Internet in the Classroom

By: Brad Corfman, Marcie Palte, and Megan Sympson

MW9

What is Internet in the Classroom?

Defined: Internet in the classroom is utilization of the resources available to us through the worldwide web for the benefit of a more complete education.

It is a benefit to both to students and teachers, so it’s important that we understand how to use it.

Elementary School

UsesActivities

Pen pals or “cyber buddies”.

Learning websites with game

Help inform parents (communication tools)

Class websites

Standardized tests

Middle School

WHY?Legally Mandated

NCLB requires that students be technologically proficient by the end of 8th Grade

This is the end of middle school years in most districts

Mullen and Wedwick, quoting S. Witte:“Because NCLB states that every student should be technologically literate by the eighth grade, schools must focus their efforts on bridging the gap between the traditional definition of literacy and technologies”

DisadvantagesChallenging Age

Physical/Emotional Development; Patience

Frustrated/OverwhelmedCyberspace is vast/hard to use

Safety is a concern

TemptationStudents like to get distracted

Advantages Impressionable age

We can teach them to research

Excited ageStudents more eager to learn/less apathetic

Technological Literacy=Marketability

The Internet is a toolVastness of drivel and of resources

Fosters engaging education

High School

AdvantagesSites can be used to share notes and homework problems (Utilizing Internet to Facilitate Classroom Learning)

Able to reach children quicker and more efficiently without spending a lot of money

Can access all types of teaching tools to enhance a lesson

Video lectures, discussion questions,

notes, etc.

Increases student awareness and attention

Connect with student’s by staying in touch with the times

Allows the students to research projects easily and can teach them about safe internet use

DisadvantagesSome people believe the Internet is harmful to a student because of all the non-educational sites it holds (Ling Zhao, 346)

Can become a distraction from schoolwork

The Internet is not reliable to work well at all times

There are sites that are not credible

Makes students think books are not needed

Online Collaborative Office Suite

Advantages

• Easy to collaborate

• Don’t have to meet in person to complete a task

• Easily accessible

• Can see the work’s previous version

• Division of work

Allows multiple users to edit a document online in order to collaborate from virtually anywhere.

Can be used for: sign up lists, group work, peer editing, post due dates

for assignments and brainstorming as a class

Disadvantages

• Some software lacks advanced capabilities

• Conflicts between editors

• Can’t show detailed sketches

• Formatting difficulties

Blogs

Advantages

• Instructor can gain rapport with students

• Monitor student progress, according to themselves

• Identify issues with teaching techniques

• Allows a student to open up in a non-threatening setting

A web page that has updated posts, which are usually short and frequent, that are arranged in reverse

chronological order.Can be used for:

Posting opinions on class work, writing poetry, showing your ideas and posting updates on news for the school

Disadvantages

• Students may not think the assignment is important

• Others may go off topic about the course

• Difficult to grade

• Takes a lot of time to read and respond to each blog

Social Networking Sites

Advantages

• Establish and maintain relationships with people from all over the world

• Outlet for creativity

• Includes numerous features

These types of sites serve as an online community.Can be used for:

Contacting other students about assignments, making pages for upcoming events and posting important

announcements

Disadvantages

• Distraction from work

• Privacy issues

• Stalkers/Bullies

• Hackers

Video Sites

Advantages

• Attention-grabber

• Visual learners can process ideas

• Adds a new type of information delivery

• Shows the real world

Web sites where people can view, upload and share video clips.

Can be used for:Additions to lectures, show students what they should do for a project, enhancements to projects and post

previous presentationsDisadvantages

• Technical issues

• Some videos are offensive

• Impaired may not be able to see/hear the video

• Videos could have poor quality

And the Teacher Says…

Do you think the Internet in the classroom is

needed?

How do you use the Internet in your

classroom?

“Yes, it is a media that students use everyday and is a quick resource tool. I don’t know how teachers survived without it!”

“I show clips from the internet—History Channel, Youtube.My notes are full of maps, pictures, etc. from the internet.”

Mr. Kory Snyder is a History teacher at Springfield Local High School and told us a few things about his views about the internet in the

classroom.

Do you encourage your students to use the

internet for projects/homework?

“To an extent, I know they use it, but they have to know not everything is reliable!”

Do you use tools such as Google Docs or blogs in

the class?

Google Docs: “I don’t know what that is!”Blogs: “We have students who do not have computers at home, still difficult to make that a mandatory assignment.”

Do you think social networking sites can be

used to educational purposes?

“Eh…I think there are too many negative aspects of it that the average 16 year old would be distracted by, instead of the educational purpose.”

How do you believe the internet will affect

classrooms in the future?“Unfortunately, with the direction of education internet classes will become readily available and students can learn from home. There is a positive: schools like ours that few electives could allow students to take a class in another school via live feed.”

ResearchDo

Use online databasesConcentrate on Academic Journals

Think CriticallyDiscernment is good

Use relevant sites and authors

Ask for help!

Do Not

Simply Copy and pasteIllegitimate and Illegal

Search. See. Use.

Use questionable material or “unaccredited” information

Take shortcuts

Evaluation Practice

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

Site 4

http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu/~abutz/index.html

Sites You Need to Know About!

Enchanted Learning-Elementary Teachers

Thinkfinity-All Ages!

Literacy Network-English Teachers

Illuminations-Math Teachers

Science NetLinks-Science Teachers

Smithsonian’s History Explorer-History Teachers