Volume 2, No. 2
30 August, 2002
[To view this newsletter on line:
http://www.emck.net/eline/02_08_30.htm]
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The Wonderful World of the Web E-Zine
Most people aren't that interested in doing their reading on line - it's
much more comfortable to sit in an easy chair with a magazine or book in
your lap. However, sometimes it's worth the trouble of reading from the
screen. E-zines (electronic magazines) have several advantages:
- They are instantly publishable - they go
directly from the writer's mind to the public forum, without the
middleman of a printer. Hence they have the potential to be as current
as your daily newspaper!
- They are instantly updateable - if there's a
typo or mistaken reference, it may be fixed the next time you look!
- They can include direct links to other resources
- a story then becomes more than just a resource in itself, it becomes a
compendium of other resources instantly accessible through a single
mouse click, at the instant the context suggests it!
- They are often email based or email prompted -
you are reminded of new editions and content, or that content is
delivered to your in-box.
Of course, being so easily produced, e-zines and
newsletters often are lacking in content, credibility, or balance. Below are several
of the better, or more potentially useful ones. Some are companions to
paper-published magazines, some exist solely on the Web and nowhere else,
and still others are simple newsletters like The Help Desk.
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| General Resources |
 Learn
It On the Webhttp://www.learnitontheweb.com/
This resource could have served as a model for The
Help Desk - if we'd found it earlier! Simple, personal, weekly, and
aimed at general educational needs, this email weekly newsletter is the
work of Mark X. Schambach from North Carolina. Mark has an ongoing survey
on his website, and tries to honor specific requests for learning sites. [editor's
note: domain unavailable 7/2/04]
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 Surfing
the Net with Kids
http://www.surfnetkids.com/
Barbara J. Feldman produces this well written, fully
archived, and topical newsletter as an extension of her syndicated
newspaper column of Internet sites for kids. Although this is a Dot-Com,
there are a lot of free services and resources, including the newsletter
itself. The archives alone are worth the trip!
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TIPS
http://teach.fcps.net/TIPS/2002_03/September/
A service of Fayette County Public Schools Office of
Technology, this monthly e-zine exists at least in part as a clearinghouse
for district-specific programs, services, and news. However, there are regular
resource hints - Internet Resources, and TIPS from the Pros - and
illustrations of good technology integration practices. It is not possible
to subscribe to this e-zine - simply bookmark
the
archives, and check back once a month! [editor's note: link
updated 7/1/04]
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| Content Area Resources |
| The Arts |
 Music
Simply Music
http://www.musicsimplymusic.com/i
The archives of this e-zine are a little dated,
but it's still up and running. A Dot-Com with several small-business
underwriters, the site is amazingly free of ads and other intrusions.
It's primarily aimed at private piano or voice teachers (there are
two separate newsletters), but they have good ideas and hints about
music instruction. |
| Mathematics |
 Interactive
Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles
http://www.cut-the-knot.com/ By
current web standards, this site is crude, and the writing a little
pretentious for middle schoolers. But the resources are great, including
games, puzzles, even movies generated with MathCAD. The hit counter gives
the results in several bases other than 10! Fun stuff! (The entire site is
available for sale as a CD.) This is not an e-zine - there
just aren't many out there for math that we haven't already reviewed! |
| Reading |
 Literacy
Junction
http://www.ncsu.edu/literacyjunction/
Also not an e-zine, but it crossed our desk
recently and was too good to pass up! To join in the fun, you
"register" your class as a "student" of Cyber
Heights Middle School, and "go to class." You can then
join in a wide range of activities associated with the books
featured on the site. Grant funded, and produced in conjunction with
North Carolina State University, there are teacher helps and
resources on how best to utilize the site. |
| Science |
 Today
in Science
http://www.todayinsci.com/
It's a Dot-Com big-time, with banner ads and
pop-ups. However, it's a daily e-zine, with facts about science and
scientists associated with each date. A good source of inspiration,
and a good way to expand your general knowledge.
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| Social Studies |
 In
Motion Magazine
http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/
This is not a teaching resource, but a resource
for perspectives, comments, and other reflections on the role of
democracy in social history. A true e-zine with several awards under
its belt (including the Britannica Internet Guide Award), the site
grows organically and systematically as articles are added, and you
can sign up for email notification of new additions. Published by
NPC Productions, a private design and publication company, the
articles reflect a multi-national and multi-cultural perspective.
Inspirational and informative readings for social studies teachers! |
| Writing |
Inspire
http://www.inspirelist.com/
Inspire is- a simple email delivered to your
inbox providing an inspirational quote each and every day. This form of e-zine
is one of the oldest, and is duplicated across the Internet with hundreds
of content variations. The Inspire website provides a printable
poster format for each of its quote, as an additional service. This email
newsletter was placed here as a possible source of writing prompts! |
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| Software Sources |
Hot Potatoeshttp://web.uvic.ca/hrd/halfbaked/ Hot
Potatoes has generated a whole cluster of commercial software
products, but the original, first developed by on-line University of
Victoria Humanities Computing and Media Center, is still free for
download. This web development tool is specifically aimed at easily
providing interactive content for your website. So easy, anyone can use
it! Downloads and tutorials are available on the site.
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