plan

WIT 2001	Managing the Use of the Internet in the Classroom
Home	Goals	Record Ideas	Situation	Options	Strategies	Plan	Teaching Guide

DEVELOPING A PLAN TO IMPLEMENT INTERNET USE IN YOUR CLASSROOM

suggested as a handout

click here for pdf

Now that you have articulated some teaching goals, looked at your actual situation, considered some options for using the Internet in your situation, discussed some general strategies of Internet use, and have worked on a curriculum module, Web Quest, and/or a web lesson, it is time to develop a plan to implement Internet usage in your classroom.

If you have written a curriculum module or a lesson, this plan should be considered part of your web or lesson rather than separate from it. In a curriculum module and a Web Quest, the "plan" is found in the section of the Teaching Guide called the "Instructional Plan." In a lesson, the "plan" is how you intend to teach the lesson.

After taking some time to reflect upon the following questions by yourself or with one or more colleagues, you may record any notes or ideas on the form at the end of this page. As before, print out the form when you have finished recording your ideas. Use it to engage in conversation with your colleagues.

How will you group the students for this activitiy?
Will there be another activity going on at the same time as the one involving Internet use?
How will the Internet use relate to the other activities in the classroom?
How will you explain the activity and your expectations for the outcomes?
If your students are grouped during the Internet activity, what are the job descriptions of each group member?
How will you account for ability differences in the groups?
How will you allow for the special needs of your students?
What will you be doing at the beginning, during, and the end of the activity?
Have you included ways to help your students become fairly independent of you during the activity?
Have you included ways for your students to ask for help that do not interrupt the flow of the activity?

An eipilogue: The Internet offers all of us in the field of education amazing opportunities! However,"a few words of caution about the Internet's educational potential. The Net presents schools with just that -- potential.

It's not a be-all, end-all that will solve all the world's education problems. By itself, it probably won't turn all students into knowledge-hungry, perpetual learners -- at least not right away.

It offers lots of information, but it's still not a replacement for a good library and a knowledgeable librarian or teacher. The Internet gives students the ability to access documents and interact with people they wouldn't normally meet. But it's no substitute for real, face-to-face interpersonal communication, or for the knowledge earned from reading, thinking, synthesizing, creating, writing, and all the other complex processes that go into learning.

Educators new to the Internet need to realize from the outset that the Internet is an educational tool. It's a powerful tool -- perhaps one of the most powerful -- but learning still comes down to thoughtful and innovative teaching and students who are ready and willing to learn."

The above was taken from this page: http://pd.l2l.org/linktuts/bgimpact.htm

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