The Virtual Woman: A Woman's
Weekly Guide To Cyberspace
Learning To Use the Web for Education
Long, long ago, say even before the days of June, Ward, Wally and The Beaver, we had the three R's (as in Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmatic). As we move close to the year 2000 we've cruised down the alphabet. And we now have the three W's (as in World Wide Web). Pretty exciting stuff, actually! Check out the links this week on education and learning online. And Rite to me, okay?
Dear Virtual Woman:
My oldest son is considering
college. I'm sure this process has changed dramatically with the advent of
computers. For one thing, personal statements don't have to be painstakingly
typed up on an electric Smith-Corona. Along with easing his word processing
efforts, my son's computer is helping him find his idea of the perfect
university. He has spent hours surfing the Web taking virtual campus tours
and reviewing student to teacher (and male to female) ratios. Now he's
finally narrowed down the list of schools to which he wants to apply to -
a mere 12! This task seems so daunting. Can the Web help make this process
less time-consuming?
- Up to My Eyeballs in Applications, Topeka, KS
Dear Eyeballs:
One of the leaders in the online college information and services market with visits from over one million college-bound students per month is CollegeEdge.com (http://www.collegeedge.com). CollegeEdge.com is the "foremost authority on the college selection, applications and admissions process, providing a one-stop shop online for education and career guidance from high school through higher education." College-bound students use this site to select and apply to colleges via the Web with the benefit of interactive/electronic applications, step-by-step guidance, electronic application error checks, and easy printing of applications. Besides these features, CollegeEdge.com also offers a free recruiter service where a student may enter his/her profile into a database which is accessed by colleges, universities and scholarship organizations seeking students with a certain G.P.A., skill, or interest.
Another site I really like is Petersons (http://www.petersons.com). Petersons.Com has information on undergraduate and graduate programs, study abroad programs, summer camp programs and executive education programs. They also have GMAT and GRE test prep questions that you can download. Petersons Dot Com is brought to you by Peterson's The Company - the company that's been bringing us books on colleges and universities since 1996! Their experience in this field is evident--this site is jam packed with information and expertise and definitely a bookmark for anyone college bound.
Dear Virtual Woman:
I know, I know, the Web
can supposedly do more for me than just provide a repository of TONS of
information. I can buy stuff, send emails, chat with others, and surf. I
know there are a million (and probably not an exaggeration) sites out there
from which I can gather information - but do sites exist where I can learn
online?
- Does the Classless Classroom Exist?, Rockford, IL
Dear Looking for Some Class (juust kidding!):
According to a site called Teaching and Learning on the WWW (http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/tl) there are, last we checked, 663 examples of how the web is being used as a medium for learning (and here we all thought the Internet was merely designed for us to send email, buy concert tickets, and search for recipes!)
Teaching and Learning on the WWW offers a searchable collection of sites that range from courses delivered entirely via the web to courses that offer specific activities related to a class assignment to courses that offer class support materials via the web. The topics this site covers are vast. I searched through some of the subject categories that range from anthropology to zoology. Classes (including syllabi, online materials, and downloadable training software) on topics from Business Law and Cost Accounting to Interactive Multimedia and Optimizing Email Usage are found with the click of your mouse. Recently praised as one of the "Best of the Best Sites in '98" by Yahoo! Teaching and Learning on the WWW is operated by the Maricopa Center for Learning & Instruction (MCLI), part of the Maricopa Community Colleges in Arizona.
Happy Surfing!
Find these links and more at WWWomen.Com (http://www.wwwomen.com) the web's largest search directory of topics for women online. Email the Virtual Woman with your Internet questions or send snailmail to: WWWomen.Com, Attn: Virtual Woman, 3701 Geary Blvd., #325, S.F., CA 94118. Copyright, 1998. WWWomen, Inc. All rights reserved.
This column can only be re-distributed with written
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Contributing Editor: Samantha Smith
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