netTrekker Spotlight User: Mona Edwards Discusses Why netTrekker Trumps Google
netTrekker is pleased to introduce this week’s spotlight user, Mona Edwards. Mona is a Librarian at Carver Middle School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mona describes how she encourages students to try netTrekker.
I really like netTrekker and how it is constantly monitored for content. It saves the kids a lot of time because educators have already gone through mountains and mountains of information and made sense of it so the kids don’t have to. The students will get reliable information every time they log on.
When the kids sit down and automatically go to Google, I say to them “Oh, so you can go through those thousands of hits and ensure that each of them has reliable information?’ Then I tell them to go to netTrekker and save themselves some time.
netTrekker Spotlight User: Joquetta Johnson Discusses How She Uses netTrekker’s Partner Collections
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Joquetta Johnson is a Library Media Specialist at Milford Mill Academy in Baltimore County, Maryland. Joquetta shares how netTrekker’s partner collections aided her in teaching a lesson on digital citizenship.
As a high school Media Specialist, I present a library orientation to the students at the beginning of each school year. This year, instead of the “traditional” library orientation, I taught a lesson on digital citizenship.
I used the BrainPop digital citizenship video and selected pages from the Promethean BrainPop digital citizenship flipchart which I found using netTrekker Search. I also found an awesome video, using netTrekker Search, called NetsafeNetBasics (http://www.netbasics.org.nz/) , which teaches kids about the dangers lurking on the internet. This video from YouTube, called, Everyone Knows Your Name (http://youtu.be/hOwpGF1SOQM) was an important part of the lesson as well.
Joquetta Johnson
Library Media Specialist
Milford Mill Academy
Baltimore County Public Schools, MD
netTrekker Spotlight User: Kavita Sapra Discusses netTrekker’s ELL/ESL Tools
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Kavita Sapra is a 6th Grade English Teacher at Yonkers Middle High School in Yonkers, New York. Kavita shares how netTrekker’s personalized learning tools have been an asset for her ELL/ESL students.
75% of my students come from a background where English is not their native language. netTrekker enabled the students as well as their parents to attain an element of success, using the Readability Level as well as the option of Elementary/ Middle School level content. In addition, the Read Aloud feature helped the students who were challenged with reading.
By being prepared for the lesson, the students were able to participate in class. Consequently, their self-esteem was impacted. As an educator, I was able to target the different modalities of learning and provide a curriculum-enriched environment to my students.
Our parents also found netTrekker informational, without the danger of exposing their child to irrelevant material. Access to netTrekker through eChalk, our in-house communication program, made it convenient for the students to complete their assignments.
netTrekker Spotlight User: Marie Pearson Discusses netTrekker Search’s Collaborative Opportunities
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Marie Pearson is the Technology Research Teachers at Campbell County Schools in Virginia. Marie shares how netTrekker Search’s My Portfolio has opened up additional collaborative opportunities for her teachers.
We have had netTrekker Search in our division for about two years and have primarily used it as a safe, educationally-based search engine. But, wow, after seeing the potential of collaboration that exists through the use of the My Portfolio options, I can see that we will market netTrekker Search differently this next school year. I was impressed to see all the resources that could be saved in a Portfolio account and, with the addition of standards, one could have their units of study all set up for instruction. I found the My Portfolio features very user friendly and look forward to using them as we prepare for the school year.
As a technology resource teacher, I plan to use the My Portfolio features to train teachers on the expanded uses/benefits of netTrekker Search . I’d also like to assist them in setting up units of study and assist in the classrooms when they are introducing netTrekker Search to their students. Our division’s focus is on differentiated instruction and netTrekker Search provides many resources for this instructional method; therefore, I plan to emphasize to the teachers how netTrekker Search can help them accomplish this goal.
netTrekker Spotlight User: Sarah Poole Shares Experiences from netTrekker Training
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Sarah Poole is a 7th Grade Teacher at Jefferson County Middle School in Madras, Oregon. Sarah shares important lessons and specific netTrekker features she learned through training.
I learned so much in my netTrekker training. At first I was worried about being limited to only the websites within netTrekker, but now I know that I can add useful external websites to any folder. Students no longer have to waste time typing in long URLs and I don’t have a desk cluttered with sticky-notes! I am able to create a folder for a subject standard that I can use year after year.
Image, timeline, and famous person searches can be used to introduce new material to students. Lesson plans can be used in full or to inspire my own lesson plans. Finally, learning exercises and games help keep students interested and motivated.
The needs of my students will encourage me to further explore the English Learners and 21st Century Skills portions of netTrekker, but the most important part has been learning how to organize all important material in a student and teacher friendly portfolio.
netTrekker Spotlight User: Lisa Marlatt Discusses netTrekker’s Personalized Learning Tools
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Lisa Marlatt is the School Director for the Center for Educational Materials and Technology in Adrian, Michigan. Lisa shares how students, educators and parents use netTrekker’s various tools and features.
The more I looked into netTrekker, the more I realized what was included. I was impressed that students would also have home access to the best of the web, because I know that is where many of them do their internet research or browsing. The ability to choose resources by readability level and the read-aloud options are popular features for our students. The dynamic timeline is fascinating to use and to see how various aspects of life are interconnected. Our administrators, students, and parents have been very enthusiastic, and our statistics prove it. We recently hit one million views countywide in less than a year!
netTrekker Spotlight User: Mali Bickley Shares How netTrekker Inspires Teacher Collaboration
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Mali Bickley is a Teacher at W.H. Day Middle School in Midhurst, Ontario. Mali shares how netTrekker has helped foster collaboration between teachers and students at W.H. Day.
netTrekker has become an invaluable tool in my curriculum planning as I am able to search themes and concepts that I can integrate into programs.
