netTrekker Blog

Social Studies Goes Digital

As school districts around the country look for solutions to a variety of challenges, including ever-shrinking budgets, disengaged students, growing class sizes with students of all different abilities and interests to name a few, many are exploring how a transition from print textbooks to digital resources can help them address some of these challenges.  When the Indiana Department of Education issued a blanket waiver allowing school corporations to use a broad range of multimedia, computer and Internet resources to supplement or replace traditional textbooks, two districts quickly took advantage of this new option and chose to implement netTrekker as a replacement for their social studies textbooks.

Delphi Community School Corporation, a small district in Delphi, Indiana, and Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation with over 11,000 students in Columbus, Indiana, both subscribed to netTrekker in 2009 to provide more engaging, dynamic resources specifically for their social studies curriculum.  Both districts realized that a transition from traditional print textbooks to a new way of teaching with digital resources was not something that would happen overnight, and not something that would be successful without the right combination of digital resources, professional development, technology/hardware infrastructure, and a commitment to transform teaching to meet the unique learning needs of their 21^st century students.

Both districts have seen exciting results including a more current and vibrant social studies curriculum, a more engaging collegial classroom atmosphere, the ability for teachers to quickly find resources for differentiated instruction, and even increased attendance and graduation rates. But the most powerful result of this print-to-digital transition might be summarized in this statement by Greg Lewis, a member of the Bartholomew Textbook Adoption Committee.

“Students have choices as to how they go about accessing the information – versus one pathway to the assignment like in a textbook. They can be masters of their own education.”

Click here to read more about the print-to-digital transition in Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation.

Is your school or district making a transition from print textbooks to digital resources? If so, what has been the biggest impact you’ve seen on teaching and learning?

Tags: 21st Century Learning, bartholomew, delphi, netTrekker, print to digital, social studies

Career Choices

My favorite class to teach when I taught middle school was Career Choices. I’ve always enjoyed hearing about everyone else’s careers, from the education it takes to get the job, the skills and knowledge to retain the job, and what the job entails day to day. As a career teacher I was able to explore with the students that there was more to being a nurse than applying a band-aid, more to being a fashion designer than knowing your summer colors and fabrics, and more to being a lawyer than playing golf with the right people. I also showed them how a career will decide your lifestyle. We played a game based on a career of their choice and for nine weeks they had to balance their paycheck with regular bills like rent/mortgage, car payments, student loans, and such, along with surprises like a flat tire or speeding ticket. Plus, they had to keep a journal of their career and what they learned about that career through extensive research using the Internet.

This class came to mind this morning when I saw a co-worker on facebook mention that it was nursing week, and wishing all her fellow nursing friends a great week and thanking them for a job well done. It reminded me of a conversation between former students that went something like this:

Student 1: “When I graduate and finish school,  I’m going to be a doctor. That way I can get the fast car, the big house, and a title. DOCTOR!”
Student 2: “And a huge student loan bill, bigger than most, since you don’t like to study now and will probably have to repeat a year or two. And a big malpractice insurance bill since who in their right mind is going to trust you to be their doctor??”
Student 1: “You’re going to be a nurse right?”
Student 2: “Yes. I’m going to work my way up to a nurse-practitioner. I’d like to work in a doctor’s office and do more than just take a temperature and weight.”
Student 1: “Right. And guess who I’m going to hire? You! Then you can see all the patients while I go play golf and attend all the fancy functions. Maybe I’ll even let you be my arm candy.”

Typical student talk, but student 1 did realize how lofty his goal was, how much education he was going to need, the cost of the education and how his current study habits were not going to cut it. The last I heard, he was going to join the military and take classes in the health field, but not necessarily so he could become a doctor. I wish him the best of luck. Student #2 is right on her career track, and said that the class really helped her focus on her path.

To help the students with their career path, making the right educational decisions, and to learn more about their chosen career field, we used online articles and newspapers geared towards their field. I definitely didn’t have the budget to subscribe to all the different journals that are out there. You probably don’t either, but I’ve got a tip for you.  Did you know that in netTrekker, if you click on “Current Events” in middle or high school tab, and then click on “News By Topic”, you will find newspapers that cover Social Studies, Mathematics, Health News and more? Great resources for studying your favorite career. Another area to check out is the Career and Technical Education Section. I can promise you, from my experience, it’s difficult to find trusted resources for career research. Thankfully, netTrekker makes it easy with these two sections.

