FeaturesSeptember 14, 1999
CLICK AND DOUBLE CLICK: IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL WITH THE WORLD WIDE WEB
The sounds of school bells are echoing throughout the region. It's time to get back to the books. More and more, schools are introducing computers to classrooms to reinforce classroom lessons. The Internet also has a lot to offer -- with parental guidance, of course...
The sounds of school bells are echoing throughout the region. It's time to get back to the books.
More and more, schools are introducing computers to classrooms to reinforce classroom lessons. The Internet also has a lot to offer -- with parental guidance, of course.
Internet Web sites can help reinforce reading, math, reasoning skills and much more. The interactivity of Web sites makes it all the more appealing.
You don't have to tell kids that they're learning while having fun. That will be our little secret.
Today, I'm going to travel to a number of different Web sites, both fun and instructional in nature. This is just a sampling of what the Internet has to offer. Also, check out local school Web sites that also appear on this page.
Just remember -- it's best for parents to surf with their kids or to have the computer with Internet access set up in a family area. The Internet remains unregulated and less-than-desirable Web sites are only a click away.
First, let's look at a couple of kid-friendly search engines to help you find great Web sites geared to children.
This is the kids site for the popular Ask Jeeves search engine. It's great because the searches can be done in plain English. You can also take a peek at what kids are asking right now -- such as "Why is the sky blue?" or "How do I make cool paper airplanes?"
Kids are naturally curious -- especially the night when they have a paper due. The great thing about the Internet is that it never closes. It's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which is great for procrastinating students.
There's also some great links for both parents and teachers. Teachers can link their classes to another via the Internet, or find lots of teaching tips and resources. They can also connect with other teachers and search lesson plans by subject.
There are such fun tour links to games, activities, baseball, pirates, solar eclipse and weather -- oft-asked questions by kids.
Another really extensive site to find good kid-related sites is brought to you by the folks at Yahoo.
This site is divided into categories: Around the World, Arts & Entertainment, Computers and Games, School Bell, Science & Nature and Sports & Recreation. It even has that cool Web look with green slime and a paper airplane.
This site links you to literally thousands of kid-friendly sites. For example, there are more than 1,800 Social Studies links alone. Who knew?
There are many gigantic sites on the Internet that combine fun and study.
One such site is Bonus, which has been around since January 1997 and continues to grow.
This site boasts of offering children a protected playground with hundreds of games, puzzles and other enriching activities.
The site is divided into five categories: play, imagine, new fun, explore and color. Play offers both Java games and multi-player games. In Imagine, you'll find adventures, holiday stories, pop culture and current events. New fun is updated every day with new activities. Explore focuses on such learning activities and even Homework Help. The Color area offers art fun and quizzes.
Some old favorites are ready online to help with new learning experiences. One of our family favorites is Arthur, the world's most famous Aardvark, and his group of friends.
We especially like his sister, D.W. because she's a picky eater, and so is my daughter Becca.
It's an impressive site with Arthur and 15 of his friends and family on the front. Click on one and it will tell you more about the character and link you to some games, artwork and other characters.
It's fun and easy reading for the younger set.
The site map provides a listing of all the games: Arthur's Postcards, The Brain's Brain Game, Buster's Scoop, D.W.'s Art Studio, Francine's Un-matching Game, Prunella's Cootie Catcher and Baby Kate's Translator.
It's enough to keep kids busy for quite some time. There's also a special place for parents and teachers.
For a little older kids, Scholastic's Magic School Bus also provides learning that's fun. Hey, even Mom and Dad learn more about the ocean, outer space and animals with this series.
The new game has to do with teeth brushing, but you need the Flash plug-in for it to work properly. As you take a bite from the apple, you learn more about what your teeth are called and how they work.
