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Too Few
Computers
and Too Many Kids. What Can I Do? Part 3
Online
Resources
for Infusing Science, Math, and Consumer Ed with
Technology
By Tamela D. Randolph, Douglas Bedient, and
Jacqueline D.
Scolari
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In this third installment of a four-part series, the
authors provide
26 more activities for teachers and suggest meaningful
ways to use
technology when resources are limited.
Note. These Web sites were valid when
this issue
of L&L went to press. We have no control over
these sites,
though, and the Web is very volatile. Please let the
L&L
Webmaster (ll_webmaster@iste.org)
know if you find a broken link, and we’ll do our best
to update
it.
Science
Weather
TV Weather Dot Com
www.tvweather.com
A
variety of sites can be linked to from this front page.
Explore
a variety of other weather-information providers
weather.com
www.weather.com/education
Sponsored
by The Weather Channel, a wide variety of lesson plans,
teachers’
guides, and additional online teaching resources are
available.
Solar System
Earth and Moon Viewer
www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/vplanet.html
Numerous
real-time views of the earth and the moon are available.
The Nine Planets: A Multimedia Tour of the Solar
System
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/nineplanets.html
Birding
BirdSource: Birding with a Purpose
http://birdsource.cornell.edu
Current
birdwatching research projects, bird population and/or
migration
maps, and bird identification data can be found here.
Project FeederWatch
http://birdsource.cornell.edu/pfw/index.html
FeederWatch
is a joint research and education project of the Cornell
Lab of
Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, Bird Studies
Canada,
and the Canadian Nature Federation.
The Virtual Birder—Bird Song Central
www.virtualbirder.com/bbestu
Listen
to numerous bird song clips.
Museums
Boston Museum of Science
www.mos.org/index.html
Several
online exhibits including some with video clips and
magnified stills
are available for perusal.
National Museum of Science & Industry
www.nmsi.ac.uk
Housed
in London, England, this is a wonderful collection of
online modules.
Students can even build a rocket through the Apollo 10
online module.
Smithsonian Institution
www.si.edu/start.htm
This
site is full of information about all the Smithsonian has
to offer,
including African and American art, air and space science,
zoology,
and Encyclopedia Smithsonian, which contains FAQs and
links to resources
within the Institute.
The Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art, and Human
Perception
www.exploratorium.edu
Founded
in 1969 by physicist and educator Dr. Frank Oppenheimer,
"the Exploratorium’s
mission is to create a culture of learning through
innovative environments,
programs, and tools that help people nurture their
curiosity about
the world around them."
The Natural History Museum
www.nhm.ac.uk
This
online exhibit, housed in London, England, includes museum
news,
exhibit information, virtual reality fossils, and links to
other
natural history sites.
Science Fairs
Cyber-Fair: A Resource for and by Elementary Science
Students
www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/welcome.html
This
site for Grades 3–6 contains ideas for science fair
projects,
sample projects, submission instructions, sample judging
forms,
and links to other sites.
Internet Science and Technology Fair
http://istf.ucf.edu
Hosted
by the University of Central Florida’s College of
Engineering,
this competition includes three levels: elementary,
middle, and
secondary.
Science Fairs Homepage
www.stemnet.nf.ca/~jbarron/scifair.html
This
site, hosted in Canada, contains several relevant links to
projects
for students at primary, elementary, intermediate, and
senior high
levels.
The Science Club—A Nonprofit Educational
Corporation
www.halcyon.com/sciclub
Two
links from this site (Kids’ Science Build-It Projects
and Science
Fair Ideas Exchange) will help even the novice science
fair goer
get started.
Biology
Encarta Online
http://encarta.msn.com/events/earthday/endangered/endangered.shtm
This
online encyclopedia site specifically for endangered
species includes
links and lesson plans.
Endangeredspecie.com
www.endangeredspecie.com
Several
educational resources, including a teacher’s page
with lesson
plans and links, a kid’s corner, information on
causes of endangerment,
reasons to save endangered species, laws to protect them,
and books
and organizations, are available in addition to endangered
species
lists for particular regions or states.
National Wildlife Federation: Endangered Species and
Habitats
www.nwf.org/endangered
Policies
and legislation regarding endangered species and their
habitats
are discussed here.
The Interactive Frog Dissection: The Online Tool
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/frog
Video
stills of a frog assist the user through the entire
dissection process.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
http://endangered.fws.gov/endspp.html
Species
search, slideshows, maps, online articles, and a
kids’ corner
are special features of this site.
Virtual FlyLab
http://vcourseware4.calstatela.edu/VirtualFlyLab/IntroVflyLab.html
This
site provides the opportunity for crossing a pair of fruit
flies
with a wide variety of student-chosen characteristics and
looking
at the offspring without having to chase the flies around
the classroom.
Note: Virtual FlyLab will go offline permanently on
September 1,
2000. A Java version of FlyLab is available as part of
Biology Labs
On-Line (www.biologylab.awlonline.com).
Miscellaneous Science
Amusement Park Physics
www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/
Students
can create their own roller coasters or simulate bumper
car collisions.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
www.hhmi.org/grants/lectures/biointeractive/vlabs.html
Conduct
an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to look for
antibodies
within blood samples or explore the sensory system of the
leech
through the virtual laboratories at this site.
