 
Internet Tutorials
|  | | |
Week 1
Tutorial 1
Tutorial 2
Tutorial 3
Tutorial 4
Tutorial 5
Week 2
Week 3
Tutorial 7
Week 4
Tutorial 8
| |
Virtual Tour of School
MOST CONVENTIONAL CONFERENCES include school visits. Just because this conference is on the Internet doesn't mean you have to miss out.
This week we'll be 'virtually visiting' schools across the world.
What Can You Get Out of a Virtual Visit?
There are two reasons for this activity. First, it's useful to see the range of web sites schools have produced, and to assess which structures and features work well, and which don't. Some sites are more attractive, more useful or more comprehensive than others. Some web sites are much more than enrolment brochures or information 'handbooks' and are harnessing the Internet for off-campus online learning programs. Some are simple text documents, others use amazing multimedia features, including sound (voice and music).
Some are simply frustrating in the 'technologically glamorous' hurdles they present to the person trying to work their way quickly through the site in search of specific information. An example of these hurdles might be huge and/or complex graphics, which take ages to download. No matter how artistically tasteful your graphics are, no one is going to wait sixty seconds or more to download them.
Some sites are completely out-of-date, and they become unintended negative publicity for the school concerned. Some sites (not selected for this activity) are full of spelling and grammatical errors, which provide very negative publicity.
How Does Your School's Web Site Shape Up?
Exposure to a range of school web sites will provide a useful foundation for you to view (or to re-view) your own school's web site. How could it be improved? What's missing? Does it need a complete 'makeover'? Is it out-of-date?
Have you allocated sufficient staff time to the development and maintenance of this particular 'front door' to your school? Even beyond this, have you deliberately selected, or professionally developed, creative and talented staff who can keep this 'front door' presentable, accurate and current? Is their incentive merely goodwill?
A Valuable Professional Resource
By visiting the small number of selected sites presented here, you'll also develop an appreciation of the Internet as a valuable professional source of information for you and your teachers. Without airfares, accommodation or replacement teacher costs, you can find out more about other school's programs and policies, and collect a few good ideas for your own school.
Some of you will want to take the process even further, if a web site you visit indicates that the school has considerable expertise in an area you wish to learn more about.
In this case, why not take advantage of the email links provided, and make contact with the member of staff concerned? The Internet is not limited to written information on web sites - it can also be seen as a 'gateway' to people you might not otherwise encounter due to geography or finances - and ideas which might assist in improving or reviewing policies and practices in your own school.
Ready, Set, Go!
This week's Internet Training Exercise can be compared to the sport of orienteering. Visit the web sites of the schools listed and collect the information required to answer the questions. Importantly, while you are doing this, think about the value of each web site, and look for ideas that can improve your own school's web site. Note down any useful contacts, ideas and URLs for your teaching staff to follow up.
Rewards (Tangible and Intangible)
The first person with at least 55 out of 60 answers correct will derive immense professional satisfaction from their achievement, and will also receive a bottle of Australian Brown Brothers port.
Answers should be sent as an email message (not an attachment, please) to:
cybertext@altavista.com
*Only one entry per person can be accepted.
ANZAC HILL HIGH SCHOOL,
Northern Territory, Australia
www.octa4.net.au/anzachill/
- How many of the 'Happy Crew of the Good Ship Anzac' are shown on the web site photo? What a positive site!
- What is the name of the school's newsletter?
RAPID BAY PRIMARY SCHOOL,
South Australia, Australia
www.rbps.mtx.net/
- What is the colour of the school's windcheater?
- What is happening to the mouse in the cartoon leading to 'Classroom Activities'? High impact activities are obviously popular at this school!
HEDLAND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL,
Western Australia, Australia
www.hedlandshs.wa.edu.au
- Name the three 'magnificent people' in the administration team. Isn't this great for self-esteem? (Does your school web site praise the staff?)
BAYSWATER PRIMARY SCHOOL,
Victoria, Australia
www.bayswaterps.vic.edu.au
- What is the Language Other Than English (LOTE) taught at this school?
- Name the first three web sites listed by the children at Bayswater Primary School to 'practice our language skills and complete web (online) exercises'?
- Teacher, Fiona Parsons, provides a paper on this site entitled, 'The Role of - - - - - - Play'. What is the missing word?
- What was the nationality of the person who introduced Fiona Parsons to this concept?
- What is the name of the teacher who has written a paper about introducing students to web authoring?
- The biggest problem this 'web authoring' teacher encountered was the desire of the students to '.......................... Finish this sentence.
