E-Mail Resources:

ePals.com
http://www.epals.com/
Offers free web-mail accounts, monitored e-mail, discussion boards, instant language translation, private chat, and e-card exchange.

Free e-mail links
http://www.kmunity.net/Free_Tools_/Email/email.html
This site provides various links and instructions on how to obtain a free email address. Options include, but are not limited to BigFoot, HotMail, Juno, WebMail, RocketMail, uName, etc.

Yahoo Groups
http://groups.yahoo.com/
Join a group or start a new one!

Instant Messaging Resources:

Microsoft Office Groove
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/groove/FX100487641033.aspx
You can get a 60-day Groove workspace at no cost for personal use at this site. Groove is a collaborative, Web-delivered workspace where multiple folks can meet online and use instant messaging, synchronized Web browsing, and peer-to-peer file sharing. Other tools and games available are a shared drawing space, tic-tac-toe, chess, photo album, calendar, and much more. (PC only)

Chat Forum Resources:

Web Page Resources:

Web Style Guide
http://www.webstyleguide.com/index.html?/contents.html
Great resource guide to creating a functional website, explaining process, interface design, site design, page design, typography, editorial style, graphics and multimedia.

Listserv Resources:

TechLEARNing Newsletters
http://techlearning.com/forms/newsletter.jhtml
TechLEARNing provides electronic bi-monthly newsletters to educators free of charge by request. This website will allow you to see samples and sign up for Tech Learning News, IT Guy Alert, Professional Development Quick Tips Alert, and Site of the Day Alert. Although it's good practice to select regular postings to your computer carefully, this is definitely one to consider!

Scanner Resources:

Scanning 101: The Basics
http://www.scantips.com
This is a nineteen chapter electronic version of the book, "Scaning 101: The Basics" by Wayne Fulton. The website explains the fundamentals of digital images and how you can get the most from your scanner, plus lots of scaning tips. You can view one chapter or all nineteen.

Digital Camera Resources:

Using Digital Cameras in the Classroom
http://www.wacona.com/digicam/digicam.html
This website contains information about when, where, and how to use a digital camera as well as lesson ideas and online references and links. It is on the Wacona Elementary School in Waycross, GA website.

Kodak Digital Learning Center
http://webs.kodak.com/US/en/digital/dlc/
A must view site! The Digital Learning Center (DLC) is a collection of information, tips, and techniques on digital imaging. There are step-by-step directions showing how to do neat things with digital pictures, a series of online digital training courses, plus various family, school, and professional activities, projects, and ideas.

1001 Uses for a Digital Camera
http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~ucfcasio/qvuses.htm
This site, referred to as "1001 Uses for a Digital Camera", is designed as a reference tool. Putting educators in touch with creative educational applications for digital cameras in the classroom, teachers submit lessons and applications that have been used successfully with students for peers to view and print. Each lesson plan activity includes grade level, objective, procedure, assessment and follow-up.

megapixel.net
http://megapixel.net/html/issueindex.html
This site is designed in an online digital camera magazine format. The site includes all the common sections found in any magazine, such as articles, editorials, news and reviews. It also has interactive optios such as a discussion forum (that appears to be very active), a price search option, a classified section with e-mail contacts and links to other digital camera websites.

Digital Video Resources:

Videography for Educators
http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=365
This site sponsored by Apple Computer features tips and techniques to assist in the creation of quality video projects. Lots of video narration and examples illustrating concepts and skills relevant to classroom teachers. Content includes pre-production planning steps, equipment set-up, capturing the video, and editing techniques. Although the site was developed by Apple educators, the information is generic to all video applications and procedures.

Presentation Software Resources:

PowerPoint in the Classroom
http://www.actden.com/pp/
Online and print versions of tutorials for Microsoft PowerPoint software, including Teachers's Guide.

Presentation Software Comparisons
http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech104.shtml
Education World article comparing presentation software features.

Display Device Resources:

SMART Technologies: SMART Board
http://www.smarttech.com

Classroom Applications Resources:

Instructional Uses | Student Projects | WebQuests | Whiteboards | Software Tutorials

Instructional Uses

Thinkfinity
http://thinkfinity.org/
This free, comprehensive digital learning platform is built upon the merger of two acclaimed programs Verizon MarcoPolo and the Thinkfinity Literacy Network. All of Thinkfinity.org's 55,000 standards-based K-12 lesson plans, student materials, interactive tools and reference materials are reviewed by content partners to ensure that content is accurate, up-to-date, unbiased and appropriate for students. Thinkfinity.org makes it easy for educators to enhance their classroom instruction with lesson plans, interactive activities and other online resources. Thinkfinity.org also provides a wealth of educational and literacy resources for students, parents and after-school programs.

