Dear Colleagues:
The presidential and vice presidential debates have roiled the already steamy
waters of American politics. What a wonderful learning opportunity. The World
Wide Web has numerous sites that focus on Presidential elections past and
present. These sites contain text, data, sound (speeches), and video. Content
from these web pages can be crafted into challenging activities. In future
E-mails I'll address in detail the digital activity design process
The educator's initial challenge is to preview these (or any) sites and then
"download" the pages appropriate for his or her class. This is called
"offline browsing." The downloaded pages are saved to a floppy disk
and then placed on any computer's hard drive. What's great about off line
browsing is that you no longer depend upon Internet access to be "up"
and speedy at the time of the activity. The pages (and their content) are
available ANYTIME! Additionally, the chances of learners being exposed to
inappropriate content is reduced to zero ... because the learner is not actually
"online."
Offline browsing will enable you to bring high-quality, educational content
into your classroom. This safe surfing technique is a must skill for all 21st
century educators. Contact me to have an Offline Browsing Workshop conducted
at your school.
E-Mail EdTalk@HomeBase8.org