Learning: Tips for the Wired Classroom
Going the Distance... Online

Links Across the Country
I use TEAMS Distance Learning to enhance my math, science and history/social science program.

My students were able to benefit greatly in the areas of geometry and algebra.

Through active investigation, they improved their spatial understanding, discovered properties and relationships of two-and three-dimensional figures, and, most of all, developed algebraic thinking. The history/social science programs focus on geography, history, and media literacy.

This past year, my students were involved in the chemistry program. Their investigations included observing and describing the properties of matter, physical and chemical changes, rates of change, and using chemical tools to test the properties of matter.

Each program module has its own Web site within the TEAMS Distance Learning home page.

The students are able to participate in discussions groups with their peers across the country and the distance learning instructor.

Each module has a list of activities and software to extend their learning.

My students, through their participation in the "Student as Media Evaluator" module, were able to enter a "Make Your Own Commercial Contest," by applying strategies and techniques presented in the module. Their commercial won third place.

They also entered their commercials in the VIC (Video In the Classroom) Awards of the Los Angeles Unified School District, and won in the Language Arts category.

The TEAMS Distance Learning home page is http://teams.lacoe.edu.

Sharon Harrison
Fourth and fifth grade teacher
Los Angeles, California

Buddies from Down Under
My kindergarten class is taking part in the Travel Buddy program. We have exchanged stuffed toys with a kindergarten in Australia and are keeping a journal about the adventures of the toy they sent us.

The children are learning through E-mail what life is like in another country, while learning to communicate via computer.

In a few months, we'll return the animals along with their journals. The children love it and parents get involved by writing what their child dictates.

We found our Australian friends through www.epals.com.

Grace Morina
Kindergarten teacher
Paulsboro, New Jersey

Demystifying Earthquakes
In my sixth grade classroom, we are studying earthquakes and plate tectonics.

Using the United States Geological Survey as a source, students are able to locate current earthquakes, their location in longitude and latitude, depth below earth's surface, magnitude, and exact time.

Maps show the area of the quake, color-coded for depth.

Lots of other information on earthquakes is also listed. The address is http://neic.usgs.gov/.

Another good place to start in the USGS Web site is www.usgs.gov/. The Earthquakes link leads to maps showing quakes that struck within the last day and even the last hour.

Richard Cox
Sixth grade teacher
Chillicothe, Ohio

Getting to Fluency
I designed a Web site for our foreign language department (French and Spanish). All four teachers in our department have added personal links to the main site. We also maintain sites on QUIA, which can be reached from our main Web site. Students love it!

Check us out at www.geocities.com/heightsfl.

Heather Elliott
French and English teacher
Arcadia, Indiana

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.

Those published here will receive a sparkling NEA Today mug!

Bytes for Beginners

Here are two easy things you can do. First, if you subscribe to an online service like AOL, CompuServe, or Microsoft Network, check your online profile. Maybe when you first signed up, you thought it was a great idea to provide your full name and details about your interests.

Second, be careful when you fill out long forms of personal information, for example to register for Web sites. Many include a question near the end asking if it's OK if they share this information. Make sure you say they can't. The more places you put this information, the more chances that it will be misused. If you give them permission to "share this with a few of our select advertisers," it will most certainly be sold to companies that trade in identities and demographic information.

Even if you don't give them permission, do you really know if you can trust the people behind the Web page to respect that? Those names and addresses are valuable, especially if they can be tied to shopping or surfing habits. Before giving personal information, check out the site's privacy policy. Keep in mind, though, it's still really the honor system.

My favorite Web site

I've started a club on yahoo. com. There's a calendar, photo album, links, and message boards for students and their parents. I post our activities along with project due dates. Yahoo upgrades the site for you.

Sergio Rivas
TV Production teacher
Bethlehem, PA