Virtual Teaching
http://www.umuc.edu/virtualteaching/module1/collaborative.html
This website describes examples of web-enabled collaborative learning assignments for a variety of disciplines, such as local history, anthropology, etc. Hotlinks allow you to actually visit the website of each project to view details, photos, diagrams and notes on the Web-based technologies employed.

Teacher's Network
http://www.teachersnetwork.org
Resources by and for teachers on this website, including curriculum units, lesson plans, activities and projects for teachers in all subject areas for grades pre-K-12. Also a forum for teachers and teacher mentors to problem solve issues, information about free and inexpensive materials for teachers, and links to recommended educational resources.

Postcards From Abroad
http://www.teachersnetwork.org/teachnetnyc/lvelez/postcards.htm
This teacher-designed activity called "Postcards From Abroad" provides goals, standards, materials,lesson plans and lessons learned for having students create a postcard from a city or country they might visit in the future. To complete the assignment, students must use the Internet, a digital camera, scanner, old photographs, print resources, and HyperStudio (or comparable multimedia software).

Producing Public Services Announcements for Videotaping
http://www.teachnet-lab.org/is24/vnacionales/psa.htm
A teacher-designed activity using videotapes as the motivation behind teaching students how to write public service announcements. Very detailed seven-day lesson plan, with video example of a final product.

LessonPlansPage.com
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/
Over 2,000 lesson plans for pre-K to grade 12 searchable by subject area or topic.

Technology Lesson Plans
http://www.tcet.unt.edu/START/instruct/lp_tech.htm
Database of projects and lesson plans for developing technology skills created by the Texas Center for Educational Technology at the University of North Texas.

Student Projects

Web Clip Art
http://www.webclipart.about.com
If you have no budget and need graphic images, backgrounds, borders and icons for presentations and projects, this is the perfect site! Public domain Web clip art on A-Z topics, both instructional and seasonal. Since there is no charge for the use of any of the graphics or photos, you do need to tolerate some screen advertising.

WebQuests

WebQuest.org
http://webquest.org/index.php
The most complete and current source of information about the WebQuest Model. Whether you're an education student new to the topic or an experienced teacher educator looking for materials, you'll find something here to meet your needs.

Whiteboards

Five Whiteboard Lessons
http://www.educationworld.com/alesson/lesson251.shtml#lessons
This website offers five excellent lessons using whiteboards as a tool for active classroom learning. The lessons are detailed, easy to follow, and very adaptable.

SMART Technologies: SMART Boards
http://www.smarttech.com
This website was developed by SMART Technologies, Inc. It has the technical information necessary for whiteboard purchase considerations and separate tips for use of whiteboards for K-12, higher education, distance education and special education. The Edcompass section on this site provides an avenue for educators to share lesson activities and exchange ideas with peers on using whiteboards in teaching.

Daily Numbers: A Daily Math Skill Reinforcement Activity
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp251-01.shtml
Use this daily lesson to reinforce skills and improve student test scores in math and other areas of the curriculum.

Handwriting Practice Made Easy
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp251-02.shtml
Students use lined whiteboards as they learn and practice handwriting skills. (Grades K-5)

Whiteboard Jeopardy-Style Game
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp251-03.shtml
Help students use individual whiteboards to review content before a unit test or to improve skills in vocabulary, geography, math, and so on. (Grades K-12)

Whiteboard Spelling Test
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp251-04.shtml
Students actively participate in whiteboard exercises that replace traditional (boring!) weekly spelling activities. (Grades K-8)

Guess Which Word?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp251-05.shtml
Engage students in a game that reinforces phonics and language skills.

Software Tutorials

PowerPoint in the Classroom
http://www.actden.com/pp/
Online and print versions of tutorials for Microsoft PowerPoint software, including Teachers's Guide.

Copyright and Ethics Resources:

Tech & Learning
http://www.techlearning.com/section/copyright
A collection of articles identifying copyright information and highlighting classroom scenarios of copyright issues for educators.

