The Internet: Paradise Lost or Paradise Found?

Successful Practices

The Internet has and will continue to change the way teachers and students go about the business of education. Educators who are willing to take the time to explore this new technology will find that it offers an almost unlimited amount of opportunity for learning. Creative teachers from around the world are banding together to utilize the educational resources of the Internet and we are looking for others to participate.

A number of teachers around the country have been using the Internet in their classrooms for many years. These pioneer Internet-using educators have had the opportunity to experiment with a number of techniques and creative teaching methods that tap into the educational potential of the Internet. Educators who are just beginning to explore the possibility of using the Internet in the curriculum can benefit from the experience of these teachers.

1. Some educators and organizations have established web sites that offer useful resources for Internet novices as well as experienced online educators interested in integrating the Internet into their curriculum. These sites contain useful tips designed to help teachers take advantage of the information found on the Internet, project ideas, project groups and organized lists of curriculum based web sites grouped by topic. These comprehensive collections of links are excellent places to find relevant and appropriate curriculum materials on the World Wide Web.
2. There is no escaping the fact that the teacher needs to put a considerable amount of time into researching and bookmarking appropriate web sites that their students will visit. Finding curriculum sites in advance saves hours of wasted class time. Students can go directly to the bookmarked sites; there is no time wasted stumbling through search engines looking for web sites that may or may not be relevant to the subject being researched. Some teachers create their own web pages that contain relevant curriculum links that their students can access in the classroom and at home. Students with Internet access at home can visit the school web site and their teacher's link page. Research can continue at home without interruption.
3. Veteran Internet-using teachers have learned that instructors need to carefully structure lessons that involve the use of the Internet. Students using the Internet need to approach the task with a purpose. Allowing students to mindlessly surf the web is a waste of precious instructional time and increases the possibility that students will encounter a web site containing inappropriate or objectionable material. By contrast, well planned lessons that include outlines, questions sheets and note-taking activities help students to collect enormous amounts of information. The manner in which the teacher organizes the research is critical to the success of the lesson.
4. As mentioned previously, publishing student work is an excellent use of the Internet. Students can create web sites that allow them to share their knowledge with others. Other learners can then visit the web site and learn from the students that created the sites. An exciting way to get started having students create websites is to participate in one of the many Internet contests that occur annually. The contests are designed to encourage groups of students to create interactive web sites that serve as educational resources for the world. The Global Schoolhouse is a teacher resource site that serves as a clearinghouse for these well-run and popular Internet competitions.
5. Teachers interested in integrating the benefits of the Internet into their curriculum should proceed cautiously and methodically. We need to set small goals and take steps to reach those goals. Teachers need to develop a basic foundation of personal computer skills before they attempt some of the more advanced Internet-related activities. A teacher who has personally never used the Internet is not in a position to begin creating web pages with students on the first day of class. With a little experience however, he or she can take small, controlled steps to visit curriculm-related sites with their students. Once there, they will expand their knowledge of Monet, Helen Keller, Mars or tessellations.