Internet in the Classroom

1. Internet in the Classroom By: Brad Corfman, Marcie Palte, and Megan Sympson MW9

2. 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.

3. Elementary School

4. Uses • Activities • Pen pals or “cyber buddies”. • Learning websites with game • Help inform parents (communication tools) • Class websites • Standardized tests

5. Middle School

6. 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”

7. Disadvantages • Challenging Age • Physical/Emotional Development; Patience • Frustrated/Overwhelmed • Cyberspace is vast/hard to use • Safety is a concern • Temptation • Students like to get distracted

8. Advantages • Impressionable age • We can teach them to research • Excited age • Students more eager to learn/less apathetic • Technological Literacy=Marketability • The Internet is a tool • Vastness of drivel and of resources • Fosters engaging education

9. High School

10. Advantages • Sites 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

11. Disadvantages • Some 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

12. Online Collaborative Office Suite 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 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 Disadvantages • Some software lacks advanced capabilities • Conflicts between editors • Can’t show detailed sketches • Formatting difficulties

13. Blogs 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 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 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

14. Social Networking Sites 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 Advantages • Establish and maintain relationships with people from all over the world • Outlet for creativity • Includes numerous features Disadvantages • Distraction from work • Privacy issues • Stalkers/Bullies • Hackers

15. Video Sites 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 presentations Advantages • Attention-grabber • Visual learners can process ideas • Adds a new type of information delivery • Shows the real world Disadvantages • Technical issues • Some videos are offensive • Impairedmay not be able to see/hear the video • Videos could have poor quality

16. And the Teacher Says… 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 think the Internet in the classroom is needed? How do you use the Internet in your classroom? “I show clips from the internet—History Channel, Youtube. My notes are full of maps, pictures, etc. from the internet.” Do you encourage your students to use the internet for projects/homework? “Yes, it is a media that students use everyday and is a quick resource tool. I don’t know how teachers survived without it!” “To an extent, I know they use it, but they have to know not everything is reliable!”

17. How do you believe the internet will affect classrooms in the future? Do you think social networking sites can be used to educational purposes? “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.” “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.” 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.”

18. Research • Do • Use online databases • Concentrate on Academic Journals • Think Critically • Discernment is good • Use relevant sites and authors • Ask for help! • Do Not • Simply Copy and paste • Illegitimate and Illegal • Search. See. Use. • Use questionable material or “unaccredited” information • Take shortcuts

19. Evaluation Practice Site 1 Site 4 Site 2 http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu/~abutz/index.html Site 3

20. 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