Obtaining Permissions
http://www.ksu.edu/academicservices/intprop/permission.htm
A complete "How to Guide" of resource information on copyright and fair use guidelines. The guide provides sources for requesting permission with samples of permission letters. The site also lists a database for finding copyright holders, public domain resources, and a link to the copyright clearance center.

The Mystery Behind the ©
http://www.pitt.edu/AFShome/s/k/skvarka/public/html/education/copyright/
Yes! Copyright law applies to material posted on the Internet. This site offers a short commentary that informs the reader about the copyright laws that govern the Internet.

A Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright
http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm
An educator's resource on copyright and fair use. Excellent site, complete with a list of copyright-protected works and a chart describing fair use in the classroom.

Adventures of Cyberbee
http://www.cyberbee.com
A must see! An excellent site that provides interactive curriculum ideas and projects as well as copyright regulations.

Copyright Basics FAQ
http://www.nolo.com/lawcenter/ency/article.cfm/catID/2EB060FE-5A4B-4D81-883B0E540CC4CB1E/objectID/612A23E4-4728-4B08-85B3072753D47721
Got a question about copyright law? Get your answer at this site of frequently asked questions and answers concerning copyright basics.

10 Big Myths About Copyright Explained
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
A simply stated and informative website that addresses the common myths about copyright law and fair use.

Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web
http://www.umuc.edu/library/copy.html
Copyright and Fair Use apply to printed materials in the classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web. Highly recommended for educators seeking information about copyright law, educational multimedia guidelines, and how to acquire permission.

Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers
http://www.mediafestival.org/copyrightchart.html
An excellent detailed chart of copyright and fair use guidelines. This helpful chart is designed for classroom teachers and provides a wealth of information.

Fair Use and Distance Education

The TEACH Act
http://www.mimosasystems.com/articles/teach-act.html
The rapid changes in technology have forced revisions to the copyright act and fair use policies in education.

Video and Book

Amazon Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/kindle
Contains information about a device for reading e-books and other digital media.

ABC News VideoSource
http://www.abcnewsvsource.com
A great site that offers individuals access to view historic films and videotapes and today's current news. ABC News VideoSource offers a diverse array of footage from sports, technology, lifestyles, to the economy.

BBC World Wide Americas
http://www.bbcfootage.com
At BBC World Wide Americas one can view historic events from the past fifty years. The site provides footage from CBS News and contains a CBS News Audio Archive, a comprehensive library of radio news from 1933 to the present.

Historic Films
http://www.historicfilms.com
This is a fun site that allows individuals to explore and view hours of vintage television programs, nusical performances, educational films, TV newscasts, and TV commercials and cartoons.

NBC News Archives
http://www.nbcnewsarchives.com
As NBC quotes, "No matter where, no matter when, NBC News is there, recording history as it unfolds worldwide." NBC News Archives includes collections of radio recordings and news events that capture the people, events, and emotions in our world.

UCLA Film and Television Archive
http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/about/aboutus.html

Assessment Resources:

Evaluating Technology | Instructional Uses: Rubrics | Standards

Educator's Guide to Evaluating the Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdTechGuide
Designed to help one through the evaluation process of technology programs in a school district and staff. This site answers many questions such as, Why am I evaluating? Where do I start? What information do I need to collect? How do I communicate my results? In addition to the questions, the appendices offer worksheets and examples of technology surveys.

Instructional Uses: Rubrics

Multimedia Project Rubric
http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/rub.senst.htm
Includes many sample rubrics for the classroom. Included in this site is a helpful Multimedia Project Rubric by Dan Senstock.

Kathy Schrock's Rubrics
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html
An assortment of rubrics: comparison, multimedia presentation, PowerPoint, and student oral presentations. This is a great tool for teachers to use when providing students with rubrics for assessment purposes.

Rubrics Generators
http://teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/
Rubric generators for behavior, class participation, science fair, teamwork, math, web quests, listening, and keyboard.

Northwest Regional Laboratory Six Trait Site
http://www.thetraits.org/index.php
This site provides an excellent "6+1 Six Traits Writing Assessment Guide" which defines the six traits and includes an optional presentation trait. Scoring is determined from a scale of 1 to 5 and includes defined reasoning under each score.

Standards

National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Project
http://www.iste.org
ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and higher education. Standards for teachers, students, administrators, and technology leaders are located can be found at this link.

E-Mail	Instant Messaging	Chat Forum	Web Page
Listserv	Scanners	Digital Cameras	Digital Video
Presentation Software	Display Devices	Classroom Applications	Copyright and Ethics
Assessment