External Internet Links Activity Structures Dr. Judi Harris, University of Texas at Austin, has conducted an analysis of hundreds of educational activities that involve the Internet. She has described three central points for online learning, with a number of related activities within each type. See her Web site. Collaborative Partners There are a number of places to look for collaborative partners on the Internet: Apple Global Education has a list of ongoing collaborative projects and a searchable database with over 300 International and American schools. Email Classroom Exchange gives you the chance to search for schools in a specific area or search for schools studying a particular topic. You can add your school and comments to the database. CU-SeeMe Schools Directory provides a searchable database of schools using videoconferencing technology for collaboration: Pitsco, Inc., sponsors an "ask the expert" site. This site allows students to search for and contact experts in many fields. Global SchoolNet Foundation sponsors a site where you can search for partners and register your own projects seeking partners.When you get there, select "Teachers and Parents" and go to "Projects and Programs." Classroom Connect, Inc., sponsors a site where you can find teachers ready to partner with you. They also have a searchable database of over 4,000 schools with Web sites. The International Education and Resource Network (I*EARN) sponsors a searchable database of international projects and contacts whose focus is on helping students make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of the planet and its people. In addition, there are many collaborative projects organized by schools and commercial companies It is not possible for us to list them all. However, here are three which you can look up: Monarch Watch is a collaborative network of Monarch Butterfly enthusiasts including students, teachers, volunteers and researchers. Global Grocery List is a project that gathers prices of local grocery items and makes the information available to all students. Internet Inventions ThinkQuest is an organization that sponsors an annual contest challenging students all over to invent Internet-based educational tools and materials. Help With the Software in This Kit If you would like to conduct a videoconference with a classroom which does not have ClearPhone software, direct them to the ClearPhone Web site where they can download a fully functional 30 day demo of the software (A Windows version expected in early 1998.) which they can purchase if they choose. If you would like to set up a collaborative project using HotLine with a classroom which does not have the software, and if your collaborative project extends beyond 30 days, your partners can get HotLine by purchasing this bundle from Apple, or by purchasing the client directly from HotLine Software, Inc. See HotLine Communication's Web site for purchasing information. With Aspects, both collaborators must have the program on their computers. If you wish to collaborate with a school which does not have Aspects, direct them to the Group Logic Web site where they may download a demo version of Aspects. Acceptable Use Policies A guide to writing "Acceptable Use Policies" (AUPs), created by the Southern Indiana Education Center, containing a model AUP and a list of what should be included in an AUP can be found at http://mercury.esc.k12.in.is/aup/index.html. You can also go the Alta Vista directory and search using "Acceptable Use Policy" as the search criteria. You will find many examples to choose from. Social Studies Resources Social studies units can be enhanced by including keypals. Take a look at the site developed by Indonesian and Tasmanian teachers whose children began to understand each others customs, cultures and everyday lives by participating in a long term keypal relationship: (http://www.tas.gov.au.fahan/Compute/indo.html). A comprehensive index of online American news sources as well as international newspapers can be found at http://www.newo.com/ news/index.html. To get answers to a specific question after exhausting all the usual sources for answers (online searches, library and classroom resources), try the Pitsco index, where you'll find many experts donating their time to responding to students. Apple's Global Education site also has an extensive list of links. Science Resources For Community Gardens: Students use the Internet and other sources (ie, local gardening experts) to find out what grows well in their area. They explore the KinderGarden site at the University of Texas A&M where they find out about gardening and can follow links to Urban Horticulture, Community gardens, 4-H, and Seeds of Garden Change. They also explore sites and talk to experts on the nutritional value of the plants they wish to grow (such as the National Gardening Association site which focuses on the nutritional value of having your own school snack garden). Guest speakers from the Fairfield elderly housing complex and online mentors from the SeniorNet are invited to share their memories of Victory Gardens. For Kids' Consumers Guide: The Eco-Marketing Project on the Web has some similarities to this unit. Many consumer products companies have Web sites. Some have product information on them, but the quality of their content varies. Here are some Web site addresses you might consider: Kraft Foods, Inc. Proctor and Gamble, Inc. Nike, Inc. Subaru, Inc. Ford Motor Co. General Mills, Inc. Pizza Hut, Inc. Apple Computer, Inc. Math Resources The Math Forum at Swarthmore College is a great site that includes lots of teacher and student resources. Take a look at Dr. Math! at http://forum.swarthmore.edu/. The MacTutor is a History of Mathematics archive maintained by the University of St Andrews in Scotland at http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/. The MusiNum is a site that explores the music in numbers at http://www.forwiss.de/~kinderma/musinum/musinum.html.