Urban Education Resources on the Internet. ERIC/CUE Digest Number 106

The Internet is rapidly becoming one of the most important vehicles for educators and others to communicate and share information. Because materials on it can be updated almost instantaneously, the Internet is often the best source for up-to-the-minute information. Further, anyone who has the proper hardware, software, and access to the Internet can locate Internet resources easily and at no cost.

Information resources on the Internet are usually provided using one of two vehicles:

* GOPHER provides access to text-only information available anywhere on the Internet by means of simple lists of materials from which users can choose whatever interests them.

* THE WORLD WIDE WEB (WWW), like Gopher, provides access to texts, but often supplements the words with graphics and sounds. Another important feature of the WWW is the presence of highlighted terms (called "links") that allow the user to move to related texts and other information elsewhere on the Internet. By using software packages such as Netscape, Mosaic, or Lynx (commonly called "browsers"), users are able to follow these links to additional information.

Many organizations and individuals have developed their own "sites" within which they place their Gopher or WWW resources; others make use of sites provided by Internet access providers. Each site can be reached by using its unique Internet address. WWW users can access all types of Internet resources, including Gopher and WWW sites, by using a type of computer address called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Users with Gopher access only are only able to use the resources whose URLs begin with "gopher://," and must use computer addresses that are slightly different from URLs. Users should check with colleagues experienced in using the Internet or with their Internet access provider to find out which type of resources they will be able to use. Access providers can also offer assistance in obtaining and using the proper software, and may be able to provide training in using both Gopher and the WWW.

This digest describes a sample of the best current Gopher and WWW resources devoted to urban and minority education, and provides Gopher addresses whenever applicable in addition to URLs. Because resources on the Internet change constantly, the digest will be updated annually.URBAN EDUCATION RESOURCESThe following sites have been developed specifically to offer resources and support to urban K-12 educators.

UEweb was developed by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education (ERIC/CUE) to serve urban students, families, and educators. It contains ERIC/CUE digests, information alerts, and "reference gems," that include information, annotated bibliographies, abstracts of documents in the ERIC databases, and other resources for urban educators. In addition, most of the other sites described in this digest can be accessed from UEweb; thus, this web should be the first stop in any search for urban education information on the Internet. Highlights of UEweb include:

URBAN/MINORITY FAMILIES. This section is part of the National Parent Information Network (NPIN), which is co-sponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouses on Urban Education and on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. It includes "Strong Families, Strong Schools," a handbook for families prepared by the U.S. Department of Education; "New Beginnings: A Guide to Designing Parenting Programs for Refugee and Immigrant Parents," by Daniel R. Scheinfeld of the Erikson Institute for Advanced Study in Child Development; and "What Students Need to Know," a manual for parents on how they can help with their children's schooling, developed by the National Urban League and The College Board.

HOT TOPICS. This section presents a changing series of documents and resources on timely issues. It currently contains information on school reform, school safety, and technology in urban education.

THE HBCU HOME PAGE. This page was developed as part of an ERIC/CUE special project to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities gain access to the Internet. It contains a project description, results of a technology survey of HBCUs, links to HBCU and other African American Internet resources, and "The Historically Black Colleges and Universities: A Future in the Balance," a report prepared by the American Association of University Professors.

MAJOR SUBJECT AREAS. This section contains resources covering all areas of ERIC/CUE's subject scope, including equity and cultural diversity; urban teachers; curriculum and instruction; compensatory education; administration and finance; urban/minority student services; urban/minority youth development; community involvement; and postsecondary, higher, and adult education.

EXTRAS. This section includes links to other ERIC system resources on the Internet, as well as links to conferences and workshops, and other urban education resources.

UEweb URL: http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/

NPIN URL: http://ericps.ed.uiuc.edu/npin/npinhome.htmlTHE NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY (NCREL)Gopher provides a number of services, including CITYSCHOOLS, a

research magazine devoted to urban education, and the NCREL Urban Education Monograph Series, a collection of nine substantive documents on urban education.

URL: gopher://gopher.ncrel.org:3015/11/subjects/urban-ed/

Gopher Address: gopher.ncrel.org:3015

NCREL also maintains a web, Pathways to School Improvement, that contains an extensive online library of multi-media resources on a wide range of topics, such as school-to-work transition, science and mathematics, instruction and assessment, teaching, parent and family involvement, school safety, and professional development.

URL: http://www.ncrel.org/ncrel/sdrs/pathways.htm

THE URBAN EDUCATION PROJECT of Research For Better Schools, Inc., includes articles on Title I/Chapter 1, magnet schools, and other issues, as well as links to current news and announcements. It also includes a link to the Urban Education National Network, a collaborative project with NCREL.

