Blue Web’n Learning Sites Library is a searchable database of about 1,000 outstanding Internet learning sites categorized by subject area, audience, and type (lessons, activities, projects, resources, references, and tools). It does not attempt to catalog all educational sites, but only the most useful sites ‐ particularly online activities targeted at learners.
The site was created as part of the Pacific Bell Education First Initiative in partnership with the Department of Education at San Diego State University. The application design team consists of four members ‐ Linda Woods Hyman, Thomas March, Katie Beedon, and Jodi Reed ‐ whose job is to create quality educational applications for K‐12 schools, community colleges and public libraries. These applications are showcased on the “Wired Learning in Classroom and Library” Web page, which is a part of the “Pacific Bell Knowledge Network Explorer.” The Knowledge Network began in response to the needs of California’s teachers, librarians, and students.
Blue Web’n Learning Sites Library starts as a very user‐friendly site. There are three ways to search for sites: you can browse the Content Table, browse by Subject Area, or try a Refined Search.
Browse the Content Table if you want to find specific types of sites (i.e., “English References” or “Science Projects”). The Content Table shows the number of entries for each content area and application type so that you can get a quick idea of the information depth before you look. The Content Table has 12 subject areas and seven categories of activities. By clicking on the number of activities in the content area and the category, you will be given a list of that many related Web sites.
To find subject‐related sites (i.e. “Foreign Language” or “Earth Science”), browse the clickable Content Categories list. Each subject area is divided into many sub‐areas, and each of these leads you to a page of Web sites that has information dealing with the topic that you’re looking for.
If you’re looking for a specific site or want to narrow your query, try a refined search. You can search for a specific URL or look for something like “Chemistry Activities for High School Students.” On the refined search page there are options to set, including Grade Level, Application Type, Content Area, Dewey Number and Other Search Terms. When you search, you are given a list of Web sites that match your criteria.
At the bottom of each page there are several buttons which function as follows. Home takes you back to the starting page, Search returns you to the refined search page, Browse takes you to the Content Table, Weekly Updates brings you to the archive of weekly update e‐mail messages, and Suggest a Link lets you suggest new sites for the collection. These recommended sites should include information that targets teachers, librarians, and learners; of particular interest are those which offer learning experiences. Personal home pages, school home pages, and sites that advertise commercial products are usually not included. To keep current with the site, a weekly e‐mail update service is available on the home page.
“Blue Web’n” combines the words “Blue Ribbon” and “Web” (or you can think of it as “Blue Ribbon” in “duck talk”).
Blue Web’n Learning Sites Library is updated weekly. It has potential to be a great site for elementary, middle school and high school teachers and school librarians. Though this site may not be applicable to academic libraries in general, I would recommend its use in universities with an education department, education or curriculum libraries, and learning resource centers for teachers.
