Hot Stuff: Helpful Materials

Credit: William Duke

TeacherWeb

$27 per year (discounts and free trial accounts available) www.teacherweb.com [1]

Tired of the old "I didn't know we had homework!" gripe? That's no longer an excuse if all assignments are displayed online. So set your sights on TeacherWeb, which helps educators quickly snap together a Web site. The styles and designs aren't splashy, but they are functional and can be used for projects, announcements, grades -- you name it: It's an all-around online bulletin board. Schools can use the service for their Web sites, too, and teachers can collaborate on WebQuests, or online classroom assignments. At last, all the ease of the Internet age -- without the headache.

Credit: William Duke

The Dream Weaver: One Boy's Journey Through the Landscape of Reality

By Jack Bowen; $14.95; Longman Publishers; 256 pages www.dreamweaverphilosophy.com [2]

In the stripped-down world of school curriculum, the illuminating field of philosophy gets short shrift -- if it gets any shrift at all. The Dream Weaver, philosophy professor Jack Bowen's first novel, is a way to sneak it in. Readers accompany the inquisitive young protagonist, Ian, as he encounters some of life's biggest questions. For instance: How can we define fundamental yet relative concepts such as morality, truth, and justice? As Ian plumbs the depths of the human mind and the history of philosophical thought, students will inevitably begin to ask those big questions themselves. Now, that's something worth thinking about.

Credit: William Duke

Architect Studio 3D with Frank Lloyd Right

Frank Lloyd Right Preservation Trust; grades 7-12; free www.architectstudio3d.org [3]

"When building a house, you must consider two things," said architect Frank Lloyd Right, "the needs of people and the particulars of place." Students of Architect Studio 3D ponder those factors and much more through this free and interactive site, where young architects-to-be can design buildings, integrate client preferences, consider environmental restrictions, and learn from the ideas of one of the world's most influential architects. Once the design is complete, it can be submitted to an online gallery for review, where participants from across the country rate their peers' work. Voila! A new generation of Wrights is born.

Credit: William Duke

Teach

Available in streaming and download formats; free www.teachnow.org [4]

This heart-wrenching thirty-five-minute documentary from acclaimed producer and director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Deadwood, 24, ER) chronicles the rugged paths of four courageous teachers during their freshman year in the trenches. They're posted in South Central Los Angeles, teaching very young kids, non-English-speaking kids, and kids whose parents don't give a damn. It's a story of pain and frustration but ultimately hope and inspiration. Share it with your colleagues, and go boldly into the fray -- but come out strong on the other side.