#4 Communication & Resources

This topic submitted by Joel Moore ( JMOORE4@prodigy.net ) at 20:56 on 3/8/99. Additions were last made on Monday, April 3, 2000.

Resources are always important whether it is calling a colleague on the telephone,
stopping by a library, or searching a web site. In an earlier discussion, someone
mentioned about being afraid that the students would ask something they didn’t know. I
used to think that also, until I finally realized that just about anything I wanted to know
could be found somewhere out on the Internet. I may not have the answer on the same
day, but I know I can get the answer, or better yet, point them in the right direction where
they can find the answer for themselves.

I routinely email other teacher and friends to get advice or to share a classroom
experience. Sometimes, just passing on a news article such as the writing proficiency
test invalidation, is a way to stay in contact.

Web sites are good communication points of reference also. I once had a class
discussion about roller coasters. I had remembered reading in a “Scholastic News”
article that roller coaster loops are not perfectly round. I mentioned this to the students
and they asked me why they weren’t round. They didn’t believe me and I couldn’t tell
them the science behind it because I had forgotten why. I made a challenge of it and told
them I would email the question to a “scientist” I knew. I then posted the question on Dr.
Neutrino’s web site and waited for an answer. Two days later I had the answer and the
kids were impressed!

One comment about newsgroups and listservs: Be ready to handle a huge amount of
email. I always seem to subscribe to one and then have to rush to unsubscribe a few days
later because of a large volume of email.

Joel Moore

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It is 9:20:26 PM on Sunday, November 22, 2009. Last Update: Monday, April 3, 2000