TrackStar

So, this summer I'm going back to school - sort of. I'm taking some online technology classes through WVLearns because 1) they are free and 2) I don't know everything. I may be the techKNOW teacher, but if I want to stay that way I've got to stay on the up-and-up on how to do things. Otherwise I'll run out of things to blog about. The classes I'm taking have to do with creating WebQuests and virtual field trips. I utilize these in my classroom, but I want to be more skilled in how to make my own "stuff" to tailor to my own classroom.
One of the gems I have found to help me organize websites for virtual field trips is TrackStar. There are many fabulous web tools accessible through 4Teachers.org, one of which I reviewed two posts ago (RubiStar). I thought TrackStar was going to be too similar to Portaportal to be something I would start using, but it definately has its own place in the techKNOW classroom. You use TrackStar to group - or track - websites, online videos, Vokis, and interactives so they can be accessed by your students all at once for the purpose of a virtual field trip.
It's super simple. Once you create your free account (everything on 4Teachers.org is free, I believe), you will go to your account page and select the "Make New Track" button. Give your track a catchy title and a description, so your students as well as teachers who search for other tracks on TrackStar know what this grouping of resources is all about. You also choose what "type" of track this is going to be (I'll let you read that for yourself, as it's pretty self explanatory) in addition to the subject area.
Make a few other choices on that page and you're off to enter your online resources into your track. THIS is what makes it cool. You enter a title/topic for your website, paste the URL below, AND THEN...you can annotate! Yeah, I know, what's so great about annotating? LOTS! You can give your students an exciting description of what they are about to view, provide background information, or give questions for them to answer as they view the resource. It makes your virtual field trip something that can be done completely independently!
After you enter your websites and annotations, submit it and BOOM you have your track! On your account page, you will see the title of your track along with a number. You can have your students go to the computer lab and search for your virtual field trip by typing in this number OR...make a folder on Portaportal for your TrackStar creations and store the direct links to your tracks there! All your students have to do once they are on the track you have created is click "View in Frames" (my preference, you can view in text as well) to begin their virtual field trip adventure! When you view in frames, the links appear on the left hand side; all your students have to is click on them and the online resource will appear in a frame on the screen below your annotation. In other words, no clicking back  and forth to the list of resources.
It's great to see it all put together! If you want to experience a track yourself, you can view my virtual field trip on the Underground Railroad here. You can also search for other tracks that have already been created by keyword. As long as you don't choose that your track is a default (which is deleted after a week), it will remain on TrackStar indefinately. You can create virtual field trips to use this upcoming school year and beyond! Have fun!
http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/index.jsp
http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/ts/viewTrack.do?number=442504