URL: gopher://gopher.rbs.org:70/11/Urban

Gopher Address: gopher.rbs.org

NEWS FROM THE URBAN EDUCATION FRONT, sponsored by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development's Urban Education Advisory Board, provides press releases on school reform for schools serving low-income and minority children.

URL: gopher://gopher.ascd.org:70/11/coll/urb

Gopher Address: gopher.ascd.org

The Center for Research on Human Development and Education's CHILDREN AND YOUTH AT RISK GOPHER, sponsored by Temple University, contains materials developed by the National Center on Education in the Inner Cities (CEIC), including newsletters, research abstracts, and announcements of upcoming events.

URL: gopher://astro.ocis.temple.edu:70/11/CRHDE

Gopher Address: astro.ocis.temple.edu

The National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST) has developed the PLURIBUS UNUM GOPHER, devoted to the study of diversity and school administration. It contains a series of documents on diversity and leadership, including a casebook and an overview of issues and ideas, as well as several papers on the role of technology and networking in urban schools.

URL: gopher://128.59.202.223:70/00c%3A/welcome.txt

Gopher Address: 128.59.202.223RESOURCES FOR BILINGUAL AND LANGUAGE MINORITY STUDENTS AND

EDUCATORSA number of Internet resource sites provide information specifically for educators serving bilingual and language minority students.

The NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION (NCBE) Gopher contains materials related to linguistic and cultural diversity. It includes a number of NCBE publications, selected journal articles, a list of Frequently Asked Questions, and the archives of NCBE's electronic discussion groups.

URL: gopher://gopher.ncbe.gwu.edu/

Gopher Address: gopher.ncbe.gwu.edu

The University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute (LMRI) maintains the LMRInet Gopher, which includes the LMRI Newsletter, abstracts of research projects, links to funding and employment opportunities, and the archives of LMRI-sponsored electronic discussion groups. At the same site, LMRI also sponsors the NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING GOPHER, which includes related materials, such as a Bulletin Board of announcements and press releases, and research reports on linguistic and cultural diversity.

URL: gopher://LMRINet.gse.ucsb.edu/

Gopher Address: LMRINet.gse.ucsb.edu

The University of California at Los Angeles' Chicano/LatinoNet contains information on Chicano/Latino research as well as research and curricular information on bilingual and language minority issues. It includes press releases, links to databases and special library collections of interest to the Chicano/Latino community, and directories of scholars and organizations.

URL: gopher://latino.sscnet.ucla.edu/

Gopher Address: latino.sscnet.ucla.eduURBAN SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS ON THE INTERNETA growing number of urban schools and districts are showing up on the Internet, primarily on the WWW. Typically, these WWW resources include local information on student and teacher projects, information on the history and neighborhoods of the schools, student publications, directories of faculty and administrators, and links to a wide range of other Internet resources. The following is a partial list of resources developed by urban K-12 schools that can be used as models for other schools interested in providing their own information:

* The Rice School/La Escuela Rice, Houston, TX

URL: http://chico.rice.edu/armadillo/Rice/Ricemhome.html

---

* George Washington High School's GeorgeWeb, Denver, CO

URL: http://sol.gwhs.denver.k12.co.us/index3.html

---

* Ralph Bunche School, Harlem, NY

URL: http://mac94.ralphbunche.rbs.edu/

---

* Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, NY

URL: http://www.bxscience.edu/

---

* Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable High School, Chicago, IL

URL: http://www.dusable.cps.k12.il.us/index.html

---

* The School District of Philadelphia, PA

URL: http://www.philsch.k12.pa.us/

---

* San Francisco, CA Unified School District

URL: http://nisus.sfusd.k12.ca.us/

Schools and districts interested in developing their own Internet resources should look at Web66. A project supported by the University of Minnesota's College of Education, Web66 is devoted to helping K-12 educators establish their own links to the Internet and the World Wide Web, by assisting them in setting up their own servers, and by training them in finding and using WWW resources. It includes links to a Registry of K-12 schools on the WWW, a Cookbook, with step-by-step instructions for setting up Internet resources on a Macintosh computer, a mailing list for educators using the WWW, and more.

URL: http://web66.coled.umn.edu

Developed with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under Contract No. RR93002016. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of OERI or the Department. Digests may be freely reproduced. Title: Urban Education Resources on the Internet. ERIC/CUE Digest Number 106. Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); Available From: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, Teachers College, Box 40, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (free). Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Computer Networks, Computer Uses in Education, Elementary Secondary Education, Higher Education, Information Dissemination, Information Networks, Minority Groups, Resources, Urban Education, User Needs (Information) Identifiers: ERIC Digests, Gopher, Internet, Language Minorities, World Wide Web

###

[Return to ERIC Digest Search Page]