Concept to Classroom: Help

Using the Workshops | Iconography | Technical Recommendations | Workshop Resources

Using the Workshops

Concept to Classroom workshops are designed to introduce you to the most exciting ideas in education today. Each one offers expert explanations of methodology, multimedia materials that show you how other educators are using new theories and practices in their classrooms, and guidelines that help you apply the ideas to your own curriculum.

The Concept to Classroom workshops are easy to follow, because each workshop is divided into four manageable sections: Explanation, Demonstration, Exploration, and Implementation. Each section is shown as a folder tab beneath the workshop title. It's a good idea to go through each section in order (see below); that way, the concepts will build on each other.

Begin with Explanation
This section is your entry point into the workshops. In it, experts explain the foundational concepts of the topic and highlight the differences between the topic's approach and other approaches to education.

Then, go to Demonstration
Once you have acquired a background in your workshop topic's ideas, you'll want to see how other teachers apply those ideas in their curricula. In this section, you'll find video, audio, lesson plans and other materials that show you how real-life teachers implement the ideas presented in the Explanation section.

Next, visit Exploration
This section provides specific strategies that will help you to apply the ideas you've read about and seen demonstrated. In it, you'll find helpful hints, simple ways to get started, troubleshooting tips, assessment ideas, and suggestions for fitting standards and technology into your lesson plans.

And finally, work on Implementation
After you've absorbed all of the ideas, demonstrations and strategies of the workshop, you'll need to try out these new approaches and ideas in your own classroom. In this section, you will bring your workshop's concepts to your classroom, by building lesson plans, activities, and projects using our online guides. You can also share your lesson ideas, curriculum innovations, and newly discovered resources with other educators - because teachers helping teachers is the best education a teacher can get!

Once you've mastered the section tabs, you'll also want to familiarize yourself with the Global Navigation Bar, which will help you to move in and around your workshop's pages more easily. It's located beneath the workshop title at the top of each page, and consists of the following elements:

Home: This takes you back to the Concept to Classroom homepage and main workshop menu.

About the Series: This is the section you are now reading. It provides you with information about how to use the workshops, presents technical recommendations, and also offers workshop descriptions with bios of the experts who helped develop them.

Resources: Here you will find recommended books, articles, Web sites, and materials for each of the workshops.

Jump to Workshop: This dropdown menu allows you to navigate quickly to different workshops. Choose a workshop from the list and click "go."

Iconography

Icons used in this online workshop series
Scattered throughout the workshops you will find icons that perform useful functions. Below is a list of the workshop icons with related descriptions. The first set of icons provides you with opportunities to learn more about the subject, practical tips, interactive learning tools, and more. Just click on the icon while in the workshop to launch a pop-up window containing relevant information. The second set of icons, listed below, offer tips and helpful navigation tools.

Find another way to implement an educational idea in your classroom.	"What does that mean?" Find definitions of educational, academic, or technical terms and jargon here.
Gain insight through an expert's point of view.	Link to a fun and helpful interactive exercise.
Open this window and print a format for planning classroom lessons that was designed to help you implement the workshop ideas into your classroom activities.	Here are tips for teachers, "to do" lists, or an index of terms, names, or attributes pertaining to a specific topic.
Real-life class situations or dilemmas are posed here. Mentor other participants by discussing them on the Discussion Boards.	Teacher's Take Concept to Classroom asked teachers in the classroom about the workshop topics. Select "Answer" for the Teacher's Take on video, or "Transcript" to read the transcription.
Peruse the transcript of each video.	Video/Audio Interview Concept to Classroom interviewed experts in the field. Click on "Answer" to see/listen to the expert's answer, or "Transcript" to read the transcription.
Participate in the online poll and find out how educators are thinking about issues related to the workshop topic.	Explore ideas and issues around proposed questions and share what you think on the Discussion Boards.
This icon will only sit next to the title of a workshop. Click on it if you want to go to the start of the workshop. Remember, the workshop must be in session, or have taken place for the icon to be active.	Click on the image to play the video.
Click on this icon to go to the page related to the question, or issue next to the icon.	Click on these icons to move to the top of the current page.
Click on this icon to jump down the page and link to information.	Single or multipart lesson plans.
Move to the next page of the current section. Each page pertains to one of the "Explanation", "Demonstration", "Exploration", or "Implementation" section subheadings.

Technical Recommendations

Technical Recommendations for Optimum Workshop Interactivity Hardware

PC:
Operating System: Windows 95 or higher
Pentium Processor
32 MB of RAM or higher
Sound Blaster compatible sound card
56.6 Kbps modem or faster

Mac:
Operating System: 7.5.5 or higher
Power Mac or compatible Power PC
32 MB of RAM or higher
Built-In Sound
56.6 Kbps modem or faster

Software
Browser: Netscape Navigator 4.0 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher Quicktime 4.0 (download for free from the Apple Computer Web site) Macromedia Flash 5.0 (download for free from the Macromedia Web site)

Troubleshooting Technical Difficulties
If you have trouble getting into your workshop, try the following steps:

Step 1. Reload the page, and/or click back and forth using the browser's navigation bar.

Step 2. Go to a different Web site. If you can't reach any site on the Internet, there may be a problem with your connection to the Internet or your Internet Service Provider.

Step 3. Clear the browser's cache. (In Netscape and Internet Explorer, go to Edit in the browser menubar, then select Preferences, and then Advanced. Click on the button that lets you clear/empty the cache.)

Step 4. Quit the browser and open it again.

If these steps don't work, contact your Internet Service Provider for help.