I have also used netTrekker as I work with other teachers during Professional Learning Communities. Being able to plan units collaboratively and have a consistent and reliable resource to support students learning has been invaluable in integrating technology into classroom practice.
netTrekker helps me support my colleagues to engage students in 21st Century learning!
netTrekker Spotlight User: Dr. Hazlett Explains Why netTrekker is a Hit with College Education Majors
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Dr. Hazlett is a Professor and the Chair of Theil College’s Education Department, in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Dr. Hazlett shares how Theil College of Education students use netTrekker to prepare for their teaching careers.
Thiel College purchased netTrekker because the Education Department and its students value the product greatly. From freshman students investigating education topics, to seniors doing their student teaching, Thiel’s students make great use of netTrekker.
Thiel College requires all education majors to develop standards-based lesson plans using engaging pedagogy, like Marzano’s instructional strategies, in fun creative ways using a variety of instructional strategies for all learners. netTrekker is a tremendous digital assistant in this process. I liken netTrekker to cheating on the test, as netTrekker provides all the answers for college students to design standards-based lessons to increase student achievement for all learners.
Special features like timeline are very popular with students especially history majors. Science majors love all of the interactive websites that are suggested with a keyword search. All students use the image search feature to support and add excitement to their lessons.
netTrekker is just as tremendous a resource for college education majors as it is for K-12 teachers!
netTrekker Spotlight User: Juanita James Shares How netTrekker Eliminates Research Frustration!
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Juanita James is a Media Specialist at Pillsbury Math and Science Technology Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Juanita shares how she had a breakthrough in teaching second graders new research skills with netTrekker.
Research is one of our media standards and for years I had been struggling to teach my second grade students how to do online research, or any research for that matter. I tried various types of print materials and a variety of online sites with no success. This quickly became frustrating, especially since we have a high percentage of non-English speaking students and English speaking students who struggle with reading.
I had been using netTrekker with students in third grade and higher, and they really liked it! I didn’t think that second graders would be able to log in and follow directions to get to a resource, but they did! Even non-English speaking students could do this.
At that time we were learning about habitats and animals that live in different environments. I listed names of animals, then students logged in to netTrekker and searched the name of the animal they wanted to learn about. They were able to find pictures and videos containing information that they could then relate back to class. They could even read some of the print information in the Elementary section! As a result, they were able to complete simple animal reports with facts obtained through netTrekker.
netTrekker has completely eliminated my frustration of trying to teach research to second graders!
netTrekker Spotlight User: Jan Williams Shares How netTrekker is a Hit with Teachers!
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Jan Williams is the Educational Technology Coordinator for Youngstown City School District in Youngstown, Ohio. Jan shares how teachers have enjoyed exploring netTrekker through integration with other technology and professional development.
This is the first year we have had netTrekker in our schools. It has been a huge hit among our teachers, and we have had many workshops to roll out the training for the teachers. Everyone loves the efficient way to drill down the results according to readability and the other options. The opportunity for differentiation is phenomenal and easy to use. Since we have many teachers using Promethean Boards, they love that they can search for flipcharts in netTrekker and be sure they are good ones!
We have asked the district to provide the money to renew the subscription for next year due to the high use and high satisfaction. There are currently 5 people taking the nT 101 online course right now, so each of those folks will become our next netTrekker trainers in their buildings and in the district.
netTrekker Spotlight User: Linda Steward Shares Her Favorite netTrekker Tools and Features
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Linda Steward is a Standard Support Specialist at Knollwood Elementary in Rapid City, South Dakota. Linda shares how netTrekker’s personalized learning tools have been an asset to her and her students.
I use netTrekker everyday! I like it because I can always find something that fits what I am looking for – whether for the students or as a teaching aide. Once I set up My Portfolio and add sites, finding and using them is a piece of cake. I have found many sites that I use over and over by searching netTrekker!
The search result icons are fantastic – I always know just what the site offers. I’ve also used the Read Aloud feature more often and shared it with my students. This feature enables all kids to use the site, no matter their reading ability!
netTrekker Spotlight User – Emilee Ackerman Shares How netTrekker Drives Success with Student Projects
netTrekker is excited to introduce this week’s Spotlight User. Emilee Ackerman is a 3rd grade Science and Social Studies teacher at PA Cyber Charter School in Beaver, Pennsylvania. Emilee shares how netTrekker has been effective in her 3rd grade virtual classroom.
netTrekker has become an essential component of my third grade Social Studies and Science virtual classroom. I am able to utilize many resources found through netTrekker to engage my students in enriching cyber activities. netTrekker has proven time and time again to be a safe place for young students to research and explore on the internet.
When I introduced netTrekker to my students this school year they were ecstatic to have a safe resource for finding information. I had multiple students come to class the day after the introduction of netTrekker with new facts about our science topic, which they had found on their own and were excited to share with their classmates.
As a result of netTrekker I was able to create a personalized learning project by assigning a Social Studies assignment. Each student was instructed to find information regarding a given state in the United States of America and encouraged to use the safe, educational search engine; netTrekker. Their grades were fantastic and I believe netTrekker was the main factor in their success.
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