Web Notes

A virtual tour of a national insect zoo, learning activities for K-12 students and resources for teachers make up the award-winning recipe for an MSU web site.

Designed in 1996 by the Center for Educational and Training Technology, the O. Orkin Insect Zoo curriculum module recently took first-place among academic entries in the state's EdTech '98 web site competition. The module's web address is <www.naturalpartners.org/InsectZoo/>.

Sponsored for the second year by the Mississippi Educational Network, the competition drew more than 60 entries. Awards also were presented to K-12, business and professional, and individual web sites.

"Our site has been designed to help bring the resources of the Smithsonian to teachers and students," said MSU center director R. Dan Brook. "It provides resources to support the teaching of natural sciences, especially to middle school students."

The judges agreed, with one calling the design "a model for our school districts to follow."

The actual Orkin Insect Zoo is a part of the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Funded by the BellSouth Foundation, the Natural Partners Program is a collaborative effort between Mississippi State and the natural history museum.

"The Natural Partners Program uses web-based information and two-way video technology to create a 'museum without walls,'" Brook said, adding that the Insect Zoo is the first in a planned series of curriculum modules.

Curriculum designer Cheryl M. Whitfield and instructional technologist Connie Templeton worked with Mississippi State entomologists and local teachers to design activities such as a cricket-jumping contest. Students also learn about the insect and its habitat and explore related activities such as creative writing and reading.

The site contains extensive resource listings for teachers and students, as well as links to other resources on the World Wide Web. It also provides comments regarding each component's adherence to the National Science Education Standards.

Alumni and Development web sites were honored recently with a four-star rating in a list of university advancement sites maintained by California State University at Fresno.

The list, which reviews and rates web sites, contains links to 1,391 university advancement sites. Ratings range from one to four stars. Only seven other universities achieved the highest rating.

The list may be seen at <129.8.21.20/links/advancement/>.

MSU's advancement sites are maintained by university webmanager Bennet George and two students, Chris Brown and Kathy Saisuphaluck.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences web site won first place in the 1998 National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association Web Page Competition. The web pages-particularly the advancement section-were singled out in the publication and project competition of alumni and development categories.

Celeste M. Brignac, the college's electronic publications specialist, maintains the site.

The alumni web site was created last year as an addition to the primary College of Agriculture and Life Sciences page <www.ais.msstate.edu/CALS/> to keep graduates updated on numerous activities of interest to them.

The national organization that presents the annual awards was established in 1975 to help its constituents meet the future needs of the American agricultural industry.