promote wetland science and the exchange of information related to wetlands. This is their site and it contains a motherlode of material, information, and access to experts on the subject of wetlands including a great set of wetland links at Wetland Related Sites, http://www.sws.org/wetlandweblinks.html
ePALS Classroom Exchange
http://www.epals.com/
"Connect with classrooms from 96 countries speaking 98 languages. 11,884 classrooms, representing more than 850,000 students, are now registered with ePALS!" Started in 1996 as E-mail Classroom Exchange, this site has grown from 10 classrooms in 4 countries to be the world's largest and most active ePAL network of wired schools. By connecting with other classrooms around the world, students and teachers K-12 are able to gain a sense of what everyday life is like in a foreign country as well as connect with other classrooms for teacher-monitored school projects. A great resource to have.Subtopic: Favorite Math/Science Web Sites and Resources
Prompt: This subtopic is for sharing your favorite math/science Web sites (URLS) and resources you have found that might be useful for your colleagues.
Rationale: Use as needed. This subtopic will be a great resource for your participants to use with their projects. It will provide sites and resources for the participants to use in their projects. You may want to post some sites first to promote a better discussion. Be sure to include why you think that this site is useful and a short overview.
Example: See the above list of sites. There are several that may be used as examples for math and science Web sites and resources.
Subtopic: Favorite English/Humanities Web Sites and Resources
Prompt: This subtopic is for sharing your favorite English/Humanities Web sites (URLS) and resources you have found that might be useful for your colleagues.
Rationale: Use as needed. This subtopic will be a great resource for your participants to use with their projects. It will provide sites and resources for the participants to use in their projects. You may want to post some sites first to promote a better discussion. Be sure to include why you think that this site is useful and a short overview.
Subtopic: K-12 Project Opportunities and Examples
Prompt: Post URLs for K-12 projects for student participation that you have seen on the Web. Also post URLs for sites where educators can find potential collaborators.
Rationale: Use if you do not have any responses for the above topic. This subtopic will give your participants an example of how they can use the Internet for student participation with students around the globe.
Topic Prompt: This topic is for discussing issues in staff development for technology-supported engaged learning.
Rationale: Use after the participants have been working on their projects. The participants should be thinking about their staff development plan. This is a great topic area for participants to share ideas and discuss issues that will affect their plans. Create new subtopics as needed that will be relevant for your participants' district concerns and population.
Subtopic: Comments/Questions on Readings
Prompt: There are more useful articles to read than each person would have time for, so we are asking each of you to summarize a different article for your colleagues. Summarize the main points and most useful tips in your assigned article.
Rationale: Use before the participants develop their staff development plans. There are numerous articles about staff development. We have found that it is easier to assign a few articles to read and review than assign many and have the participants feel more overwhelmed. They will also read one article more carefully when reviewing it for others than many articles read just for themselves. Select articles you feel are relevant for your participants and divide the articles for summation.
Subtopic: Comments/Questions on Readings
Prompt: Identify one idea from the readings that struck you as particularly important for good staff development. Describe how you could use this idea in the staff development you plan for your school/district.
Rationale: Use before the participants develop their staff development plans. Using the selected articles you feel are relevant for your participants, they use higher level thinking skills to apply an idea useful for their staff development plan. This helps clarify the idea, gives them a bibliographic source to use in their plan and starts them organizing the plan into a cohesive unit.
Subtopic: Best and Worst Staff Development Experiences
Prompt: Think about your best and worst past experiences with participating in or conducting staff development. Drawing from these experiences, briefly describe your experience(s) and the effect the factors you are mentioning had. What advice would you give your colleagues on important characteristics/conditions to include or avoid for an effective staff development experience.
Rationale: Use before the participants develop their staff development plans. This will assist them in setting up conditions for their staff development resulting in a positive experience for their participants.
Subtopic: Adult Learners
- Prompt: Drawing from your past experiences with your students and with staff development, respond to the following:
- How are you and your colleagues (as adult learners) different from the students (children) you teach? List the ways you are different. If you think there is not a difference, explain why.
- What implications does this have for how you should plan and conduct staff development for your colleagues?
Rationale: Use before the participants develop their staff development plans. If many of your participants are classroom teachers, they need to review how adult learners process information. This information should be considered for their staff development plan.
Subtopic: Questions and Concerns about Staff Development
Prompt: Read through the two LInC staff development Web pages.
Where do we begin?
Creating your staff development action planWhat are your questions and concerns about staff development in general, and about creating an action plan for your school/district with respect to integrating technology-supported engaged learning into the curriculum? Please post your reply to this same subtopic.
Rationale: Use before the participants develop their staff development plans to create a forum for their questions.
Subtopic: Staff Development Plan Criteria
Prompt: Design a rubric to be used to evaluate the staff development plan your team turns in.
Rationale: Use as the participants develop their staff development plans. Good idea if you want your participants to have practice creating a rubric. If you prefer you may use/modify the action plan rubric or district technology plan rubric.
Subtopic: Staff Development Plan Content
Prompt: In your school/district, what is the most important content to include to make your staff development plan most effective and easy to carry out?
Rationale: Use as the participants develop their staff development plans. This subtopic is useful for including relevant content for your participants' situation. Sharing what each one considers is most important to include gives everyone a possibility to review other's important content areas and utilize them if needed.
