An Introduction to Internet Resources for K-12 Educators. Part II: Question Answering, Electronic Discussion Groups, Newsgroups, Update 1999. ERIC Digest.

The Internet is an international computer network composed of thousands of smaller networks. As K-12 schools connect to the Internet, a new method of communication opens up to educators and their students. This Digest describes some sample services and resources that are available to the K-12 community by electronic mail over the Internet. Readers should be aware that the resources and their Internet addresses below are subject to change.

QUESTION ANSWERING:

---AskERIC: AskERIC is the Internet-based education information service of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system, headquartered at the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology at Syracuse University. Teachers, library media specialists, administrators, and others involved in education can send a message requesting education information to AskERIC. AskERIC information specialists will respond within two working days with ERIC database searches, ERIC Digests, and Internet resources. The benefit of the personalized service is that it allows AskERIC staff to interact with the user and provide relevant education resources tailored to the user's needs.

E-mail: askeric@askeric.org

---AskERIC Virtual Library: Resources developed from questions received at AskERIC are archived at the AskERIC Virtual Library:

http://www.askeric.org

---KidsConnect: KidsConnect is a question-answering, help and referral service for K-12 students on the Internet. The goal of KidsConnect is to help students access and use the information available on the Internet effectively and efficiently. KidsConnect is a component of ICONnect, a technology initiative of AASL (American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association). Students use e-mail to contact KidsConnect and receive a response from a volunteer library media specialist within two school days.

E-mail: AskKC@ala.org

http://www.ala.org/ICONN/kidsconn.html

---Internet Public Library Ask-A-Question Service: Answers all types of general reference questions. You'll get a brief factual answer if you've asked a specific question, or, if you have a broader topic of interest, you'll get a short list of sources that you can use to explore your topic further. IPL's website also contains an extensive online collection of library resources.

http://www.ipl.org/ref/QUE/

---Ask Dr. Math: "Ask Dr. Math," a service for elementary, middle, and high school students, is administered by students and professors at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA.

E-mail: dr.math@forum.swarthmore.edu

http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.math/dr-math.html

---The MAD Scientist Network: The MAD Scientist Network is an "Ask-A-Scientist" service run entirely on the WWW. They answer questions in chemistry, physics, astronomy, earth sciences, the biological sciences and more. More than 500 scientists at institutions around the world provide answers to science questions.

http://www.madsci.org

---Ask A+ Locator: The AskA+ Locator is a database of high-quality "AskA" services designed to link students, teachers, parents, and other K-12 community members with experts on the Internet. Profiles of each AskA service include identification information (e.g., publisher, e-mail address, contact person, links to services' home pages), scope, target audience, and a general description of the service. The Ask A+ Locator is searchable by subject, keyword, grade level, or alphabetical list. Ask A+ Locator is part of the Virtual Reference Desk.

http://www.vrd.org/locator/index.html

ELECTRONIC DISCUSSION GROUPS:

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserv@postoffice.cso.uiuc.edu

Leave the subject line blank.

In the body of the message type: subscribe ECENET-L your

FirstName LastName

Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives

http://ericps.crc.uiuc.edu/eece/listserv/ecenet-l.html

---EDNET: Forum on educational possibilities of the Net.

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listproc@lists.umass.edu

Leave the subject line blank.

In the body of the message type: subscribe EDNET your

FirstName LastName

Archives:http://www.askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/EDNET -List.html

---Edres-L (also called C-EDRES): Educational Resources on the Internet.

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserv@listserv.unb.ca

Leave the subject line blank.

In the body of the message type: subscribe Edres-L your

FirstName LastName

---EDTECH: Educational Technology.

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserv@msu.edu

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In the body of the message type: subscribe Edtech your

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Archives: http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~edweb

http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/EDTECH.html

---K12ADMIN: K12 educational administration.

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu

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Archives: http://www.askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/K12ADMIN-List.html

---KIDLINK: Kidlink Society runs several listservs in support of a global dialog for students 10-15 years of age. Subscribe to KIDLINK listserv to receive information about the other lists.

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserv@listserv.nodak.ed

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In the body of the message type: subscribe Kidlink your

FirstName LastName

Archives: http://listserv.nodak.edu/archives/kidlink.html

KIDLINK Home Page: http://www.kidlink.org

---LM_NET: School library/media services.

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu

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In the body of the message type: subscribe LM_NET your

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Archives:http://www.askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NE T.html

Web: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/

---MIDDLE-L: Education of children 10-14 years of age.

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Archives: http://www.askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/MIDDLE-L.html http://ericps.crc.uiuc.edu/eece/listserv/middle-l.html

---NET-HAPPENINGS: Internet related news and announcements.

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserv@cs.wisc.edu

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Archives: http://wwwscout.c.wisc.edu/scout/net-hap/index.html

---SPECED-L: Special education issues discussion.

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserv@uga.cc.uga.ed

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---TAG-L: General discussion about all topics related to gifted children.

To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserv@listserv.NODAK.EDU

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In the body of the message type: subscribe Tag-L your

FirstName LastName

USENET NEWSGROUPS:

k12.chat.teacher-General discussion between K-12 Teachers

k12.ed.art-Arts and Crafts Education

k12.ed.business-Business Education

k12.ed.comp.literacy-Teaching computer literacy in grades K-12

k12.library-Implementing Info Technologies in school libraries

k12.ed.life-skills-Life Skills Education

k12.ed.math-Mathematics Education

k12.ed.music-Music and Performing Arts

k12.ed.science-Science Education

k12.ed.soc-studies-Social Studies Education

k12.ed.special-Educating students with special needs

REFERENCES AND READINGS:

Hill, J. A. & Misic, M. M. (1996). Why you should establish a connection to the Internet. "TechTrends," 41(2), 10-16. (EJ 520 228)

"The Internet roadmap for educators." (1996). Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service. (ED 397 520)

Junion-Metz, G. (1997). "K-12 Resources on the Internet: An instructional guide." 2nd Edition, Revised and Expanded. Internet workshop series, Number 5. El Dorado Hills, CA: Library Solutions Press. (ISBN-1-882208-22-6). (ED 412 913)

K-12 computer networking. (1995). "The ERIC Review," 4(1). (ED 392 413)

Lankes, R. D. (1996). "Bread and butter of the Internet." ERIC Digest. Syracuse, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology. (ED 402 925)

Lyris Technologies Inc. Tile.net/: The Comprehensive Internet Reference. Internet WWW page, at URL:http://tile.net/ (copyright 1999).

Milheim, W. D. (1997). Instructional utilization of the Internet in public school settings. "TechTrends," 42(2), 19-23. (EJ 543 253)

Miller, E. B. (1998). "The Internet resource directory for K-12 teachers and librarians, 97/98 edition." Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. (ISBN-1-56308-617-4). (ED 413 882)

Tennant, R. (1996). Internet basics: Update 1996. ERIC Digest. Syracuse, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology. (ED 392 466)