WebElements Periodic Table
www.shef.ac.uk/~chem/web-elements
An
interactive periodic table of elements.
Mathematics
Online calculator
www.prism.gatech.edu/~gte445f/Screens/Calculator.html
Integration,
summation, and derivation are available.
Pizza
The Internet Pizza Server
www2.ecst.csuchico.edu/~pizza
Interesting
pizza toppings are available here.
Papa John’s Pizza
www.papajohns.com
Several
cities across the nation can order online directly from
this Web
site. A full menu is available.
Welcome to the Pizza Farm
www.pizzafarm.org
Find
out where pizza comes from.
Games
Tic Tac Toe
www.dareware.com/tictac.htm
Play
the classic version of tic-tac-toe against a computer. If
you have
trouble accessing this URL, go to www.dareware.com,
select Online Games Using JAVA, and then choose Tic Tac
Toe.)
Chess Online
http://pine.cs.yale.edu/cgi-bin/chessplayer
Java Games
www.darkfish.com
Checkers,
Reversi, Nimskulls, Five Field Kono, and Pentalpha, are
available
for online play against the computer.
Miscellaneous Math
Problem of the Week
http://forum.swarthmore.edu/pow
Problems
at this site range from elementary to discrete mathematics
and trigonometry/calculus.
Alexa
www.alexa.com
This
Web navigation tool works with any Web browser to give
related links
and site statistics pertaining to each site visited.
Mathematics Contest Page
www.olemiss.edu/mathed/problem.htm
Six
different weekly problems, varying in difficulty from
elementary
to high school, are available at this site.
World’s Largest Math Event
www.nctm.org/wlme
To
celebrate Mathematics Education Month each year in April,
NCTM hosts
WLME to promote the applicability of mathematics in
everyday life.
The April 28, 2000, theme is "Animals as Our Companions."
M&M’s Network
www.m-ms.com/factory/history/faq1.html
Circle
graphs display the color percentages for the different
types of
M&M’s.
MapQuest
www.mapquest.com
Travel
guides, driving directions, and printable maps are
available.
Consumer
Education
Affordability Analyzer
www.homefair.com/homefair/sept95/frafford.html
Several
tools and calculators are listed at the bottom of this
page to help
students with other types of financial transactions.
CarPoint
http://carpoint.msn.com/home/New.asp
Find
a wealth of information here, including pricing, insurance
rates,
and assessing your car’s value.
Classic 164 Currency Converter
www.oanda.com/cgi-bin/ncc
More
than 150 currencies can be converted at present as well as
past
exchange rates.
Data Broadcasting Corporation
www.dbc.com
Several
stock market options are available here, including quotes
and charts
for particular stocks and information on the latest market
movers
and volume leaders.
Edmunds.com
www.edmunds.com
New
and used car, van, and truck prices and reviews are
available.
Kelley Blue Book
www.kbb.com
Lycos Network’s QUOTE.COM
http://quote.lycos.com/quotecom/
In
addition to live market charts, quick reports, and a
personalize
option, this site offers current market news; direct links
to informative
pages regarding markets, stocks, fixed income, options,
and IPOs;
an investor’s almanac; and an investor education
section.
National Automobile Dealer’s Association Official
Used Car
Guide Company
www.nada.com
A
retail price range can be obtained after answering a few
questions
regarding the vehicle.
National Lenders Mortgage Company
www.lendersmortgage.com
Online
loan and amortization calculator or download your own.
netgrocer.com
www.netgrocer.com
A
grocery store, drug store, and general store in one.
Peapod
www.peapod.com
Delivery
available for certain items through UPS for areas without
a local
store.
Schnucks
www.schnucks.com
Order
online with front door delivery available to a limited
service area.
StockMaster.com
www.stockmaster.com
Personalizable
site with options including "What if I would have invested
…"
Violet
www.violet.com
Violet
offers an affordable online shopping experience with an
upscale
air touting seven categories, each organized around a
specific theme.
Wallick and Volk Mortgage Bankers
www.wvmb.com
Online
calculators, current interest rates, market advisories,
and cost-of-living
index.
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Tamela Randolph (trandolph@semenovm.semo.edu)
is an assistant professor at Southeast Missouri
State University.
She teaches mathematics content courses for
preservice elementary
teachers. Her research interests include integrating
technology
into the classroom. Contact Tamela at Department of
Mathematics,
MS 6700, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape
Girardeau,
MO 63701.
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Douglas Bedient (ga3213@siu.edu)
is a professor of curriculum and instruction at
Southern Illinois
University, Carbondale. He directs a secondary
teacher education
center and is a past international president of Phi
Delta
Kappa.
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Jacqueline Scolari (jscolari@som.siu.edu)
is an assistant professor of information and
communication
sciences in the School of Medicine at Southern
Illinois University.
She also directs SIU’s Medical Resource Center.
She investigates
practical technology initiatives in public
schools.
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Richard Dillon is editor of
L&L’s
One-Computer Classroom column. Contact him at 825 NE
128 St.,
Seattle, WA 98125; 206.366.8420; rwdillon@seanet.com.
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Copyright © 2000, ISTE (International Society for Technology
in Education).
All rights reserved.
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