DPI+Web+Resources


 * To follow is a listing of DPI Web Resources and a brief description.

eBistro** - http://ebistro.org/ - eBistro is a professional development tool for educators in North Carolina that will help teachers feel more comfortable integrating technology into the curriculum. Participants are able to create a login, complete individual learning modules, and save their work in their own digital portfolio. Other areas of eBistro provide resources for grant writing and other items deemed important for teachers.


 * Kaleidoscope** - http://www.ncwiseowl.org/kscope/ - Available at no cost, Kaleidoscope is a comprehensive site for busy elementary educators striving to integrate the North Carolina Computer Skills and Information Skills curricula into the Standard Course of Study. This Web portal takes North Carolina teachers and students on a week-by-week journey through a typical school year, linking students to rich online learning resources, while modeling "best practice" for the integration of Internet content in the classroom.


 * NC WiseOwl** - http://www.ncwiseowl.com/ - NC WISE OWL is a Web site that has, as its centerpiece, several subscription databases. InfoTrac, a periodical database product by the Gale Group, is made up of a Kids Edition for elementary students, a Junior Edition for middle schoolers, and both the Student Edition and InfoTrac Gold Reference Edition for the high school and parent community. The Junior Reference Center and Kids InfoBits offer access to reference materials with a simplified format for greater ease of use. Also included in the Gale database collection is the Scribner Writers Series, with information on more than 1600 authors. Grolier Online offers two encyclopedias: The New Book of Knowledge for elementary and middle school students, and Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia for middle and high school students. Additional reference sources available include Lands & Peoples, Popular Science, America the Beautiful, and a collection of searchable eBooks in the Virtual Reference Center.


 * Grolier Online** - (see NCWiseOwl)


 * Infotrac** - (see NCWiseOwl)


 * eBooks** - (see NCWiseOwl)


 * IMPACT model** - http://www.ncwiseowl.org/kscope/impact/ - an interactive information tool designed to enhance communication and collaboration efforts with your school’s Media and Technology staff.


 * Students' Page** - http://www.ncpublicschools.org/students.html - sections include ‘About North Carolina (state facts, government, history…), ‘Homework Helpers’, ‘Get Involved’ (volunteer opportunities and community involvement), ‘Cool Places to Go’ (NC museums, parks,…), and ‘Graduation and Beyond’ (requirements, scholarships).


 * NCwin** - **(Update: June 2008 -The URL for this resource no longer works)** http://ncdpi.learn.com/learncenter.asp?id=178409 - NCwin is an e-Learning site dedicated to providing online education opportunities for North Carolina teachers, teacher assistants, and other public school employees. NCwin is part of an overall effort to make North Carolina's schools "First in the Nation by 2010". Courses offered via NCwin are also available to educators in North Carolina's independent schools and employees of state and local government agencies as well as other approved organizations.


 * Teacher on Loan** - http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/div_it/tol.htm - Teachers-on-Loan provide staff development in instructional technology for North Carolina's Public Schools. Staff Developments topics include NCWiseOwl, Kaleidoscope, and SASInSchools. The TOLs should work with a school for up to 4 days. They will be available to do training sessions and then can schedule the following days to do classroom follow-up with the teachers. You may request their services by filling out the Request for Teacher on Loan Services form.


 * NCWise Web-based training** - http://www.ncwise.org/ - online tutorials on how to use the different parts of NCWise.


 * Best Practices** - http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/div_it/bpractice.htm - As a service to the North Carolina Public Schools, the Division of Instructional Technology will provide examples of best practices in Media and Technology. These examples are selected by the regional consultants in the Educational Technology Implementation & Planning Services Section.


 * Virtual Visits** - **(Update: June 2008 -The URL for this resource no longer works)** http://www.itpi.dpi.state.nc.us/vvisits/ - The purpose of Virtual Visits is to provide North Carolina's K-12 students and educators, and students and educators in grades four and eight in particular, with a virtual 360 visit of interesting sites around North Carolina. The first area to be covered will be state government sites in Raleigh. Users will be able to tour Raleigh's state government sites and view pictures, maps, text, and QTVR movies of each site. Permission has been granted for the use of all pictures and data for educational purposes. Additional pictures and information as well as sites will be added in the future.


 * Intel** - **(Update: June 2008 -The URL for this resource no longer works)** http://tps.dpi.state.nc.us/NCIntel/default.htm - NCDPI has initiated a statewide professional development program to train teachers to effectively integrate computer technology into existing curriculum.


 * Carolina Clips** - **(Update: June 2008 -The URL for this resource no longer works)**  http://www.itpi.dpi.state.nc.us/caroclips/ - The purpose of Carolina Clips is to provide North Carolina's K-12 students and educators, and students and educators in grades four and eight in particular, with pictures and information related to North Carolina topics. Permission has been granted for the use of all pictures and data for educational purposes. The first three areas to be covered include: North Carolina's lighthouses; western North Carolina's waterfalls; and, historical sites in Raleigh. Additional pictures and information will be added to these three existing sections as the material is received.


 * Geocaching** - http://www.ncwiseowl.org/impact/ncgeocache/ - The Geocaching Project is an on-going program created by the Instructional Technology Division of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to introduce teachers to emerging technologies and provide classroom resources for the implementation of authentic task and project-based learning units in the classroom. The project provides staff development for teachers in the use of handheld computers as GPS devices and introduces them to the growing phenomenon of Geocaching. Six hour training sessions are provided upon request within NC. Once trained, teachers are able to checkout sets of handhelds for use in their classroom.


 * Evalu Tech** - http://www.evalutech.sreb.org/ - EvaluTech offers expanded access to resources that are aligned with the work of the Educational Technology Cooperative. It is committed to providing high-quality information to K-20 education agencies —states' departments of education and higher education agencies. EvaluTech grew out of a partnership between the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the Southern Regional Education Board to create an online, keyword-searchable database of reviews of instructional materials that had begun in 1965 in North Carolina. This review service has grown to include over 10,000 recommended reviews of software and print resources.

I invite you to visit some of these resources as you may discover some new tools. Some of the sites have changed over the last few years and are better than ever. If you have any questions about any of the above or you’d like me to arrange a staff development opportunity during which we could further explore any of these options, let me know.
 * SAS** - http://www.sasinschool.com/ncwiseowl/ - more for secondary, appears to be subscription based.