"TrackStar is your starting point for online lessons and activities. Simply collect Web sites, enter them into TrackStar, add annotations for your students, and you have an interactive, online lesson called a Track. Create your own Track or use one of the hundreds of thousands already made by other educators. Search the database by subject, grade, or theme and standard for a quick and easy activity. There is a fun Track already made for each day of the year, too!"

(2006). TrackStar. Retrieved February 1, 2008, from 4teachers.org Web site.

1. Registering For TrackStar
  ·  Learn how to use TrackStar to create great learning centers (tracks).
  ·  Registering for TrackStar:
  ·  Please go to the TrackStar website to register at trackstar.4teachers.org . (Note: There is no cost for TrackStar.)
  ·  Once at the website, click on "Create an Account and Start Making Tracks" under the "Make A Track" Header. You'll be asked to
     enter some information including your email address. Please use your email address for this question. You may choose any password
     for this account that you wish. When done entering info, please click on the Register button.
  ·  Please make note of your email address and password which will you use later on in this session.
  ·  When complete, please return to the TrackStar home page.

2. Recipe For A Great Track

Critical For Successful Tracks:

  ·  Track should contain at least one teaching component
  ·  Track should contain at least one guided practice component
  ·  Track should contain at least one independent practice component
  ·  Track description should be very detailed with explicit goals stated
  ·  Different teaching or guided practice activities should be very detailed with explicit directions and guidance for requirements
  ·  Should not contain excessive text
  ·  Should engage students
  ·  Use these guidelines when selecting tracks to use with your students created by someone else or when creating your own.

3. Finding Pre-made Tracks

Finding Available Tracks - Using keywords, users may search a huge database of available tracks for use in the classroom. Before you decide to use a track from the database, it is recommended that you evaluate the quality of the track. A rubric may be a valuable tool for these evaluations. Please follow these steps to find available tracks: In the box by "Keyword Search," type a keyword that applies to a lesson you would to integrate into your classroom. For our example, let's search for "Scientific Notation." Notice that there are over 3,464 available tracks that match your criteria.

There is critical information about the tracks here such as the type of track format: Resource List, Worksheet, Extended Learning, and Demo. For interactive teaching and learning, the type most likely to be appropriate is the Worksheet type.

Please make note of the track numbers which identifies the individual tracks and makes them easy to locate. For this presentation, let us look at two different tracks: #281449 (Review of Scientific Notation and Patterns) and #265133 (Introduction to Scientific Notation with + Exponents.)

  ·  Click on the 17th Track listed, "Review of Scientific Notation and Patterns". Click "Go." A window will open.
  ·  Click on the "View in Frames" link. A window will open.
  ·  The directions for the track are written on the top and the activities/websites are listed on the left.
  ·  We suggest that you do not click on the "site location" listed in the yellow box above the webpage since this will direct your
     students outside of the track. We also suggest you explain this to your students.
  ·  Once you have completed your review, please click on the black TrackStar logo to return to the TrackStar home page.

Viewing Tracks When You Know A Track Number - Use the track number to view tracks:

  ·  Enter the track #265133 in the "View Track" field. Press "Go."
  ·  "Click on the "Choosing Frames View or Text View" link.

4. Quick Scans Tips & Tricks To Find Great Learning Center Tracks:

Quick Scans Tips & Tricks to select great interactive assignments:

Searching Techniques:

  ·  When searching for a topic, use a Boolean search to find quality websites more efficiently.
  ·  For example, suppose you would like to create a track for scientific notation. Put quotes around the subject desired such
     as "scientific notation."
  ·  Add the word "interactive" to the search. This will narrow down the search to websites that contain the type of activities
     most appropriate for a TrackStar learning center.
  ·  In our example, we would search the following term: "scientific notation" interactive

