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Home Education Magazine
May-June/97 - Columns
Homeschooling Online - Helen Hegener
The San Diego Union-Tribune featured an article titled "Cyberspace Helps Connect Homeschoolers," by columnist Richard Louv, in their March 15, 1997 edition. The article describes how the publishers of Home Education Magazine have made their magazine available online. Some excerpts from the article:
"The Internet offers us unprecedented ways to get connected," says Mark Hegener. Many homeschoolers have come to rely on each other - and on their computers. America Online now offers three forums for homeschoolers, including one sponsored by Hegener's magazine. These forums allow parents and children to participate in live chats and download homeschooling resources.
"What we're seeing now is a huge expansion beyond AOL," says Hegener. "There are dozens of homeschooling sites on the World Wide Web."
In February, the Hegeners launched a monthly online newsletter to reach homeschoolers who have access to the Internet, but don't use AOL. It's called the Home Education Magazine Online Newsletter, and it's currently sent to the electronic mailboxes of over 7,000 people.
Louv continues: The other day, I browsed the five issues of HEM Online that have reached my electronic mailbox so far, and I was impressed by how rich and varied the homeschooling scene is - and how homeschoolers are using new technology to stay informed and connected electronically, but also in real life. While homeschoolers do use the Internet to discuss common issues, you certainly don't get the impression from HEM Online that they're isolating themselves electronically. Quite the contrary.
Louv's article also describes the weekly FLExOnline, sponsored by the Family Learning Exchange, and the American Homeschool Association's Online Newsletter, which contains news from homeschooling families, national media reporters, homeschool publishers, support group leaders, researchers, school personnel who work with homeschoolers, public librarians, and many others involved with home education. The AHA also offers an information-packed website, many downloadable files of interest to homeschoolers (including information files for all 50 states), and special interest email lists for support groups and public libraries.
For more information and a sample issue of these free online newsletters, send an email request to each as follows:
Home Education Magazine's Online Newsletter
Family Learning Exchange's FLExOnline
American Homeschool Association Online Newsletter
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Edusource Web Reviews is a free online newsletter with about 100,000 readers, one third of them homeschoolers. The March issue featured the 1997 Editor's Choice Awards for the Best Educational Web sites of 1997.
Editor Rebecca Kochenderfer comments, "When I selected these sites I asked myself several questions: Does this site use the Internet's unique features (i.e., quick-time video, sound, animation, and e-mail) to enhance its educational content? Is the site well organized? How does this site compare to other similar sites? (If a site only used pictures and text, it generally did not receive a very high rating from me.)
"Given the above criteria, I have put together a list of what I consider to be the Top 10 Educational Web sites for 1996/1997. You may notice that many of these sites are science sites. This is not just because I am a science buff. Science museums really know how to use the unique capabilities of the Internet to bring science to your computer.
"If you would like to receive my complete rated listing of the top 100 educational sites on the Internet, (or if you would like to subscribe to the Edusource Web Reviews newsletter, please send an e-mail request to me at: editor@edusource.com "
Best Educational Web Sites Of 1997
1. Franklin Institute Of Science
Franklin Institute Of Science (http://sln.fi.edu/ ) is huge. I recommend that you check out their "online exhibits." Their "Heart" exhibit (go to the "Gallery") has a quick time video of an open-heart surgery. You can also listen to different heartbeats. Their "educational hotlists" is a great jumping off spot to hundreds of educational sites.
2. NASA
NASA (http://www.nasa.gov ) has so much to see you could spend the entire day just clicking around the site. The "Gallery" has photographs, videos, an audio gallery, and a mini-movie of Apollo 11. The "Questions and Answers" section lists answers to common NASA questions, like "How can I become an Astronaut?" "Space Science" has lots of great pictures of other planets, and "Human Space Flight" talks about research on board the Space Shuttle.
3. KIDSCOM
KIDSCOM (http://www.kidscom.com ) is a fun site for the younger set (ages 4-10). You can view this site in English, French, German, or Spanish -- which is a nice way to practice another language. Parents and teachers can best learn about this site by visiting their "Preview Area." Unlike the Disney site, Kidscom advertising is kept away from the main play areas so your kids/students can enjoy the site without being bombarded with advertising messages.
4. Exploratorium
Exploratorium (http://www.exploratorium.edu ) lets you dissect a cow's eye. Gross, but fascinating. My favorite sections are "The Learning Studio" and "What's New in the World."
5. Miami Museum Of Science
Miami Museum Of Science (http://www.miamisci.org ) shows you how to search "Shipwrecks" for sunken treaure. Since the real Museum of Science is located in Miami, they would also have a great section on hurricanes.
6. Louvre
Louvre (http://mistral.culture.fr/louvre/louvrea.htm ) is the official Web site of the famous Louvre art museum in Paris. Normally I would not recommend a site that only has text and pictures, but for this site the pictures are so beautiful no special effects are needed. You can tour this site in English, French, Spanish, and Portugese. I like the tour of "The Louvre Palace and Museum," "Renovations of the Grand Louvre," and the "Collections."
7. Virtual Galapagos
Virtual Galapagos (http://www.terraquest.com/galapagos/ ) lets you join a group of scientists as they explore the Galapagos. This site lets you follow the science team's progress using interactive maps and email dispatches. You'll feel like you are taking an extraordinary journey.
8. Africa Online
Africa Online (http://www.africaonline.com ) lets you learn all about Africa. It even teaches you a bit of Swahili! The best way to tour this site is to take the "Kids Only" tour of Africa.
9. The Field Museum Chicago
The Field Museum Chicago (http://www.bvis.uic.edu/museum ) is the place to learn about dinosaurs. If you click on "Exhibits" you can take their "Life Over Time" tours. This site uses movies, sounds, and games to teach about nature and culture. Lots of fun.
10. KIDNEWS
KIDNEWS (http://www.vsa.cape.com/~powens/Kidnews.html ) is a great site that lets you publish your children's writing. Whenever my son writes a story that he is particularly proud of, I encourage him to submit it to KidNews. It gives great "closure" to the project and he loves telling everyone that he is a published writer.
Homeschooling Online is edited by Helen Hegener ( Editor-in-Chief ), who welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns. © 1997 Helen Hegener
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