Last week we thanked educators for their dedication, this past Sunday we thanked Mom’s for their passion and love, and this week we celebrate the nurses who care for us. I’d like to just give a big shout out to every career field, because each role is important to help make the world go around in interesting ways. Thanks everyone!

Tags: 21st Century Learning, career, netTrekker

Top 10 Reasons Future Teachers Love netTrekker

Shared by Education Students
Dr. Douglas Hazlett’s Integrated Instructional Systems Class
Thiel College Education Department, PA

1.  “netTrekker allows future teachers to use materials and resources that are credible and reliable – saving us valuable time planning our first units.” (Saves Time)

2.  “netTrekker is a resource for materials that are based on standards AND provide differentiated instruction.” (Standards-Aligned)

3.  “Searches for photos and videos are safe, unlike a general search engine such as Google™.” (Safe Searching)

4.  “Organized resources that can be individualized for student needs, including gifted and special needs students.” (Personalize Learning)

5.  “netTrekker pulls together all the aspects necessary for learning to take place while making instruction more engaging.” (Engaging Students)

6.  “netTrekker helps incorporate technology into the classroom while accommodating all learning styles.” (Technology Integration)

7.  “netTrekker is organized and easy to navigate which means less of a headache for teachers.” (Easy to Use)

8.  “The Read Aloud and Dictionary/Translation tools will dramatically help ELL/ESL students.” (Support for ELL/ESL Students)

9.  “Ideas and information for classroom management, professional development, learning styles and strategies, special education, and more.” (Teacher Tools)

10.  “netTrekker provides a lot of tips and resources for helping our students become 21^st century global players.” (21^st Century Learning)

“From freshman students investigating education topics through seniors doing their student teaching; Thiel’s educaiton students made 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. netTrekker provides all the answers for college students to design standards-based lessons using engaging pedagogies 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.  netTrekker is just a tremendous resource for college education majors and K-12 teachers alike.”

Douglas R. Hazlett, Ph.D.
Chair and Associate Professor
Education Department
Thiel College

Tags: 21st Century Learning, ELL, ESL, integration, netTrekker, professional development, read aloud, resources, Teacher Tools

netTrekker & BrainPOP in PA Cyber Charter School

We’re excited to introduce a guest blogger today. Karry Simmel is the Assistant Principal for PA Cyber Charter School, a leader in providing online education to over 8,000 K-12 students. Karry shares how her school is using netTrekker and BrainPOP together to engage students in 21st century learning.

Here at PA Cyber Charter School, netTrekker and BrainPOP have become a vital part of our instruction.  It was just a few years ago that I was introduced to netTrekker and started to utilize their resources through the state access that was provided for all Pennsylvania Schools. This past year, the statewide subscription ended and each school had to purchase its own license.  At first I felt this was a devastating blow.  Now, through our netTrekker subscription we are able to subscribe to additional resources that have enhanced the education we provide for our 8,000 plus students.

One of the best resources that our teachers utilize often is BrainPOP.  BrainPOP provides additional learning opportunities, interactive learning games, videos, activities, and a large variety of animated educational resources to assist students, teachers, and parents.  BrainPOP increases active engagement opportunities that relate to the 21st Century Learner.  With technology advancements, students are learning differently, and demanding more creative interaction. Education is ever changing, putting more demand on teachers to be more creative in their instruction.  Basically teachers need a wider variety of activities in order to actively engage and captivate their students.  With netTrekker and BrainPOP, many of our teachers have been able to do just that. For example, upon evaluating teachers’ instruction, I often ask, “Where did you get this video or the interactive web site?” The answer is always, “Through netTrekker and/or BrainPOP.” My response, “Marvelous, simply marvelous!”

With the direction of education evolving, I personally feel there is not a better educational resource to have at your finger tips than netTrekker and BrainPOP.  Through the years that I have been using netTrekker, it also continues evolving, learning, adapting, and growing to ensure that today’s student’s needs are met and students are provided with a variety of educational opportunities.  netTrekker is the search engine that links the bountiful resources BrainPOP has to offer to any classroom, student, teacher, and parent.