If you're more interested in science and nature, you have to drop by National Geographic's site just for kids. It's a great way to learn more about the world around us.
www.nationalgeographic.com/kids
Today the site takes us to an Alaskan bear sanctuary. Each summer, McNeil Falls is the site of the world's largest gathering of bears -- up to 60 at a time. They follow the salmon that spawn in the river. Since 1973, only about 250 people have witnessed the event. Until now, that is, thanks to Wild Bearcam. You need Windows Media Player and at least a 56K connection to view it. You can also check out the video gallery.
This site has lots to offer, including book links, a pen pal network and cartoon factory.
And, of course, when fun learning time is over, you might want to stop by Homework Central. It's a great place to get help for all grade levels.
It's divided into three categories -- by age. You can link to Web sites from first to sixth grades, middle and high school, and college and beyond. The site bills itself as the Internet's biggest study collection.
You can also link up to their free e-mail service that will send you some of the top study sites each week.
The topics are listed by category, which makes it easier to find. You can also link to such reference sources as online dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases and calculators.
And this study partner is available anytime. What's your favorite educational site on the Internet? E-mail me at click@semissourian.com
See you in Cyberspace.
~Joni Adams is managing editor of the Southeast Missourian.
Area schools on the Web
Southeast Missouri State University has a comprehensive site on the Web. It can be found at
You can find more information about university programs, faculty and students. The site is updated often with event listings, news and more.
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A new section, called Rumor Mill, under administration offers students a chance to ask officials about items they've heard through the grapevine. It's a great interactive feature from President Ken Dobbins and his crew. Go directly there at
www2.semo.edu/urelations/rumormill
Jackson Public Schools has its place on the Web at
Here you can find district information, calendar, research links, lunch menus, fall events, information on board members, the district report card, the tech newsletter and information on computer training.
The Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis has offered free Web space for public schools through the Missouri School Web Project. Several area schools can be found through their Web site.
Leopold Public Schools
www.oseda.missouri.edu/schoolweb/leopold.k12.mo.us
Woodland Public Schools in Marble Hill
www.oseda.missouri.edu/schoolweb/woodland.k12.mo.us
Delta Public Schools
www.oseda.missouri.edu/schoolweb/delta.k12.mo.us
Chaffee Public Schools
oseda.missouri.edu/schoolweb/scottcntyRII.k12.mo.us/Index.htm
Other area schools, including Cape Central Junior High School, are linked off the American School Directory site, which provides a home for more than 70,000 school sites.
Alma Schrader Elementary School in Cape Girardeau has a new Web site at
www.familyeducation.com/MO/ASElementary
It links parents to the school calendar, menus, PTA news, special programs and other news.
The Cape Central Marching Tigers has its own Web site updated by Walt Lilly and supported by band boosters. You can find it at
You can find a schedule and photo highlights from performances and contests.
Several area schools have Web pages linked from the Show Me Web site. These include Oak Ridge and St. Marys Cathedral School.
Oak Ridge High School can be found at
Here you'll find links to teachers favorite Web sites in history/government, sciences, art, English, music and more. You'll also find sports schedules, school calendar and learn more about such programs as the Stream Team.
St. Marys Cathedral School can be found at
Here you'll find school news, a tour of the school, school snaps and calendar. You can also learn more about the people, mission, church or sign the guestbook.
Notre Dame High School can be found on the Web at
There will you find a welcome from Brother David Anthony Migliorino and more about the school's mission, faculty, departments and activities.
St. Vincent De Paul School in Cape Girardeau has its Web site at
Cape Christian School has its own Web site at
You can find out more about the school and its offerings.
Learn more about Eagle Ridge Christian School at its Web site:
www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/3827/
or link to it from the church's Web site at
Two Jackson parochial schools have Web pages off the City of Jackson home page.
You can find Immaculate Conception and St. Paul Lutheran Schools pages at
www.jacksonmo.com/cityof/schools/
Cape Girardeau Public Schools are currently working on a Web site that should be operational by Christmas. It will be located at
Many other schools are taking a closer look at the Web and say they will be going online shortly.
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