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The Franklin Institute features online schools that has been "caught in the web." What does it take to be "caught?" Teachers and students must be using the Web to enrich and extend their classroom learning environment. All of the schools below have been recognized for the quality of student work that they have online.
Note: We are no longer updating this feature, but believe you may enjoy browsing through this archive of previous issues.
How bright is the future for primary school students who publish their work on the web? Only time will tell. At Episcopal Academy, located in Pennsylvania, the youngest students seem to be leading the way.
Want to have some fun? Make an electronic visit to Flood Brook Union School, located in Vermont. Their website has fun written all over it, from the style and the graphics to the exciting student work they are sharing online.
The sun is shining at Rhawnhurst Elementary, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their fifth grade students are first in publishing their work online, leading the way for others to follow.
Visit The Downtown School where you'll find some high-quality student work shared with the online educational community. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, "Downtown" offers an online glimpse into their "best practices."
Located in Vineland, New Jersey, Durand's fourth grade class, Room 14-A, has plunged into the deep end of the Web. Their java-enhanced online classroom is a pleasure to visit. (Fair warning, however, to the java-impaired.)
Just like Ben and Tom, The Franklin Institute Online has found a kindred spirit at Jefferson Elementary School. Located in West Virginia, Jefferson is actively exploring how participation in the online educational community can impact student learning. Their publications and activities suggest that they are well on their way to reaching their goal: "to get all children excited about learning."
You'll appreciate the artistry of Millville School's website almost as much as the quality of its online resources. Students are sharing their work online. There's a fantastic collection of resources for gifted and talented classes. Take a trip to Millville, located in Utah, for a taste of what an online school can be.
Every once in a while a high school stands out as being something special. Murry Bergtraum High School's online presence testifies to the great work being done by students and teachers alike. Located in New York City, Bergtraum offers a rich collection of student creations.
Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Forrest Elementary School has a "worldwide" perspective. Students share their very best work with the online world. You'll be particularly interested in their online magazine. These students are demonstrating their talent in most creative ways.
May, 1996 --- Also known as the Rice School, La Escuela Rice features bi-lingual resources for the K-8 educational community. This young school, its doors opened in August 1994, is the result of an innovative partnership between Rice University and the Houston, Texas Independent School District. Students at Rice are offered "unique and challenging learning experiences, focusing on an integrated approach to curriculum." Rice offers more information about their "New Way of Learning" and their school philosophy.
April, 1996 --- Hunters Woods Elementary School in Reston, Virginia is among the growing community of schools that have a high bandwidth (T-1) connection to the Internet. Their high-tech access helps them achieve their mission: "The mission of Hunters Woods Arts and Science Magnet School is to provide a program that weaves the arts, sciences, and technologies into the curriculum to extend and stimulate the educational potential of all children."
March, 1996 --- Every so often, a high school comes along that simply must be "Caught in The Web." North Hagerstown High School, in North Hagerstown, Maryland, is such a school. If you teach elementary school and think there's nothing of interest for you here, think again. The "Hub," as the school's nickname goes, offers resources of interest for all ages. For example, the school provides links to information about the many surrounding historical sites, including Antietam Battlefield and Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.
February, 1996 --- You have to love an elementary school that has their own live moose roaming freely on campus. University Park Elementary School does. How can this be possible? Well, University Park is located in Fairbanks, Alaska, where the daily school routine takes on a whole new personality.
December, 1995 --- As soon as you arrive at Fairland Elementary School's website, you'll notice the importance of student work. Their motto, displayed prominently, attests that "Fairland's students are not just using the Web; they are helping to build it."
November, 1995 --- Highland Park's first claim to fame was the Scottie CyberNews, an online newsletter created by the 3rd-5th grade "computer campers," an after-school computer club. While the newsletter continues, their Kids Gallery has overshadowed the newsletter. Wow. Check out Cotton Fields, the collaborative work of the first grade. Visit any of the Art classes and you'll find that Highland Park students are doing great work!
October, 1995 --- What's it like to be an American student going to school in a foreign country? Visit Patch American High School in Germany and you'll discover that the experience can be quite rewarding. As their homepage proclaims, Patch is the "home of the first High School Web server in Europe." They have been "online since March 22, 1994" with "over one million served!"
August/September, 1995 --- Buckman Elementary School, located in Portland, Oregon, has been a pioneer online for two years now. Perhaps the most amazing thing about Buckman's Website is that the students involved are all in Room 100, a mixed age kindergarten, first, and second grade classroom. These kids were on the Web before they were allowed to walk home from school alone!
May, 1995 --- Ralph Bunche Elementary School, online since March 26, 1994, has been a pioneer out there on the World Wide Web, exploring what students can do when given access to the Internet. Some of the answers to that challenge are simple, like publishing the school newspaper, while other answers are far more complex, like the Great Penny Toss and the Pineapple Project.
April, 1995 --- Although "Midlink" originated as an idea of the students and teachers of Discovery Middle School in Orlando, Florida, the magazine truly has become the collaborative effort of middle school students worldwide. They label themselves a "cooperative project developed by middle school students from the global community with a little help from adults."
March, 1995 --- Located in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, USA, Hillside Elementary School has continually impressed us with their enthusiastic, innovative approach to the Internet. It takes courage for a school and its administration to embrace a new technology. Hillside seems to get its strength from Mrs. Christine Collins, a former sixth grade teacher and Internet pioneer. Blazing a trail across the educational wilderness of the World Wide Web, Christine has been leading her students and fellow faculty members to the valuable resources on the Internet.
