Web smarts

WWW.k12nation.net

What: A site that links educators with parents and students online.

BEST POINTS: While long summers spent traveling the country in the family minivan to visit colleges are not likely to disappear anytime soon, this site offers a helpful resource. On the College Chat page, visitors can post questions to admissions officers and receive answers within seconds. Or, go to the archives to check out the questions and answers from previous college chats, which include Emory University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Harvard University. Upcoming chat sessions will also include authors, recruiters, lecturers.

Additionally, K12nation.net provides a classroom forum through which teachers can update parents on a wide range of topics, including homework assignments, upcoming field trips, and online teacher-parent conferences. And, be sure to check out the site's pick of best education links.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: K12nation.net is designed to help classrooms have secure areas for online communication. Upon registering for the free service, the teacher receives a document with a password needed for students and parents to access certain parts of the site. Some pages are slow to load.

Compiled from news wires by Sara Steindorf

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