Quick Scans Tips & Tricks to select great interactive websites for addition to the links page:

Open netTrekker and www.nettrekker.com 

Searching Techniques:

• When searching for a topic, use a Boolean search to find quality websites more efficiently.
• For example, suppose you would like to create a track for scientific notation.  Put quotes around the subject desired such as "scientific notation."
• Add the word "interactive" to the search.  This will  narrow down the search to websites that contain the type of activities most appropriate for addition to your links page.
• In our example, we would search the following term:  "scientific notation" interactive 

Critical For Determining Quality Useful Links:

• Links should contain a teaching component, guided practice, or interactive, independent practice
• Link description should be very detailed with explicit topics and content stated
  
• Different teaching or guided practice activities should be very detailed with explicit directions and guidance for requirements
  
• Should not contain excessive text
• Should engage students

Let's find some great sites for your useful links.  Remember, the sites should teach, provide guided practice, and independent practice.  For our practice link, we will find two quality websites. Follow these steps:

• Go to Google at www.google.com.  Note:  If you have access to a search engine such as netTrekker, we highly recommend that you use it. 
• Type "Scientific Notation" interactive (with the quotes) in the "Search" field and hit return.
• Use the Quick Scan techniques provided on this page to determine which sites should be opened.
• Looking at the first site on the list, Eighth Grade Skills - interactive sites to use for assessment practice, let us scan the description.  The words "interactive quizzes" seems to indicate this site provides assessment but not teaching.  Let's skip this site.
• The site titled "Scientific Notation" has the words "interactive math lesson teaching" in the description.  This is a site worth looking at.
• Open this site.
• Answer the following questions:
  • Does the site have an attractive look?
  • Does the site have a teaching component, guided practice, or independent practice component?
  • Does the site have excessive text?
• The site does seem to have all of the components.  There is a "Learn," "Practice," and "Play" component.  Take a moment and write down the website URL and title of the site.
• Use the back arrow to return to the Google search and continue looking for another quality site.
• The next site on the list, Comparing Scientific and Standard Notation Numbers, also has a great description but upon looking at the website URL, you will be able to see it is the same website as the second website on the list.  Let's continue down the list.
• Looking at the description for the site, Exploring Exponents and Scientific Notation Video Interactive, there are some keywords that indicate that we should investigate the site further such as "video" and "play interactive."  Based on, let's open this site.
• Answer the questions above for evaluating a good site. 
  
• This site has a introduction video connecting scientific notation to the real world and an interactive activity.  The site has an independent practice PDF that the student could open on the computer and complete on their own paper and turn in or put in their notes.  Based on this, let's use this site.   Take a moment and write down the website URL and title of the site.

A link is a reference or navigation element in a document to another section of the same document, or a specified section of another document, that automatically brings the referred information to the user when the navigation element is selected by the user. As such, it is similar to a citation in literature, but with the distinction of automatic instant access.

Adding a Link in Advanced Content Editor.

1. You can add a hyperlink for a web page or email to your text or image.

2. Highlight the text or image and then click on the Insert/Edit Link icon.

3. The Insert/Edit Link window will open.

4. Enter a website address. Remember to start your URL (website address) with http://.  For example, if you wanted to link to the ETA Academy page, you would enter http://www2.yisd.net/etaacademy

5. Use the drop-down box to choose whether the link website opens in a new windowsor on in the same window.

6. Enter a Title for the Link.  When a view puts their cursor over the active link in your webpage, a small box will open describing that link.

7. You also have the option to Cancel at anytime by clicking on the Cancel button.

8. Click on the Insert button to insert the Link.
   
   

To find appropriate activities for an online learning center, follow these steps using netTrekker.

• Log in to netTrekker.
• Click on the "Standards"  link in the top right corner of the page. (Note:  The color of the tab may  vary).
  A new page will open.
  
• Choose "Texas" under State Standards.
  
  A new window will open.
  
• Choose either TAKS or TEKS under the top "Texas" banner.  For our example, we will choose the first choise, TAKS.
  A new window will open.
• Choose the content area desired.  For this example, we will choose "Mathematics - 2007."
  A new window will open.
• Choose the gade level desired.  For our example, we will choose Grade 7.
  
  A new window will open.
• Choose the Objective desired.  For our example, we will choose  Objective 4:  Measurement.
  A new window will open.  The Knowledge/Skill 7.9 is avaiable. Click on that link.
  A new window will open.
  
• Choose either A, B, or C expectation.
  
  A new window will open.
• Choose an area of 7.9A to find online, interactive activities for.  We have chosen  "Measrable Attributes."
  A new window will open.
• Search the activities listed to find activiites that teach, provide guided practice, and independent practice.  These are the types of activities most effective for an online learning center.