Dr. Kevin W. Hopkins
Chairman, Mathematics Department
Southwest Baptist University
khopkins@sbuniv.edu
My Background
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Conducted Internet Training for Missouri Math and Science Teachers
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Had 50 in Summer 1996 and 100 in 1997
Project's Future
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Hopefully funding will continue for 1998
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Those proposals were due November 97 and we will know by late January 98
if funded or not
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Check the Workshop Web site for information and application materials
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Hopefully there will be information there about other Eisenhower Professional
Development opportunities in Cycle XV at the site.
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Another source of information concerning such opportunities is http://oseda.missouri.edu/rpdc/
which has calendars of all the Missouri Regional Professional Development
Centers activities
Workshop Web Site
Other Useful Products
from 1997 Workshop
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A newsletter will be produced. URL http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/pennvalley/
MATH/eisen/97/newslet.htm
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Each participant (100 of them) is producing a lesson plan using the Internet
in Math/Science. They will be located at URL http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/pennvalley/
MATH/eisen/97/lessons.htm
This Presentation
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Computers hooked together and talking to each other
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Allows someone to communicate with someone else across the campus, across
the state, or across the world
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Anyone can put information "out there" for others to access
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Hence there is appropriate and inappropriate information available
How Do You Use the Internet?
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Need to be hooked into a computer network that is connected itself to the
Internet
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There are many local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that you can connect
to via modem.
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You'll need software to enable your computer to communicate with others
(usually supplied by ISP)
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Need Places to Go
Need Addresses
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URL-Uniform Resource Locator (the address of the file you wish to view).
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Format is opposite of the Postal Address which goes from specific (name)
to general (state)
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Must be exact--no human is involved to figure
out what you probably meant
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Also, files are moved and a "forwarding address" may not be left
Format of URL
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http://nameofcomputer.companyname.nameofdomain/directory path on that computer
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http-means HyperText Transfer Protocol--tells the Browser how to handle
the file it find.
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The advantage of hypertext is the linking feature that enables you to jump
from page to page without always typing in a complete address to go someplace
new.
Possible Domain Names
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.com commercial or company
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.edu educational institution
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.mil military
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.gov governmental
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.org organization
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.k12.mo.us k-12 school in Missouri in US
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.au, .uk, etc.--Country codes--Australia and United Kingdom here.
What if Address Fails to Work
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Two types of error messages
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One: Netscape is unable to locate the server …
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This one means the first part of the address has an error (or experienced
an error in transmission) so Netscape can't find the computer to look for
the file on.
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Sometimes this message is wrong and trying again the name works.
Second Type of Error
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Not Found The requested URL /file name was not found on this server.
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This message is from the computer you were trying to get a file from saying
that file does not exist (at least not under the name you typed in)
Ways to Correct
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Check typing of address. Watch especially for . _ ~ 1 vs l (one versus
the letter l)
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If the message is file not found, go "up" the directory structure--that
is rather than look for home/math/personal/mine.htm look for home/math
or just home/ (This also is quite useful when you find good information--if
one file is good there are probably other good ones nearby)
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Search for key words you think will be on the page
Browser May Need Help
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Helper applications, add-on, or plug-ins assist the browser with certain
types of files.
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JAVA-programming language to run programs in the browser. Need a fairly
powerful machine and recent browser
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Adobe Acrobat Reader-allows more formatting of a document
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Movie or Sound Player
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Shockwave-allows interactive activities
Can Anyone Publish
on the Web?
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Theoretically, yes
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Getting easier to do as html editors get more user friendly. Navigator
3.01 Gold or later has a nice web page edition that looks like a specialized
word processor.
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Others exist
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You will also need a computer hooked to the Internet on which to place
your material for "the world" to access
Meeting Teachers' Needs
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These needs were identified from 1997 workshop applications.
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I divided them into 3 (sometimes overlapping) areas.
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Subject Content Needs
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Pedagogy Needs
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Other Needs
How Did I Find Sites to
Meet Teachers Needs?
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Each participant was to find one site that specifically met one need off
a list of 30 or so teacher needs.
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All sites listed have links to them from the Eisenhower site-
http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/pennvalley/MATH/eisen/index.htm
-which has 1500 reviews of sites (some sites are duplicated). The Eisenhower
site is searchable.
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For each area of need, I'll list a site or two that can help with that
area--the list will not include all the sites that could address that area
of need.
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Many of the sites meet a variety of needs.
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The more creative you are, the more a single site can meet many needs,
as it gives you new ideas to try.
Remainder of the Talk
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This talk is "multipurpose"
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If we are in a lab that has Internet access, you can go to work looking
at the many sites that follow.
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If it is a presentation with no Internet access, we'll consider as many
needs as time allows and look at some sites I have saved beforehand to
illustrate how the Internet helps address teacher needs.--You can look
at the sites I give you in more detail on your own computer with Internet
access
Subject Content Needs
Answers to Difficult Questions
Background Information (or History) on some topic or person
Career Information
Communication with Colleagues in the Discipline
Content Area Reading
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Tornadoes -- A Science and Literature Set Connection Url: http://www.packer.edu/People/students/seventh/WWWmuscianesi/tornado.html
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Unfortunately this site seems to have moved. That happens.
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In Fact, any web site will require some reading that students may find
more interesting than reading from a text.
Curriculum Development
Demonstrations
Gathering/Sharing Real Life Data
Independent Student Research Projects-Enrichment Activities
Information on New Developments
Non-Standard Problems
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The Island Puzzler Url: http://deck.com/puzzler/welcome.html
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The above site seems to have moved--again, that happens and you find links
that no longer work.
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Playful Thoughts. Url: http://www.varatek.com/scott/
Problem Solving (Critical Thinking Skills, higher order thinking)
within the Discipline
Real Life Applications for the content-Applying the skills
learned to real-life, how Industry uses the information
Relating the content to the Show-Me Standards, MMAT, or MAP
2000 (some external criteria)
Science Fair Ideas and Information
Science Lab Experiments
and Scientific Method Models
Unifying the Content (to teach all areas all year, rather
than unit by unit)
Pedagogy Needs
Age Appropriate Activities
Alternate Strategies
Assessment-(activities to help, how to do it, alternative
assessment, etc.)
Block Scheduling
Hands-On Activities and Collaborative (or cooperative) projects
and activities
Inquiry Approach
Interdisciplinary ideas
and activities
Lesson Plans-ideas on and finding existing lesson plans
Motivational Ideas
Use of Graphing Calculators, Computers, Internet or other
Technology in the Classroom
Other Needs
Assistance with Special Needs (gifted, remedial, at-risk,
or special education) Students
Assistance with classrooms with multi-skill levels, like
Multi-Age, or multiple learning styles and Class within a Class
Classroom Management
Increasing the Participation of Underrepresented Groups
Middle School
Philosophy and Curriculum
General Searching Information
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The Internet has information about a variety of topics
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It can be extremely helpful to teachers
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It takes time to learn
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You may not always find exactly what you look for
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You may find things you wish you hadn't
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Enjoy Exploring