In March 2001, Wired magazine reported that Internet2 would eventually be made available to K-12 school districts. In May 2003, the Alabama Supercomputer Authority made this a reality for Alabama's public schools. For the Internet2 community, this is a way of expanding the number of institutions that can use the very high bandwidth and possibly develop new ways of utilizing it. For K-12 school districts using cutting edge technologies such as video education, or which need access to remote tools, it means a rare opportunity to share in the exciting world of this high bandwidth infrastructure. In early 2001, Internet2 started the K20 initiative and created a new category of members called a "Sponsored Education Group Participant" or SEGP. A SEGP allows state and regional education networks to extend membership to K20 institutions through a sponsoring Internet2 member. The Alabama Research and Education Network SEGP was sponsored by the Alabama Supercomputer Authority, Auburn University, The Univeristy of Alabama, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Through this partnership, all Alabama K12 schools, postsecondary colleges, and universities have access to Internet2 through the Alabama Research and Education Network.
READING ABOUT EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Computer and Internet Use by Children and Adolescents in 2001 was recently released by the National Center for Educational Statistics. It examines the use of computers and the Internet by American children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 17. The report shows that computer and Internet access are an important component of schoolwork, but that a digital divide still exists.
EDUCATION AND THE INTERNET
Change Is in the Air On a cold day in December 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright changed history. Although their Wright Flyer stayed aloft for only 12 seconds and ultimately crashed on a subsequent attempt, they proved that man could build, fly and control an airborne machine. Now, 100 years later, there are about 30,000 airplane flights originating in the U.S. each day, transporting people and packages all over the world. The Wright brothers risked their lives to test their idea and ultimately changed the world. This month, MarcoPolo celebrates the spirit of making changes. Activities are provided to encourage students to examine the kinds of changes that happen in and around their world. There are also links to lessons and resources. http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Jan2004.html.Fisheries and Marine Education on the Web The December issue of Rural Roots focused on students in Maine and their project to document the lore and wisdom of their local fishing communities. This project is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries in partnership with the Rural School and Community Trust. The project will result in student-generated publications, presentations, and local events. The students will contribute to a larger, cumulative research effort by contributing the information they collect into an online database designed by NOAA Fisheries for both scientific research and public use. The Resource Center in this issue provides links to resources helpful in the study of fisheries and marine life.
Environmental Organizations
http://www.oceana.org--This international advocacy organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the world's oceans has "oceana interactive" with links for learning more about oceans, ocean threats, tropical fish fun facts, "wonders of the deep," and a "geared up quiz."
http://www.oceanconservancy.org--A good general source of information on top ocean conservation issues.In the Classroom
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (http://www.coreocean.org/Dev2Go.web?id=209384&rnd=8314) Sponsored by the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) is a national competition for high schools on topics related to the study of oceans. The event will be held in February this year. On their website, you can register, review practice questions and learn where regional events are being held across the country. CORE also has links for K-12 education at http://www.coreocean.org/Dev2Go.web?id=201993&rnd=12239.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has lots of great stuff geared to older students:
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/kids/kids.html--Curriculum teaching how oil spills and dangerous chemical accidents are cleaned up, complete with experiments. http://www.pmc.noaa.gov/tc/index.htm--Provides twice weekly communication between students and the NOAA research ship conducting fishery and living marine resource research in support of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Students can follow the vessel's daily operations through regularly posted pictures and write-ups.
http://www.oar.noaa.gov/k12/--Provides middle school students with research and investigation experiences using on-line resources. Even if you do not have much experience in using web-based activities in science, the directions here are easy to follow.
http://www.education.noaa.gov/shipname/--A student contest to name NOAA's new ship requires student teams in New England (grades K-12) to research a name and prepare a related classroom education project to support and justify its proposed name. This project can be adapted by teachers in their classrooms to help students learn about NOAA, its environmental stewardship and its ocean-related science and research.
http://www.marinecareers.net--Have your students check out possible future marine careers.
http://midwest.fws.gov/kids/book.pdf--For younger kids, this coloring book from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service teaches fisheries information using the ABCs. (You will need a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer if you don't currently have it.)
http://www.tidesinstitute.org/tides/martincaraher/ martincaraher.html--Example of a good fisheries-related oral history project on The Martin & Caraher Sardine Factory in Maine.Specially for Teachers
http://www.fisheries.org/publications/catbooks/x55026.shtml--Go here to buy the "Guide to Fisheries Education Resources for Grades K-12" published in 1998 for $16. This guide focuses on fisheries content rather than on specific education objectives and evaluates different resources teachers can use to meet their fisheries and aquatic education needs.
http://www.epa.gov/teachers/--The environmental educator center from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has curriculum resources on watersheds and ecosystems.
http://www.marine-ed.org/--Join the National Marine Educators Association to receive their journal and meet other teachers to exchange ideas, experiences and teaching techniques and discuss the latest research. The organization also has regional chapters.
The Old Farmer's Almanac Since 1792, The Old Farmer's Almanac has published useful information for people in all walks of life: tide tables for those who live near the ocean; sunrise tables and planting charts for those who live on the farm; recipes for those who live in the kitchen; and forecasts for those who don't like the question of weather left up in the air. (http://www.almanac.com)
Scholastic's Weather Watch: Winter Storms Students learn about the many ingredients and processes that go into a winter storm; experiment with creating a winter storm of their own; and discover historical winter storm patterns. (http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/winter/index.htm)
Search for Ice & Snow: An Online Activity for Grades 8-12 Using an Earth Image database (Space Shuttle images), students try to find places on Earth where there is ice and snow. (http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/SegwayEd/lessons/search_ice_snow/ski.1.homepage.html)
SEGway Education Page - A website where you can find over 20 lessons covering geophysics (e.g. Surfing for Earthquakes and Volcanoes) to space physics (e.g. The Light Tour) at grade levels from K-12 (http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/SegwayEd/index.html).
Space Link - A webpage with over 100 links to K-12 educational materials and information related to NASA Aeronautics and Space Research. (http://spacelink.nasa.gov/)
Galileo's Battle for the Heavens explains why Galileo is the father of modern science, why Galileo's refractor and Newton's reflector remain the two standard types of optical telescopes today, and Galileo's big mistake. See demonstrations of his experiments, an illustrated chronology of his life, an online pendulum, and an interactive inclined plane. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/)
The Secret Life of the Brain presents a history of efforts to understand the brain, a three-dimensional tour of the brain, optical illusions, and an animation showing how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) works. Videoclips examine how the brain evolves and differs from infancy to childhood, adolescence, and through adulthood. (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/)
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Arizona State University in Tempe invites high school physics, chemistry, and physical science teachers nationwide to enroll in summer graduate courses in physics pedagogy, interdisciplinary science, and contemporary physics. Modeling Workshops are included. The program can lead to a Master of Natural Science degree. An NSF grant provides stipends, some free tuition, and free housing. Families are welcome! E-mail Jane.Jackson@asu.edu, or visit http://modeling.asu.edu
The Promise of Internet 2 Libraries across the country are rolling out new services and technologies, but few have Internet2 connectivity and many that do aren't taking advantage of that access. Internet2 allows librarians to expand services in at least two fundamental ways: it opens up new means for communication, such as videoconferencing, and provides access to new content, such as video and sound. Internet2, with its virtually unlimited bandwidth, gives librarians the opportunity to experiment with service delivery in exciting new arenas. Equally enticing are efforts by the Internet2 consortium to involve libraries and educational institutions in the creation of the next generation of Internet services. http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA304088&&publication=libraryjournal