Making It Happen

Now that I have an idea I'd like to use in my classroom, what else do I need to know?

How to do...?

• How to Design a Web Page
  This is an exemplary resource created by Tammy Payton. Find tips for creating a content rich, visually appealing web page for your school site. Copyright issues, determining what kind of webpage you want to create, and six steps for developing your web activity can be found here. Once you've developed your webpage, evaluate your page using one of three rubrics and then announce your project to the world!
• How to Design a Usable Web Site
  Here's the definitive resource on the subject! The Yale Style Guide is one of the oldest manuals of conventions for creating usable sites. There are global guidelines for site navigation and structure, and tips for creation of specific elements on a single page. The second edition is now available at www.webstyleguide.com. For additional information about Web design, explore Purdue's Lesson Plans, with links to basic and advanced HTML guides, Web page design tools, and tips for developing school Web pages.
• How to design a Classroom Web Page
  Kimberly S. Roempler of Eisenhower National Clearinghouse provides some tips and general guidance to get you started.
• How Your Students Can Design Web Pages
  Webmonkey is a well-known site for helping kids with Web page design and ceation. Webmonkey for Kids provides an intuitive interface that contains lessons, tools, and fun information for developing Web sites. The projects section is designed to show students a step-by-step process for designing Web pages. Note: This site has distracting popup windows, so you might want to set your computer to block popups.
• How to Create Web-Based Learning Pages
  Teachers can use "Filamentality" to create online pages that include the teacher's choice of Internet links and activities focused on achieving a specific goal. Filamentality will store your page on its server for a year, free of charge. However, you are not permitted to use graphics.
• How to Build a School Web Site
  "Wanda Wigglebits" has a straightforward tutorial on how to build a school Web site. Designed specifically for beginners, yet precise in its technical content, this guide is a great resource for teachers and students to create Web sites.
• How to Cite Information from the World Wide Web
  This American Psychological Association Web site contains examples of how to cite electronic material including Web sites, e-mail, and electronic databases. The information is excerpted from the new 5th edition of the APA Publication Manual. Check this site frequently, because the information changes rapidly.
• How to Critically Evaluate Online Information
  Determining whether information is legitimate on the Internet is a struggle for students of all ages. The library at Ithaca College in New York created this guide for teachers and students to learn how to critically evaluate information sources on the Web.
• How to Evaluate Web Sites
  Tammy Payton provides three rubrics that students at elementary, middle, or high school can use to evaluate Web sites for design and content. See also the University at Albany Library's Tutorial on evaluating Internet resources.
• How to Keep Track of Your Wonderful Web Sites
  The WWW is not organized - once you've found great resources, it's up to you to organize them in whatever manner suits you. Here's some advice on using bookmarks, favorites, and folders, from Kimberly S. Roempler, Eisenhower National Clearinghouse: "Taming the WWW."
• How to Integrate Technology in the Classroom
  This 1997 slide presentation by Tammy Payton is still valid today. It provides helpful tips on how to manage centers within your classroom so that your students can have scheduled computer time within the classroom. The second half of the slide presentation provides tips on how to develop computer curriculum to correspond with your lesson plans, how to create your own on-line Internet projects, how to announce your Internet projects, where to find ongoing Internet projects, or pointers to educational resources.
• How to Organize and Facilitate Telecollaborative Projects
  By Judi Harris. Are you currently planning an online educational project, or do you hope to do so soon? If so, this resource gives you a structured process developed by experienced project facilitators that you may want to consider, and Internet-based resources that you may want to access to assist your efforts.

Where to find...?

• Where to Find Definitions of Technical Terms
  The Webopedia contains the most complete set of definitions for computers and the Internet. New terms are added on a regular basis. It's a great quick reference when you need to know the latest in "geek speak."
• Where to Find Information on Virtual Field Trips
  The Field Trips Site has a range of field trips on nature topics: Rainforests, Endangered Species, Salt Marshes, Volcanoes, and more! Perfect for classroom use, they provide teacher's objectives and resources for each trip. Note: some online resources open in multiple windows.
• Where to Find Images and Graphics
  Pics4Learning is a copyright-friendly image library for teachers and students. The Pics4Learning collection consists of thousands of images that have been donated by students, teachers, and amateur photographers. Unlike many Internet sites, permission has been granted for teachers and students to use all of the images found on this Web site.
• Where to Find the Latest News, Written For Students
  CNN has turned its FYI site into a resource for teachers and news for students. The site contains the latest news, together with lesson plans and instructional ideas for teachers. The lesson plans are tied directly to major news stories and foster in-depth discussions on a variety of topics. The Teacher Resources area contains additional activities for students.
• Where to find Math Databases
  An excellent list of links to databases to use in math classes, compiled from Swarthmore's Math Forum.

What are some ideas about...?

• Ideas for Teaching Younger Children
  Wonderful resources for the preK-3 curriculum including lessons, activities, projects, kid-friendly search engines, and much more.
• Ideas for Teaching Gifted/Talented Students
  Trevor VanTine's "Teacher Tips" Web site provides advice on how to use the Internet in your classroom, resources for teachers of gifted and talented students, science and history resources, and links to sites that offer ideas for lesson plans.
• Ideas for Tele-Collaboration and Tele-Research
  Designed by Judi Harris, this "Virtual Architecture" site contains a wealth of information on using the Internet for curriculum-based activities.
• Ideas for the One-Computer Classroom
  Janine Lim, a University of Southern Missisippi professor, developed this one-stop "hotlist of ideas" for the one-computer classroom. This site would be a great resource for a staff development period, with small groups exploring each page to come up with creative ideas on how to make limited hardware resources work effectively.

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