Volume 2, No. 25                     25 July, 2003 [To view this newsletter on line: http://www.emck.net/eline/03_07_25.htm.]

In two weeks, The Help Desk goes... Don't forget - if your email address is changing this year, let us know - Just respond to this email.

Worm holes....

For additional information on email and web security, take a look at these past issues of The Help Desk: Online registration and spam- July 5, 2002 Free virus protection software - July 19, 2002 Pop-up ad killers - April 4, 2003

If you haven't noticed, there's a whole lot of unwanted email traffic coming into your in-box these days! We're taking a few moments this issue to help with one reason for this problem: worms - little programs that sit on your computer and generate email traffic automatically, behind your back!

Unlike viruses, worms are not generally destructive to computers. They're destructive to networks and network servers by replicating themselves and clogging things up with lots of traffic. They're unique to Windows machines - Macs are immune.

What should I do? At school, your network or email manager should be informed of any problems. At home, buy and update a high quality virus protection program, such as McAfee, Norton, or Trend, and make sure your Windows operating system has the latest updates (Windows 98/ME/2000/XP only - look for the "Windows updates" icon in your "Start" menu). Since worms are usually spread when you read an infected email, it's a good idea to turn off the preview window in your email software - check your help files for how.

On-line Lesson Planning	Edutopia Online http://www.glef.org George Lucas (of the Star Wars movies fame) supports this online initiative through his educational foundation. The site is just chock-full of project based learning examples, most with links to websites and descriptive videos in streaming format. Check out the teacher's page for first-hand success stories, descriptions of successful state initiatives, and innovative programs and ideas. There's none of the instant lesson plans of many of our "On-line Lesson Planning" entries, but there's no shortage of ideas and inspiration! We could have spent all day here!
Content Area Resources	The Arts (and anyone else needing graphics) About M.S. Paint http://www.aboutmspaint.com/ Microsoft's Paint program is simple, intuitive, free (for Windows users), easy to use...and surprisingly powerful with a little effort. Here's a very simple website which will get you quickly into this application, with a menu matched to Paint's toolbar. There's no indication anywhere on the site as to who financed and produced it...save one ad at the bottom. [editor's note: site no longer available 7/6/04] Mathematics The Math Archives http://archives.math.utk.edu/ From the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) and Sun Microsystems comes The Math Archives. The Archives don't contain a lot of materials themselves, but it serves as an excellent portal to web resources. Browsable by grade, subject, and resource, and completely searchable. In two clicks I was staring at Geometer's Sketchpad lessons from Brigham Young University! Reading American Writers http://www.americanwriters.org/ This rich resource is a service of C-SPAN in support of its TV series of the same name. The site has information, streaming videos, and lesson plan resources on American writers. Currently featured are writers from the 20th Century (American Writers II), though the earlier materials on 19th Century writers is still available. Science Intel's The Journey Inside http://www97.intel.com/scripts-tji/index.asp Now in its fourth edition, Intel's series on how computers work has always been free, though the materials sets and resources are now only available online (the classroom kits were retired several years ago). This resource includes helps and plans for teachers, streaming videos, and information on both how computers work and how they're built and designed. Social Studies The American Folklife Center http://www.loc.gov/folklife/ This project of the Library of Congress provides access to an extensive library of research and resources associated with American folk traditions. Especially interesting are the many audio recording available online, many courtesy of LOC's Memory project. Look for the Learning Page icon for links to teacher resources. Writing The Visual Thesaurus http://www.visualthesaurus.com/online/ Created as a project to display the capabilities of commercial software designers PlumbDesign's ThinkMap software, the Visual Thesaurus displays word meaning relationships visually - as circles connected by lines. Type in a word, click "Go," and your word pops up in the display surrounded by related words. Click any of the circles of a related word, and it moves to the center and displays other words associated with it. A very powerful and visual way to show word meaning connections! Available for purchase and local use as well, though the online version is fully functional.
Software Sources	Atomic Learning http://www.atomiclearning.com/ Nope, it's not software...it's online training in the use of software! It's a pay service, but we've included it here because they offer several of their training modules for free - including iMovie and Kidspiration (Mac version). The training consists of series of QuickTime movies showing the software at work, and the library seems quite extensive.
Professional Resources	Connect for Kids http://www.connectforkids.org/ This isn't a kids site - this one's for us adults. Originally developed by the Benton Foundation, the non-profit initiative of one-time Encyclopedia Britannica publisher and U.S. Senator William Benton, the site provides innovative ideas on how to support and create child- and family-friendly communities and institutions. There are ideas for activism, news on legislative initiatives, kid-centered projects and programs, and editorials on children's issues. There is a weekly electronic newsletter. Very good food for thought!