Though we do pay for these subscriptions, they are proving to be a priceless investment to meet the educational needs of the 21st Century Learner.  This is our specific targeted audience at PA Cyber Charter School.  Safe sites are more and more difficult to come by. Through netTrekker we know our students are viewing protected, educational, and meaningful sites that are specific to the information needed.  No matter what type of school a student attends, netTrekker and BrainPOP are two resources that specifically target the progression of education.

In my own personal words, “Don’t go to school without netTrekker and BrainPOP!”

Are you using netTrekker and BrainPOP together? How is it helping your teachers and students?

Tags: 21st Century Learning, BrainPOP, integration, netTrekker

Scholastic: You Innovate 21

21^st Century Skills and STEM together?  Sure!  netTrekker makes that connection and supplementary resources quick and easy to find.  For example, do a keyword search for “science”.  Check out the Subject Refinement Menu and look for “21^st Century Skills” in the list.  When you refine by that choice, the resulting resources are based on the curricular area of Science and focused on the 21^st Century Skills framework.  Today’s Site of the Day, You Innovate 21, is a great example of this example search in the high school tab:

This multimedia website helps students explore the relevance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) topics in their lives today, and encourages them to consider a career in STEM in the future. After launching “You Innovate 21,” students will be taken to an animated city block where they can read an interactive graphic novel, view museum exhibits, enter virtual city shops, and answer brain teasers – all while applying and expanding their STEM knowledge!

Click here to login to netTrekker and access the Site of the Day.

Login to netTrekker before midnight (eastern) today to access the netTrekker Site of the Day and add it to your “My Portfolio” for easy future reference.  After midnight, the new Site of the Day will go up and you’ll have to look for today’s site using netTrekker’s search tool. Need help with My Portfolio? Easy, handy instructions can be found here.

Not yet a netTrekker subscriber? Visit www.nettrekker.com and click on the Free Trial link at the top right of the page for 14 days of complimentary access to netTrekker.

Tags: 21, 21st Century Learning, site of the day, STEM

Readers Become Writers Become Winners

Yesterday was Read Across America Day and we talked about including a writing component as an important part of any good reading program. It’s amazing what students can do when filled with knowledge from their reading adventures. Tools like netTrekker, especially when enhanced with Weekly Reader Express, help students with researching, gaining insight and expanding their knowledge on a variety of topics.

But what do they do with that insight and knowledge? Do they write a blog? Do they write a newspaper article? Do they share their side of the story?

If your students have participated in any non-fiction writing as either an individual or as part of a whole publication in the year 2009, consider entering them in the Weekly Reader’s Student Publishing Contest. Did they write about President Obama’s inauguration? Or did they write about hibernating animals? Or their thanks to a soldier? Did they share knowledge about the first Thanksgiving? Or simply share their thoughts on the entire learning process? Do you have students who have produced any nonfiction writing sample that is a great example of crisp writing, is engaging and demonstrates the principles of good writing? If so, then your student’s writing could win your school a $500 check, and the two of you a trip to Washington D.C. Weekly Reader is looking for an individual writing sample and a sample from a publication (such as a class blog, a newsletter, a journal, etc) from elementary, middle and high school levels to honor with this award. That’s a total of six winners, and your student could be one of them!

For more information on the contest, check out the contest web site.

(And as a side note, if you used netTrekker in your research for any of these writings, share this in your video entry for the netTrekker Scholarship to ISTE 2010!)

Tags: 21st Century Learning

Engaging Students Through Personalized Learning

You’re going to start hearing this a lot from us in the near future – netTrekker helps you engage students through personalized learning.  This is, in fact, our new “tagline.”  You may be asking yourself, “What was netTrekker’s tagline before, and why did they need to change it?”

Good questions.  netTrekker previously used these two taglines:

• The #1 educational search tool for K-12 schools.
• Redefining search to help every child learn.

Why did we change our tagline?  We needed a tagline that:

• Better reflects our focus on student-centered learning tools
• Positions netTrekker as more than just a “search engine/search tool for schools”
• Represents the purpose of our expanding line of educational solutions

In coming months, new content, tools and resources will be added to netTrekker, shifting its function from that of an educational search engine to a digital solution (content and tools) repository built on the industry’s most powerful search platform.

How did we choose THIS tagline? Engaging students through personalized learning.

