Can you imagine how life would change if you could plug your brain into a computer and learn any subject in a flash? Although instant cyber-learning is still science fiction, thousands of educational Websites let you transform any school computer into an electronic schoolhouse. Alas, with so many choices, finding the best sites for learning is a tough assignment. Relax. We did your homework for you by picking the best Irish and international learning sites—for primary pupils and secondary school students—on the Web. They’re simple to navigate and pleasing to look at, and each provides strong educational value or guidance—they’re even free. We’ve included an age range for every site, but bear in mind that they’re only suggestions.
Ireland’s education Websites
Starting points for schools which are looking to expand their Web presences, collaborate with other schools online or just get some help with preparing for the major school exams.
School Network
Designed by the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) and aimed at every Irish pupil from ages four to 18, and teachers and parents; www.scoilnet.ie is a portal site where schools can publish and share their work online with their peers. Also designed to cater for teachers and parents, the site is currently undergoing a major revamp.
Skoools online
Aimed at post-primary school students, www.skoool.ie includes an “Exam Centre” which offers advice on time management and on how a student should approach the Junior or Leaving Cert exams. Model answers are also provided on the site. The site creators are currently developing a series of interactive lessons that mix animation and audio, with curriculum content. So far, the Business Studies and Science courses for the Junior Cert and the Business Organisation course for the Leaving Cert have been uploaded. Teachers are also served with information on ECDL computer training and advice on basic PC troubleshooting.
Top of the class
Topstudy.com offers resources to help post-primary students get a handle on English, Irish, Maths, Biology, Geography and Chemistry. The site also provides links to other Irish educational sites and offers an alphabetically arranged directory of Irish school Websites.
Official line
The Website of the National Centre for Technology in Education—the body which is responsible for providing teachers with guidance and support for using IT in the classroom.
Best practice schools
Set up in 1998, The Schools Integration Project is designed to establish working models for the use of IT in schools by encouraging schools to work together using IT. At www.sip.ie, you can investigate the projects through links that involve almost 90 Irish primary, post-primary and special schools.
Open doors
If you would want access to a comprehensive directory of Irish primary and post-primary school Websites, visit www.doras.ie and browse through its education category.
International education Websites
Exploring science and maths
Persuading pupils to spend extra time studying maths or science can be like coaxing them to eat their veggies at the dinner table. We found Websites packed with fascinating facts and hands-on experiments that will make children in the classroom forget that they’re learning.
By the numbers
If your children are stymied by maths, Maths for Kids (ages four to 18; www.kidsmath.about.com/kids/kidsmath/mbody.htm) offers games, articles, and links to help kids get up-to-speed fast. It covers everything mathematical, from addition to word problems. One of the site’s best areas describes activities that children can do at the supermarket, a surefire way to keep them out of mischief and help them learn at the same time.
Children also get to practice their problem-solving skills at Brain Teasers (ages eight to 14; www.eduplace.com/math/brain/index.html). This site presents three challenging new maths problems every week, arranged by class level, along with the answers to the previous week’s teasers. If your kids aren’t keen on this site at first, they’ll beg to have a turn solving the puzzles when they see how much fun you’re having.
Science fun
Secondary school students should check out Scientific American Online (www.sciam.com), which holds back-issues of Scientific American and a searchable archive. “Ask the Experts” lets you send in queries about any scientific topic. You can also browse the archive for responses to questions such as “Why do we sneeze?” Even young children will learn something if you visit the site with them.
Past and present tamed
No wonder students roll their eyes at the mere mention of history or geography—it’s hard for most students to memorise all those names, places, and dates? These Websites make historical events and world geography come alive, with adventures, pictures, and fascinating trivia.
Where in the World?
National Geographic Xpeditions (ages five to 18; www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/xpeditions/main.html) lets kids take part in interactive geography adventures, such as exploring weather patterns on a tropical island. The stunning exhibits, which make extensive use of QuickTime VR, are all based on strict standards developed by geography educators. You’ll also find helpful links to other geography resources on and off the Web.
Teachers, pupils, and students shouldn’t miss The CIA World Fact Book Web site (ages eight and up; www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html). Courtesy of the helpful spies at the CIA, this site has the lowdown on every country in the world, including some places that you’ve probably never heard of. If you need to know how many kilometres of oil pipeline there are in France, this is the place to go.
This day in history
BBC Online’s History Site (ages seven and up; www.bbc.co.uk/history) is a portal to 27 Websites about British and world history. Kids will enjoy playing detective in an interactive archaeology game, and you can learn how to research your family tree and coat of arms.
It’s not quite as polished as some of the commercial sites, but The History Wiz (ages eight to 18; www.historywiz.com) is still too valuable to pass up. This site includes articles and links about various historical topics such as the French and American revolutions. The site’s exhibits illustrate some of the most tragic episodes in modern world history, including the Holocaust.
Game time
Experienced parents and teachers know that kids learn more when they’re having fun. At funschool.com (ages five to 12; www.funschool.com), children can choose from more than 300 interactive games organised by class level. Most of the activities have a specific educational theme, such as telling time or world geography, but you’ll also find a generous helping of arcade games. (The site requires a Java-enabled browser and Macromedia Flash.)
Impeccable references
Pupils and students can reach for the family encyclopaedia online by visiting britannica.com (ages eight and up; www.britannica.com), the online version of the venerable reference collection. Britannica.com’s search engine looks for Web sites, books, magazines, and Encyclopaedia Britannica articles about any topic.
If you’re tired of answering your children’s endless questions, you’ll be thankful for Ask Jeeves for Kids (ages eight and up; www.ajkids.com), a Website where kids can enter questions about any topic in plain English. The results are presented in a kid-friendly format, so children will probably have an easier time using Ask Jeeves than a general-purpose search engine.
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