Consider This Site	Maybe Use This Site	Skip This Site And Look At Only If Necessary
Interactive Math Lesson Explanation Video Play Interactive Interactive Java Tutorial Interactive Tutorial Interactive Practice Lessons Challenge Games Interactive Tools For Practice And Assessment	Interactive Exercises Interactive Practice Skills Practicing Interactive Resources	Interactive Quizzes Exam(s) Examination(s) No mention of the word "interactive" Software Chapter(s) Unit(s) Test(s)

5. Finding Sites For Our Scientific Notation Track

Let's find some great sites for our track about Scientific Notation. Remember, the sites should teach, provide guided practice, and independent practice. For our practice track, we will find two quality websites. Follow these steps:

  ·  Go to Google at www.google.com. Note: If you have access to a search engine such as netTrekker, we highly recommend
     that you use it. However, for our training today, we will use a site that everyone has access to.
  ·  Type "Scientific Notation" interactive (with the quotes) in the "Search" field and hit return.
  ·  Use the Quick Scan techniques provided on this page to determine which sites should be opened.
  ·  Looking at the first site on the list, Eighth Grade Skills - interactive sites to use for assessment practice, let us scan the description.
     The words "interactive quizzes" seems to indicate this site provides assessment but not teaching. Let's skip this site.

The site titled "Scientific Notation" has the words "interactive math lesson teaching" in the description. This is a site worth looking at.

        ·  Open this site.
        ·  Answer the following questions:

         ·  Does the site have an attractive look?
         ·  Does the site have a teaching component?
         ·  Does the site have a guided practice component?
         ·  Does the site have an independent practice component?
         ·  Does the site have excessive text?

The site does seem to have all of the components. There is a "Learn," "Practice," and "Play" component. Take a moment and write down the website URL and title of the site.

  ·  Use the back arrow to return to the Google search and continue looking for another quality site.
  ·  The next site on the list, Comparing Scientific and Standard Notation Numbers, also has a great description but upon looking
     at the website URL, you will be able to see it is the same website as the second website on the list. Let's continue down the list.
  ·  Looking at the description for the site, Exploring Exponents and Scientific Notation Video Interactive, there are some keywords
     that indicate that we should investigate the site further such as "video" and "play interactive." Based on, let's open this site.
  ·  Answer the questions above for evaluating a good site.
  ·  This site has a introduction video connecting scientific notation to the real world and an interactive activity. The site has an
     independent practice PDF that the student could open on the computer and complete on their own paper and turn in or put
     in their notes. Based on this, let's use this site. Take a moment and write down the website URL and title of the site.
  ·  We now have our two sites for this workshop.

6. Creating A Track

Let's create our own track. Follow these steps to make yours:

  ·  You will need to login in to TrackStar. To do this, click on "Login to Make or Edit A Track" under the "Make A Track" header.
  ·  A window will open and you will need to enter the email address and password that you created earlier when you registered. Click "Login."
  ·  Please note: If you ever forget your password, you may click on the link "Click here to request your password" on this page to have
     TrackStar send it to you by email.
  ·  A new window will open. You will see two choices in the form of two buttons: "Make New Track" and "Manage My Tracks."
  ·  Please click on "Make New Track."
  ·  Give your track a title: Scientific Notation.
  ·  Provide a detailed description of the track.
  ·  Choose some keywords for your track.
  ·  Choose "Worksheet."
  ·  Choose your subject area: Math.
  ·  Choose your grade level: Middle School (5-9).
  ·  Leave "Keep Until" and "Password" Blank.
  ·  Click "Next." A new window will open.
  ·  Enter the title for your first activity in the bar marked "Title."
  ·  Enter the website address in the bar marked "URL."
  ·  In the section marked "Annotation," write a detailed description of what you would like your students to do as they complete the activity.
  ·  Do this for at least two activities.
  ·  Click "Save."

Make a note of the track number which appear in the new window. This number will be provided to your students so they may go to the TrackStar website and find the track. Click on "Manage Tracks" to return to your account page. You will see your track listed there. On this page, you have the option to edit or delete your track.