Web-Based Educational Resources

Educational resources or "e-learning" is instruction delivered via a computer that is designed to build knowledge and skills. The Educational Technology Division (ETD)collaborates with teachers in the development of Interactive Resources (IRs) for teaching and learning in schools. Each web-based IR is a stand alone resource that can be reused and customized to meet the needs of teachers and pupils. The IRs developed with teachers are added to the pool of resources that can be shared and used in classroom teaching and learning.

Jose Fermosos, a writer for an online newspaper wrote a funny and interesting article about web-based educational resources. his opening paragraph was: "Want an education? Open up a browser. With the information available online, you could probably get a complete education without ever leaving your house" and how true it is. for many traditional teachers, students, and parents it is hard to find reliable, relevant, age-appropriate, and safe sources online that could be used for educational purposes.

He rated the top web-based educational resources:
1. Cosmeo- an online homework toolkit from the Discovery Channel for kids in grades K-12. It includes over 30,000 videos and math tutorials, close to 150,000 reference articles and entertaining, but always educational, interactive games.

2. Best Robotics - If your kids dream of electric sheep.... encourage their interest in robots, and you might help spur them on to a future in engineering or science. Best Robotics can help, with a robotics competition that attracts more than 10,000 students in grades 6-12 nationwide. It matches up tech pros with kids in a robot-building process that leads up to the competition, which includes oral presentations and sportsmanship evaluations.

3. Education.com- The recently launched Education.com fills a need as a one-stop educational online resource for parents, and it has a strong community aspect too. It includes more than 4,000 reference articles from reliable sources such as education Ph.D.s and government agency studies. The site still has a way to go, but we can't wait for it to fully grow up.

4. Curriki.com- Teachers, do you need lesson plans or guidelines on how to teach a segment on Romeo & Juliet? Check out Curriki.org, a nonprofit site that aims to do for school curricula what Linux did for operating systems: Create a freely accessible, open-source alternative. The site is continually updated with input from educators and parents. Teachers have free access to add lesson plans and the more knowledgeable educators become involved, the more they improve each lesson plan.

5. Kiddix- If you want to protect your kids from online threats while giving them a hand up on the educational ladder, why not give them an operating system tailored to their needs? Kiddix is a good start. Its colorful, simplified interface is easier for kids to pick up on their own than Windows or OS X. The Linux-based OS is secure and it's got built-in parental monitoring tools too.

6. eNature- A crucial aspect of growing up is figuring out your place within the rest of the natural world, and this means more than just measuring up to bullies in the playground. Kids love animals and with the help of eNature.com, they'll get a close-up guide to enhance their curiosity. There's also a similar open-source project, the Tree of Life, covered recently on Wired Science.

7. Idealist.org- Many schools and colleges emphasize volunteering as part of the educational process. But how do you find the right place to volunteer? At Idealist.org, nonprofits post volunteer opportunities for kids (and adults too) in an easily searchable interface. There's a similar site at iEarn, which enables teachers and students to collaborate on volunteer projects.

8. Smithsonian Institution- The Smithsonian Institution is more than just a large cluster of crusty old buildings. It's also an incredible online resource for every child in America -- there are innumerable educational features on everything from sharks and grizzly bears to Presidents and musicians. Be sure to check out Smithsonian Education, a site-within-a-site made specifically for younger children, with engaging Flash-based presentations as well as the Smithsonian Research site, which features detailed cultural programs for kids of all ages.

As you can see there are a variety of resources online that could be helpful for all teachers, students, and parents. The web has become a world-wide resource for the "average Joe". everyone can use the computer to research different topics and learn something new every day. it is a a multi-dimensional useful tool.