- When the school was first built in 1879, what were the two major lunch time activities? Haven't times changed?
BENDIGO SENIOR SECONDARY COLLEGE,
Victoria, Australia>
www.bssc.edu.au
- What are the names of BSSC's two sister schools in China?
- Find the school's 'Individual's Webpage Policy'. What is the third promise students must make?
- When was BSSC established?
- What is 'Old Gold'? and what is the cost of becoming an 'Old Gold' patron?
- What is the activity 'Games Around the World'?
- Find the section where students make suggestions to their School Council representatives. What must they correctly ensure?
- When is the two-day BSSC Multi Media Conference being held?
- What is 'CCNA-Away' and who do you contact for further information?
- How many 'Leading Edge' projects operated in 1997?
- Name the two VET courses beginning with the letter 'H' that are offered by the school.
- BSSC offers online tutoring - who are the tutors? This dedication is indeed praiseworthy.
- BSSC has six 'education partners'. What is the name of the partner whose name begins with 'T'?
- Check out the BSSC Virtual School. What is the colour scheme used on this page? Bookmark this web page for future reference, and keep a track of this 'cutting edge' development as it matures.
- Find the Cyberlibrary and the cartoon lady in the blue suit. 'If you need help with research, - - - - - me". What is the missing word in this statement?
- What is Virtual Veronica 'guaranteed' to do?
- How many CD-Roms can be held at any one time in the CD-Rom jukebox?
- This year BSSC is hosting the Navigator Schools International Conference, 'Restructuring School for the 21st Century'. When is this going to be held?
- What can you win by registering for this Navigator Schools conference?
- BSSC is developing online resources for its students. What are the names of the two Online Resource Programs currently available?
GOLDEN GROVE HIGH SCHOOL,
South Australia, Australia
www.adelaide.net.au/~ggcentre/
- In 1999 students from Golden Grove represented Australia at the Global Young Leaders Conference. In which two US cities was this conference held?
GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL,
USA
- UPDATE 3/5/01 - The link has been updated to www.gwhs.denver.k12.co.us/default.html but the question is no longer relevant as the site content has changed.
ST GEORGE'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL,
Cape Town, South Africa
www.wcape.school.za/sggs/
- 34. Pupils from Standard 2-4 at this school are offered a 'Curriculum Extension Program'. Several activities are offered. What is the activity offered which begins with the letter 'K'?
GREEN POINT CHRISTIAN COLLEGE,
NSW, Australia
www.gpcc.nsw.edu.au/
- What a lovely environment! What is the first school rule listed?
UPDATE 22/06/01 - Questions 36 & 37 have been removed due to site changes..
ST BRIGID'S COLLEGE,
Western Australia, Australia
www.stbrigids.wa.edu.au/
- When did the first Sisters of Mercy first arrive in Western Australia?
THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF STOCKHOLM,
Stockholm, Sweden
www.intsch.se/index.htm
- This school uses 'Patrol Groups'. All of the Patrol groups have the names of '- - - - - - -'.
GLEN WAVERLEY SECONDARY COLLEGE,
Victoria, Australia
www.gwsc.vic.edu.au
- Find the 'Thinking Schools' section. Which group of people 'might not feel out of place in some of our activities?'
- Find the 'Our College' section. What does this school aspire to be?
- Find the 'Antarctica Page', constructed by Geoffrey, Katherine, Renata and Rebecca. From which year level are these students (at the time of web publication)?
- Find the S*T*A*R*S program page. What small animal is this project is concerned with, and where are all of the small animals eventually going? You'll be amazed!
- What is the cost per person of a 'Specifically Tailored School Visit'?
UPDATE 30/4/01: Questions 45 & 46 have been removed due to web site changes.
ST KEVIN'S JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
www.compusmart.ab.ca/stkev/
- What is the phone number of the 'Homework Hotline'?
FLORENCE McDOUGALL COMMUNITY SCHOOL,
Alberta, Canada
www.fvsd.ab.ca/flomac/default.htm
(Wow!!! Turn on your speakers, if you have them. Answer only one of the next two questions!).
- Which Disney movie does the background music of this web site come from?
- (For people with no speakers) What brand of soup labels are pupils asked to save?
UPDATE 30/4/01 : Questions 49 & 50 have been removed due to site changes.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF THE SACRED HEART,
Tokyo, Japan
www.iac.co.jp/~issh3/index.html
- What sort of flowers were planted in the school entrance by the junior school students? Isn't this a pretty site? If you have time to wait, it's worth a look.
- What is this school's first listed 'Goal and Criteria'?
|
|
| | |
