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The Internet as Education Resource
Ever since its early days the World Wide Web and the Internet
have been presented as education resources. Access to the web in particular has
become something students, parents and schools aspire to. As with many other
technologies there is a tendency to see the web as a magic wand that
automatically improves our lives, without understanding how exactly this is
meant to happen. Being online does not make you or your children cleverer. What
it does provide is access to sources of information that may not otherwise have
been available. In many cases these sources present a richer experience than
more traditional educational resources. Richer experiences make for more
fulfilling learning. However, it should be remembered that interacting with a
group of fellow learners, or a teacher, in person is the most tried and tested
form of learning of all. Presently the internet cannot provide this.
Language learning online
The internet is foremost a way of communicating with other people. It provides
the means for writing and even speaking with distant people B but only if they
understand what you say. Perhaps it is time to learn a new language.
The multimedia capabilities of some computers come into their own when learning
a language. As well as following written instruction, you can listen to
recordings and watch videos of native speakers, gaining an understanding of how
to pronounce words.
www.learnenglish.com B a free English language learning site by the British
Council. Includes an interesting magazine with comprehension tests, grammar
question and answers, popular songs, stories and cartoons. A great resource to
help you improve your English.
www.bbc.co.uk/languages - learn French, Spanish, German, Italian and a host of
other languages. The site provides a gentle introduction to each language
through short lessons focussed on speaking and listening.
www.yale.edu/swahili - for those studying Swahili this resource will be
indispensable. More formally focussed than the other sites, the Kamusi Project
provides dictionaries translating words from English to Swahili and back,
grammar guides and links to Swahili language resources.
Learning about agriculture
Most people in Tanzania have a great deal of experience growing plants, for food
and increasingly for pleasure. Not only are there resources online for every
plant you can imagine, but you can connect with other people growing the same
crops to discuss methods. This provides the opportunity for mutual learning and
cross pollination of ideas across a wider range of people.
dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/Science/Agriculture_and_Farming B Yahoo! Groups
dedicated to discussing farming techniques and a variety of related subjects.
www.agrifor.ac.uk B a portal leading to other sites discussing all aspects of
agriculture, food production and forestry. This site focuses on scientific
articles which may be of use to farmers seeking to improve their existing
agricultural knowledge.
Learning music
A multimedia medium like the web is perfectly suited for teaching of music.
Learn how to read musical notation, play an instrument or find out about the
history of music from these sites.
www.musictheory.net B music theory web site with exercises and lessons on music
notation using sound and animation to help you read music.
www.guitarists.net B free lessons get you started playing the guitar, forums to
discuss technique. Pretty much everything you need for playing the guitar.
www.electricbluesclub.co.uk B free lessons for playing the piano, brass
instruments and guitar. Also includes charts, live web casts and music news.
www.classicalscore.com B history of European music, from ancient music through
to twentieth century composers.
Learning school subjects
Resources on the World Wide Web can help support your learning about all aspects
of the world. Sites exist where you can find out more about other cultures,
geographic processes, geology, economics and other things that affect our lives
every day. These sites can help with homework, or refresh knowledge that you may
not have exercised since you left school yourself.
www.geography-site.co.uk B resources for teachers and students of human and
physical geography. Even includes a section of geography jokes.
www.educationplanet.com B a portal site linking to hundreds of sites teaching
every subject under the sun.
www.mathgoodies.com B free maths lessons, homework help, worksheets and forums.
Learning about computers
Obviously the web lends itself to learning about computers and the internet
itself. If you want to build a web site, learn a programming language, or just
how to use Office software better, the web is the obvious place to start.
www.w3schools.com B learn how to make web sites, from the simple to the complex.
Excellent lessons on HTML, JavaScript, ASP and other web technologies.
www.itlearningmaterials.com B links to lessons on applications such as Excel,
Word as well as more complex subjects such as programming languages.
I hope this little journey around learning resources on the web has been useful.
There are literally thousands of sites out there that can help you learn. You
may find it useful to search on Google for your specific needs.
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