Learning: Tips for the Wired Classroom
Emphasis on Interactive Learning

I have a seventh grade Web page that links to my eighth grade Web page. Both sites are centered around project-based teaching, including interactive spelling/vocabulary games created on Quia and Funbrain, interactive games, novel units, and a homework calendar.

Maryann Platt
Seventh and eighth grade teacher
Ashland, Massachusetts

World Travelers
Our students used the profusion.com search engine to do research for the CD-ROM map program they were using to publish a travel brochure on the country of the student's choice. Profusion searches for topics among sites that are "screened" for graphics and information.

Each child was able to visit the country they were researching through their search, find flags, hear the anthems, and see landmarks important to that country. They could print out the historical information to incorporate into their final product.

Claire Fleisch
Fifth grade teacher/technology lead
Falls Church, Virginia

Persuasion Power
I have a classroom site that is basically my own domain--www.millionpickles.com. Through this site my students view the homework and student writing samples, and as well access a webquest I designed entitled "Is Revenge Ever Justified?" Because there are no computers in class, the students pair off and use their home computers to complete the assignment, which culminates in either a handwritten persuasive essay or a PowerPoint presentation persuading the audience to their point of view.

Andrea Kittelson
Seventh and eighth grade teacher
Hayward, California

Inspiring Site
Kidspiration and Inspiration are two similar software programs that enable students to make excellent storywebs and outlines from the webs (and vice versa).

Color-coding can be used, pictures can be added, and sample webs are available for many school topics. Teachers can make use of the webs, too, and use them for worksheets, brainstorming, discussions, and even testing. As I stated before, these webs convert to outlines, with just a mouse click!

Debby Rubin
Speech pathologist
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Car Hunting
When teaching about search engines and how to use them in beginning I.T. classes, I have my high school students do a search for their favorite vehicle(s) and ask them for the price(s).

They learn quickly about how to search different geographical areas and how to limit their search to particular colors, makes, and models of cars. They then have to send a photo or description and price to me on the Internet, or print it out.

The first time I gave this assignment, it was a surprise to find out how motivated they were to share their choice of car, truck, etc.

They freely exchanged information about the latest search tools and techniques, but they haven't duplicated another student's choice yet, in 13 years of classes.

I've received information on expensive foreign cars, Volkswagens, four-wheel drive trucks, and some great classic cars.

Aleta Boyce
Art teacher
Tooele, Utah

Seating Software
I love the program Inspiration, which is useful for creating webs in your classroom of all types. But my favorite use of this software is for arranging seating in my room.

At the beginning of the year, I create a "desk" for each student. Each time I want to rearrange the desks, I go to this file and move the desks around. My printed copy is useful for substitutes.

I serve as my elementary school's Webmaster. I have developed a site that provides links to authors, mailboxes to reach teachers, and links for parents, teachers, and students. Check it out at www.framingham.k12.ma.us/dunning.

Carol Gabel Berlin
Third grade teacher
Framingham, Massachusetts

My favorite Web site
My favorite Web site is actually the one I created: www.teachingtips.com. The site provides a multitude of resources for teachers including helpful articles and a discussion board to get advice from other teachers.

Anna Gregory
Albany,
Kentucky

Bytes for Beginners

I'm a technology coordinator at my school. We require our students to access certain Web sites using Netscape Communicator. The biggest problem teachers report is keeping their students' focus on the Web site and away from browser menus (bookmarks, toolbars, etc.).

Is there a way to make these menu options disappear when my students run Netscape?

You bet your kiosk there is! Perhaps the best method I've seen used to resolve the dilemma you describe is to actually create "shortcut" icons for each URL you want to access without browser menu options. This procedure works with the latest versions of Netscape (6.2) and MS Explorer (Ver. 6).

First, use your right mouse button to find and click on an empty spot on your Windows desktop. Scroll the pop-up menu and select NEW and then SHORTCUT.

Once the CREATE SHORTCUT dialog box opens, select BROWSE. On your computer's hard drive (or network) locate and double-click on the browser program with which you surf the Web. Either can usually be found in the PROGRAM FILES folder.

The CREATE SHORTCUT dialog box should show a highlighted line of text similar to the following (I chose Netscape as my browser program):

"C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\ Program\netscape.exe" Next, click at the end AFTER the last quotation mark and insert a SPACE. Insert a minus symbol (-) and a lower case k (DO NOT insert a space between these two characters).

Finally, after -k, insert another space and type the URL that you want to open when the browser opens. If you were using Netscape and wanted it to open in kiosk mode at NEA's Web site, your CREATE SHORTCUT dialog box would contain a line similar to the following:"C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Program\netscape.exe" -k www.nea.org Now, click on the CREATE SHORTCUT dialog box's NEXT icon and name your shortcut.

Talk To Us

Have a nifty classroom tip or lesson plan that uses technology? E-mail a description (under 200 words, please!) to wiredclassroom@list.nea.org.

Is there a Web site, CD-ROM, or piece of software you can't live without? E-mail your favorites--and why you love them--to myfavoritetech@list.nea.org.

Or send your responses by regular mail to NEA Today, or by fax to 202/822-7206, or through the Web at www.nea.org/cet.

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