As I began composing my reflection of the “hands-on” activity we just completed in Module 2 of our graduate level technology integration course, I immediately thought of the title for this blog post. It is a play on the words of the old saying, “So many men, so little time,” which legendary screen actress Mae West made famous back in her “hay day.” As I worked on this activity in which we were asked to search for educationally relevant materials on the Internet, it did feel a little like there were “so many resources, so little time.” Please note that I referred to myself as “working” on this activity, and not “completing” it, and this is with very good reason. A task like this is open-ended and ongoing due to the sheer fact that the Internet is never stagnant, and it is always changing. What has become known as the “Information Superhighway” is also growing at a phenomenal rate because so many new web sites are being added to it on a continual basis. No matter how much time I devoted to it, I would never be able to truly utilize all of the invaluable educational materials that are web-based. (Although I must admit, I do have fun trying.) This experience was not daunting in the least, and the activity was both informative and enjoyable because the instructor gave us a focused direction to follow as we looked for “educationally relevant materials” online. In this post I will share some of the educational research tools, state and federal government web sites, and resources on my local district’s web site that I found quite interesting. I am hopeful that as you read, you will be inspired to do a little searching yourself for the “educational treasures” that await you out on the World Wide Web!
I’ll begin by sharing some of the new educational research tools I learned about during my search. The first one is called EduHound and it is a very comprehensive and specialized educational directory of free resources. One of the links that I especially liked on this site was called Schools on the Web. Here I was able to narrow my search down to district level in the state of Florida and I was pleased to find a link to the homepage of my district, the School District of Clay County, Florida. It was also nice that this now gives me a central location where I can access the homepages of all the other school districts within our state, and I no longer have to search for them one-by-one. Another comprehensive web site that I found and liked was The Gateway to 21st Century Skills. It is sponsored by the National Education Association (NEA), and it offers thousands of educational materials ranging from lesson plans that are mapped to specific state or Common Core Standards, to links to tens of thousands of reliable and reputable web sites for teachers and students.
The next two web sites I would like to share fall under the category of “online state and federal educational resources.” The first one that should quickly become “near and dear” to any educator’s heart is called Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE). It provides a central location for links to over 1,500 federally supported teaching and learning resources that are sponsored by agencies that are part of our federal government. When the word “free” is mentioned, most educators’ ears will perk up. This resource is not only free, but also very beneficial. Another web site that I found was Welcome to the White House, and it is the title that first caught my attention because I have always been personally intrigued with the White House. This site is significantly educational because it offers links to White House virtual tours, collections, and programs. It also has a unique way in which it provides information about our president, government, and our nation’s history. There are “behind the scenes” photographs and videos of events such as President Obama’s recent State of the Union Address to our nation scattered throughout the site, so it actually gives the feeling of being right there in-person. What teacher or student wouldn’t be fascinated by a web site like this?
The final educationally relevant online resource I would like to share is the Curriculum Resource Page that the curriculum specialists in my district provide. It is accessible via a link on our school district’s homepage, and they try to keep it up-to-date with the latest local, state, and national information pertinent to education. These educators stay very busy, so it is nice that they share this kind of information as well as their specific contact information on this site.
Now that I’ve shared some of the great educational resources that I’ve found on the Internet, it’s your turn to “take a ride on the Information Superhighway.” You may see me out there because “surfing the Internet” is not only part of my job as a Distance Learning Specialist, it is also fun.