Subtopic: Staff Development Plan Contacts
Prompt: What contacts will you need to make and what support will you need to pave the way?
Rationale: Use as the participants develop their staff development plans. The staff development plan needs to be relevant for the school's/district's social-economic community. Your participants need to find contacts and support that will assist them in completing their staff development plans. This subtopic will enable them to research and compile a list of resources and lets them know they should be seeking buy-in from key district staff starting from the very beginning of their planning.
Subtopic: Share Ideas about Your Staff Development Plan.
Prompt: "People support what they help to create." What opportunities can you help create for others as a result of your new expertise? In terms of informal or formal staff development, give us a snapshot of the kinds of things you may be doing in the next year to spread the word about engaged learning with the best use of Internet technology.
Rationale: This prompt will help you determine how your participants are doing on staff development and you can then plan activities accordingly.
Topic Prompt: This topic is for questions and discussions about class management, acceptable use policies (AUP), Internet etiquette (Netiquette), citing resources, and copyright issues.
Rationale: As more engaged learning projects are developed for use in the classroom and are on the Internet, we have seen a need for the above issues. Your participants may already have seen their districts address these issues depending upon the technology available. Gear the subtopics to those that have not been discussed and are relevant to the participants. It will assist in devising plans to meet and solve these issues as they arise in their communities. If they have no control over these issues, these subtopics will still be a resource to share with those who have authority to address the issues.
Subtopic: Classroom Management with Technology
Prompt: Discuss your classroom management plan. How many computers do you have connected to the Internet in your classroom? How are you going to use them? If you do not have Internet access in your classroom, what arrangements have you made for your students? Also submit suggestions to two others that might help their computer/Internet problems.
Rationale: Use as needed. Different schools/districts have been able to obtain computers and Internet connections for their students through many governmental programs and grants. Many times technology has been given to teachers without any support. The staff development plan should address the issue of classroom management that includes engaged learning and technology. Sharing one another's situations and giving suggestions on how to solve computer/Internet problems will create a resource for teachers in similar and future situations.
Subtopic: Community Buy-in for Technology
Prompt: Our group chose the question, "Our kids don't know the 3R's; why do they need technology? As teachers we feel that students need time with teachers in the lecture, help-type mode, however, we also feel that hands-on learning is very effective, but many of our student's parents feel technology is just "fun and games." What do you do in your community to handle these parental concerns?
Rationale: Use as needed. School boards are hesitant on purchasing computers and other technology if they are not sure that teachers will be using them effectively. They do no want to see technology tools in a corner of the classroom and not being used. They want them to be used as a learning tool and not as a "toy." The school board reflects the concerns of the community which includes parents of your participants' students. This subtopic will create a reference for your participants to use to support their projects and plans.
Subtopic: Netiquette
Prompt: This subtopic is for questions and discussions of Netiquette and chatiquette. Good Netiquette and chatiquette are a must for your students. Use the LInC Online activity as a review for your students before they work on your project.
Rationale: Use as needed. With more students collaborating with cultures that are not similar to theirs, it is a good idea for your participants to share their responses. They will be able to have their students use good Netiquette during the engaged learning project and for other projects in the future.
Subtopic: Copyright
Prompt: This subtopic is for questions and discussions of copyright issues related to the Internet. Remember to always obtain permission to use any graphics, text, and resources that are not your own first before using them in your project. Always look for a comment from the originator on how you can use their materials.
Rationale: Use as needed. Students have been completing research and documenting their work. Your participants need to make sure they realize that even though it is on the Internet for the world to see, it is still someone else's work and should be recognized. This subtopic is a good review of making sure all references are document and copyrights are preserved.
Subtopic: AUP
Prompt: This subtopic is for questions and discussions about Internet acceptable use policies. Include in your response whether or not your school has an AUP. If your AUP is online, include the URL.
Rationale: Use as needed. The correct use of the Internet is a must for students. All schools/districts should have one in place. This subtopic will assist those participants who need an AUP. It will give them models to modify/use with their students and themselves.
Topic Prompt: This area is for suggesting topics for breakout groups in your discussions. Please suggest topics that will help you make progress on your projects. We may not be able to address every topic suggested right away, but we'll try to schedule break out groups on the most requested topics. Topics in the past have included:
Rationale: Use as needed. This is a great area to individualize your course. Different participants may have similar concerns and interests. By sharing these you can modify your discussion topics to reflect their needs. They will also be able to voice their concerns and have ownership over some of the discussion topics. You will also have an idea of the needs of your participants in between scheduled sessions.
Example: Suggest topics for discussion.
Prompt: Please reply to this conversation with three topic requests for the March 3 discussion. Responses received by Sunday midnight will be used as input for making the discussion schedule for Wednesday.
Topic Prompt: Use for posting your reflections/highlights/products from your class discussions.
Rationale: Have participants reflect on the discussion topic and apply it to their own situation and share ideas with others. Have participants focused on a task so they can be more student-directed in the class discussion.
Subtopic: Put last discussion topic.
Prompt: Summarize the last discussion and how you would use the information on your Web pages.
Topic Prompt: This topic is for any suggestions or comments you have about the course. Feel free to start new subtopics as needed and to post them at whatever time an idea comes to you.
Rationale: This topic should be available from the start of the course so participants have a forum for posting suggestions and feedback whenever they have ideas. Having the participants' input assists revisions to your course to make it better and geared to your participants' needs.