After much consideration of feedback from our customers and employees, review of primary and secondary research findings and trends in the industry, as well as first hand discussions with educators, this tagline was selected because it:

• Speaks directly to the biggest challenge facing the education world (engaging students).
• It introduces the new category of solutions that we are evolving into (personalized learning).

One of our Customer Advisory Board members who helped us reach this decision was Mary Woodard, Director of Library Services in Mesquite ISD in Texas.  She shared why she thinks this was the right tagline for netTrekker and what she hopes netTrekker will become with this new mission – Engaging students through personalized learning.

“In this tagline, I see two words that are a focus in our district: engaging and personalized. In order for 21st century students to be successful, they must be engaged with their learning, and this is a challenge in today’s fast-paced world. Web 2.0 technologies now make it possible for students to customize and personalize the information that they receive, so that it is tailored to their specific learning needs. This customization makes learning personal and meaningful for each individual and is the best way to keep students engaged. I’m excited to see how netTrekker might merge web 2.0 features like RSS and embeddable widgets with their already robust search engine.”

What features would you like to see netTrekker add to help you engage students through personalized learning?

Tags: 21st Century Learning, engaging students, netTrekker, personalized learning

21 C: Preparing Students with Skills for Career and for Life

In response to states’ initiatives driving the incorporation of 21st-century learning skills into classroom instruction, netTrekker offers a 21st Century Skills channel organized into three pathways: Life Skills, Learning & Innovation, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Literacy. Why the need to integrate these pathways into curriculum? Because students, after graduating from college with required credits in math, science, language arts, and social studies, and with passing proficiency-test scores, are finding themselves wondering, “What do I do now?”

For those planning on college, perhaps that query doesn’t need answered right away, but it will surface once again when graduation, once more, looms. And for students planning on working after high school, such a question should be examined far in advance of receiving a diploma.

So, what does the mastery of 21-C skills mean for students graduating high school? It means better success at finding a job — and succeeding in the workplace — thanks to honed “character skills”, and willingness to “think outside the box” and to view the day-to-day as offering educational and critical-thinking opportunities. And also for students heading off to college, it means being outfitted with the capacity to excel in courses by way of making connections between subjects often viewed as unrelated — and between school and life.

Life Skills

nT offers a brief definition of Life Skills (link). In short, and in relation to 21 C, it’s the teaching of “character skills” and “making them a deliberate part of lessons”, showing students how these traits will serve them in work and in life. So, what does nT offer for teachers looking for resources on such “character skills” as Leadership, Ethics, and People Skills? Here is a sampling below:

Foundation for a Better Life: Values to Pass On not only shares the first-person reflections on the meanings of values, such as respect and service, but also encourages its visitors to share their own stories -– in written, audio, or video format. There’s a great collection of moving quotes by famous authors and public figures, an opportunity to share your story about a real-life hero, and a collection of inspiring audio clips reflecting on the lives and efforts of people such as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Abraham Lincoln.

Legacy Educational Resources offers an extensive collection of brief Character Education articles, appropriate for teachers, parents, and community leaders. Notable articles include “Preparing Lessons that Change Lives,” “Acts of Kindness –- Ideas for Teachers and Administrators,” “Instilling Compassion in Students,” “Ethics, One Day at a Time,” and “Rules to Play by On and Off the Playing Field.”

Thirteen Ed Online presents Making Family and Community Connections, a workshop that emphasizes the importance of creating partnerships among schools, parents, and community. After students understand the concept of making community connections, they can explore examples of such connections via video demonstrations and candid talks by parents, educators, administrators, and students. This site includes a great collection of ideas for implementing school-community connections as well as links to schools that are participating in such programs and thriving as a result.

Learning & Innovation

nT offers this as a brief definition of Learning and Innovation Skills: “Those skills which lifelong learners have developed — the ability to think both critically and creatively, to collaborate with others to create projects and solve problems, and to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.” What does it mean when students enter the “real world” as “lifelong learners”? It means they continue to keep their eyes, ears, and minds open to learning experiences, even after exiting the classroom. For them, working isn’t just a means to an end or a paycheck, it is a means to think critically, explore new opportunities, realize untapped potential, and discover latest technologies. nT offers a collection of resources, which will aid students in becoming lifelong learners, in the areas of Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Communication Skills, Creativity and Innovation Skills, and Collaboration Skills. See some of them below:

Scholastic: You Innovate 21 is a colorful, Flash site offering brain teasers, interactive career-explorations, opportunities to examine past and present innovations that have changed our lives, as well as lesson plans and other resources for teachers.

