The E-line Archives, Vol. 1, #2

Volume 1, No. 2 17 May, 2002

[To view this newsletter on line:
http://www.emck.net/eline/02_05_17.htm]

"Why did I receive this?"
This newsletter is sent to all past attendees of the Middle Level Summer Teacher Academies, as a free service of the Partnership for Kentucky Schools.

Welcome to the second edition of The Help Desk, the Middle Level Teacher Academies Newsletter! Don't forget - we want to hear from you! The "Idea Exchange" (see below) is where you can tell your fellow Middle Level Teacher Academies attendees what works for you! Send us your links, lesson plans, ideas, resources - help make The Help Desk better by making it your own!

If you know anyone who you think might enjoy or be able to use The Help Desk - forward a copy, or have them contact us to be placed on our list. We'll be happy to include them in the next mailing

On-line Lesson Planning

Works For Me!
http://www.nea.org/helpfrom/growing/works4me/

Works 4 Me is an email service as well as on-line forum supplied by the National Educational Association. If you sign up, tips, helps, and inspirations will be delivered directly to your email account. There is an interactive forum, as well as the ability to submit ideas and resources.

Content Area Resources

*Mathematics*	Figure This! http://www.figurethis.org/ A project of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - this site has problems with hints, available on line and through PDF format. The site is aimed at families in support of mathematics, but the problems are quite useable in class!
*Reading*	The McConnell Center http://www.uky.edu/CommInfoStudies/SLIS/enhancement/literacy.htm Maintained by the the School of Library and Information Science, University of Kentucky, this site offers links and resources associated with children's literacy.
*Science*	Amazing Space http://amazing-space.stsci.edu From a collaboration between classroom teachers and the maintainers of the Hubble Space Telescope is this interactive website about space. Loaded with activities, each with a "Teacher Page" with lesson plans, worksheets, and instructional hints.
*Social Studies*	America's Story http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi A service of the Library of Congress, this site has stories for hundreds of well-known Americans with pictures, timelines, movies and sound clips.
*Writing*	Writing Rubrics http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/ho.html Particularly good is the reproducible scoring rubric for book report writing assignments. This resource is provided by North Carolina State University's MidLink Magazine, an "e-zine" by and for students which also has teacher resources.

Software Sources

iVisit

http://www.ivisit.com/

iVisit is a free-for-download video conferencing environment that works with ordinary computer quick-cams. What distinguishes it from CUSeeMe and Microsoft's NetMeeting is that it scales and compresses - it offers the H.263 compression format, and allows you to limit your conference bandwidth usage, making it possible to set up video conferences between schools with slow connections. It is field-tested and works!

Idea Exchange

We need your help!
Send hints, helps and resources to eline@emck.net

Professional Resources

The Kentucky Virtual Library

http://www.kyvl.org/

The Kentucky Virtual Library is dense with resources, and yet under-used! Its availability is state-wide, and usernames and passwords are provided for students' home use (see your school's media specialist).

Resources from the Partnership for Kentucky Schools

Have you registered for this summer's Academies? There are still openings! Send this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested, and invite them to join!

http://www.kde.state.ky.us/oapd/academies.asp

Newsletter archive (including further information about this resource): http://www.emck.net/eline/

Questions, comments, feedback, or requests for removal from the mailing list: eline@emck.net