Finding and using resources - some useful Web
sites
Although the Web is such a rich resource of
information to enhance their teaching, the sheer volume of it and the time
taken to find what they want discourages many teachers. Collecting useful URLs,
browsing or using search engines can locate many resources, both for curriculum
use and professional development; and adding URLs to your Favourites or
Bookmarks list will ensure that you can locate them easily. But there are also
collections of pages that have been developed with the aim of finding
applicable resources easier. Your own LEA may have such a collection.
The DfEE Inclusion site
inclusion.ngfl.gov.uk is a free database developed by
Becta. The aim of the site is to provide information on resources that support
curriculum planning so that all learners participate fully in the education
process. Its objectives are to provide information on inclusion; supporting
materials, access strategies and examples of good practice; a range of contact
information for products and services and access to self-study materials and
professional networks. The Web site will enable visitors to search for specific
pieces of information. Providers will be able to submit resources to be
referenced from the site. The intention is for the site to be a gateway with
little content of its own, but it will reference, describe and provide links to
available external resources, including those on the various DfEE and education
agency sites.
There are also collections developed by
commercial enterprises. These are sometimes available free of charge, such as
the Tesco supermarket chain’s SchoolNet 2000
www.tesco.schoolnet2000.com (free to all UK schools) and
LearnFree learnfree.co.uk provided by the Times Educational Supplement and
aimed at parents. Others are available only on payment of a subscription,
although some like RM’s EduWeb www.eduweb.co.uk provide free entry-level
information but charge for a complete service.
The following collection of Web sites will give
you an idea of the sort of information you might find useful.
Some Web sites for general professional
development in SEN
- Becta (The British Educational
Communications and Technology agency) – information on ways of using ICT
in education. www.becta.org.uk
- Becta Special Needs and Inclusion area
– lots of information about using ICT to support learners with special
needs, including links to the archives of useful mailing lists.
www.becta.org.uk/inclusion/
- David Fulton Publishers – specialize
in books about teaching in special education.
www.fultonbooks.co.uk
- DfEE Special Needs – information on
legislation, organizations and projects.
www.dfee.gov.uk/sen/senhome.htm
- Education Unlimited – news items and
articles on educational topics developed by the Guardian / Observer newspapers.
www.educationunlimited.co.uk
- Inclusion – a free, searchable
catalogue of online resources to support teaching professionals, parents and
carers in meeting individual learning needs.
inclusion.ngfl.gov.uk
- Inclusive Technology – this
company’s Web site has useful information pages on topics of interest to
teachers of pupils with special educational needs
www.inclusive.co.uk
- Mailbase – a directory of discussion
lists primarily for the UK higher education community
www.mailbase.ac.uk
- National Association for Special Educational
Needs – the NASEN Web site gives information about its activities.
www.nasen.org.uk
- National Grid for Learning – a
collection of resources brought together by the UK Government. The Schools area
has a Special Needs section. www.ngfl.gov.uk
- Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
– an overview of curriculum, assessment and qualifications.
www.qca.org.uk
- Questions Publishing Online – this Web
site has a search facility that enables you to find articles published in
Question’s group of journals, as well as descriptions of relevant books.
www.education-quest.com
- Teacher Training Agency – the special
educational needs section gives information on the latest government policies
regarding the training of teachers in SEN.
www.canteach.gov.uk/info/sen/index.htm
- Times Educational Supplement – an
online version of the educational newspaper.
www.tes.co.uk
- Widgit Software – the special needs
section of this company’s Web site has lots of useful information.
www.widgit.co.uk
- Xplanatory – pages of resources,
information and ideas developed and maintained by the Special Needs Research
and Development Centre at Canterbury Christ Church College of Higher Education.
www.canterbury.ac.uk/xplanatory/xplan.htm
Some Web sites dealing with inclusion issues
- Alliance for Inclusive Education – a
Web site that describes this organization’s campaign for inclusion
www.btinternet.com/~allfie
- Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education
(CSIE) Inclusion page – advice and information on the work of the CSIE in
promoting inclusive education.
inclusion.uwe.ac.uk
- Enabling Education Network (EENET) –
an information sharing network aiming to support and encourage inclusion.
www.eenet.org.uk
- ISEC 2000 – a Web site that gives
information about the International Special Education Congress in Manchester
July 2000 www.isec2000.org.uk
- UNESCO Salamanca Statement – text of
the inclusive education framework adopted at the 1994 Salamanca conference.
www.unesco.org/education/educprog/sne/
Some Web sites with information about
physical and sensory disabilities
   
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