The Edison Innovation Foundation offers How Edison Are You?, another highly interactive site that explores importance of innovation. Click “Why Edison Matters Today” to view a collection of photos, and download pdf files of the patents for Edison’s inventions. “Edison’s Life” offers a time line of his work, starting with his first patented invention, the Vote Recorder (1869), highlighting his most popular inventions, and ending with his work to create a rubber alternative from Goldenrod in the early 20th century.

Invention at Play by the Lemelson Center was created on the premise that “play” leads to innovation and invention. Students complete interactive puzzles dealing with problem solving and skills needed by inventors, learn about the life stories of inventors, and explore how “play” has changed through the years. A great site for the young and young at heart, Invention at Play isn’t just about inventions. It’s about critical thinking, collaboration, and making connections between real life and learning.

Our next blog entry will take a look at Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Literacy and what nT offers for students and teachers needing resources in this area of 21 C.

Tags: 21c, 21st Century Learning, Learning and Innovation, Life Skills

Register for NT101 Today!

We’ve had a great response to our last week’s December Did You Know? e-mail.  19 people have already pre-registered for our NT101 online course.  We hope you will make plans now to join us for our first netTrekker d.i. online course on January 21st.  Please read the information below.

…pre-registration is now open for the new NT101 online course that begins Jan 21st. Be sure to take advantage of $99 introductory pricing; regular price is $125.

• NT101 is a 20-hour online professional development course for educators. The format is designed for educators who are dedicated to understanding and incorporating netTrekker d.i.’s key features and functions into the context of teaching and learning. Participants will be guided to gain experience and build expertise using a variety of 21st Century learning resources, including Moodle, interactive tutorials, educational blogs, podcasts, electronic surveys, and other web tools. The course provides a collaborative online learning community promoting opportunities for interaction among participants and instructors as they explore netTrekker d.i. content and functionality.
• Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate for 20 contact hours.
• Pre-register now or contact your Customer Relationship Specialist at 877-517-1125 with questions.

Tags: 21st, 21st Century Learning, Moodle, netTrekker d.i., online course

Yes, or no, to Wikipedia

During our implementation calls, the Customer Relationship Specialists cover the Admin Tools, including the netTrekker d.i. settings. Here the administrator can block the 1200 plus Wikipedia resources from showing up in the search results. On one of my calls yesterday, the district administrator asked me why netTrekker d.i. included Wikipedia in the first place.

That’s a great 21st Century question! Recently I attended a session on Literacy and Learning in the 21st Century presented by David Warlick. He addressed the use of Wikipedia in schools. He pointed out how Capital Hill aides were busy mutilating opponent articles in the days leading up to the 2006 election and how articles now have warnings of potential inaccuracy. He then said he’ll just go back to the good old days of “accurate textbooks”, but then pointed out that not all textbooks are accurate or unbiased and can quickly become out of date. Using Wikipedia is more than teaching fact and opinion. This resource serves as a working skill of evaluating a source and validating the information found on those pages. (This is my summarized understanding from what I learned attending this session.) You can find a copy of David Warlick’s presentation in podcast form from GAETC here. http://podcast.ksuettc.org/

This morning on Twitter I found another great blog entry on the use of Wikipedia at Dangerously Irrelevant. Check it out if you have time. The blog is written by Dr. Scott McLeod of Iowa State University.  

So while Wikipedia is a great 21st Century resource, we also understand that many schools are reluctant to allow students to have access, and netTrekker d.i. respects that decision. That’s why we give our subscribers two ways to filter out the search results. The first one is through the Advanced Search Options and the second one is by having the ADMIN setting this filter for the school level. To learn more about Wikipedia in netTrekker d.i., check out our HELP section.

And if you do choose to use a Wikipedia article in a project, consider adding the Digital Literacy Template that is wonderful for getting students to learn how to evaluate a source before using it. It’s perfect not only for Wikipedia entries, but all websites.

How many of you use Wikipedia in your classrooms? If you don’t mind, leave a comment below on how you use it.

Tags: 21st Century Learning, Admin Tools, Wikipedia