TEACHING WITH THE INTERNET
Cindy Prater, Ed.S.
Assistant Professor
Adult & Career Education
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698-0080
mgprater@valdosta.edu
229-333-5635
Iris Ellis, M.Ed.
Assistant Professor
Adult & Career Education
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698-0080
icellis@valdosta.edu
229-333-5614
ABSTRACT
Many educators are still using the Internet for research purposes only, to
reward students by allowing them to play games on the Internet, or to fill class
time by allowing students to play games on the Internet. However, the Internet
can be a valuable teaching tool. This article gives suggestions for pre-planning,
planning, evaluating, and implementing lessons using the Internet in the
classroom. A list of web sites for possible use in the classroom is included.
TEACHING WITH THE INTERNET
Although the Internet has been in classrooms for years, many
teachers are still limiting its use to research and the playing of games. Susan
Ansell and Jennifer Park (2003) reported that in 2001, “in 73 percent of
schools, at least half the teachers use the Internet for Instruction.” (p. 45).
What about the other half? What about the remaining 27 percent of the
schools? According to an article in the Curriculum Review, “although 90
percent of the nation’s schools are now wired to the Web, only a fraction of
the teachers responsible for integrating technology are truly ‘net-savvy’ “
(“Resources”, 2002, ¶2). Shouldn’t all educators be “net-savvy”? “Today,
computers provide the resources and tools for teachers to enhance the
classroom experiences of students in ways not possible a few years ago”
(Peters, 2002, p. 42). Isn’t it time for all educators learn to use the resources
and tools available on the Internet? Shouldn’t educators be incorporating
tools found on the Internet with their lessons? These authors say yes! With a
little research and proper preparation, the Internet can become a classroom
tool used for teaching.
Pre-planning
The first step in preparing a lesson using the Internet is for the
educator to determine the topic of the search. Educators should make a list
of keywords specific to their topic and determine the type of information being
sought (lesson plans, images, games, etc.) There are many teaching tools
available on the internet. Some examples include virtual field trips,
simulations, facts & figures, exhibits, career resources, timelines, songs &
stories, tutorials, puzzles, self-assessments, government statistics, and
conversion charts A list of web sites the authors have found useful and their
categories is attached as Appendix A. Note: All web sites should be tested
before being used.
Evaluation of site
It is important that educators evaluate a site before letting students
use the site. When evaluating a site, first determine the purpose of the
search. Is it for entertainment or academic work? Is the educator looking for
a specific tool or subject? Some questions that need to be considered are:

Are the authors of the site qualified to write the site?

Is there an e-mail address or other contact information for the
author (not the webmaster)?

Is the information on the site up-to-date?

Is it student friendly?

Is the web page actually a “mask” for advertising?

Is the reading and interest level appropriate for your students?

Does the site load in a reasonable amount of time?

Do most of the links work?

Is the site free from bias?

Is there a fee for using the site?

Does the site require students to give personal information?
Evaluating the site will enable the educator to determine if the site is worth
using.
There are many sites on the web that can help an educator evaluate
web sites. Some of these sites include
http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/evaluating_web.htm ,
http://tammypayton.net/courses/print/rubric3.htm .,
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/webcrit.html , and
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/EvalForm_General_
Barker.pdf.
Anyone can place documents or pages on a web site. Placing
documents or pages on the web is easy, cheap, unregulated, and
unmonitored. This wonderful venue allows people to “express themselves,
find one another, exchange ideas, and discover peers worldwide” (Barker,
2005, ¶1). However, the burden is on the teacher to determine “validity,
authorship, timeliness, and integrity of the site”. (Barker, 2005, ¶1). Debra
Moss Curtis (2003) of Nova Southeastern University warns:
Know the source of the information. Just as you would want to know
something about the author and/or publisher before using a textbook,
knowing something about an Internet site can help you use the site in
an informed way. The publisher of the site is probably the leading
indicator as to its reliability, but other information, such as contributors,
editing, and updating may help you evaluate the information to
determine if it is appropriate for your classroom. (¶ 14)
Testing and monitoring the site
It is important to test the site minutes before using the site in the
classroom. Sites are frequently sold and may change in nature and content.
One Keyboarding instructor tested a career research site on Friday afternoon
before leaving school. First period on Monday she took her 9th grade
students into the career research site. The site had sold over the weekend –
to a porno site. Imagine the chaos! Thirty ninth graders in a porno site!
Be sure and test the links on the site. Are the links working properly?
Do the links take the student to valid, reliable, reputable sites? A business
teacher allowed her students to research prom fashions. One of the links
took the students to a risqué prom dress site. Although the teacher had
tested the site, the teacher had not followed the links on the site. Dane
Peters (2002) cautions
We have to understand that, by exposing students to the Internet, we
are exposing them to potential danger . . . As parents and educators,
we must understand this and accept a certain level of responsibility for
where the Internet might lead our children – for what they might
stumble upon out there. (p.46).
It is the responsibility of the teacher to constantly walk around the
room while students are using the Internet. Despite the fact that most school
systems have fire walls in place to filter out unwanted sites, many sites will
slip through. Supervision is the first line of defense. A teacher who gives
students an assignment using the Internet, and then sits at his/her desk doing
other work, is asking for trouble. Dane Peters (2002) notes “Individual or
classroom computer locations in open, well-traveled areas are essential, and
computer labs must be monitored by teachers” (p. 47).
Rules and regulations
Many school systems have placed rules and regulations on the use of
the Internet by minors. Permission must be granted from the students’
parents for use of the Internet, and students must understand the policies
regarding use of the Internet. Most school systems have a standard form that
they have adopted for this purpose called an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).
Educators should make sure students have a signed AUP on file and note
such in their grade book. If students do not have permission to use the
Internet, the instructor will need to make alternate plans for that student.
The educator must also remember that textual information or images
from the Internet may be copyrighted. As noted by Kathy Schrock (2001)
If teachers use some of the textual information or images from a Web
site in a classroom lesson, they must give credit to the original
publisher of the information. The same copyright guidelines exist for
information published on the Internet as for information published in
print. (p. 40).
Preparation
Rather than letting students loose on the Internet, define specific goals
and objectives for the assignment. Require students to complete preassessments and post-assessments on the topic, or have a questionnaire
ready for completion by the students. Many sites have “checkpoints” or
assessments built-in to the sites. Have the students print the results of these
assessments.
Giving students a list of sites to visit rather than allowing students to
surf the Net will reduce the search time and ensure validity and reliability of
data. Allowing students to surf the Net can only create problems.
Evaluating the activity
As with any teaching tool, the classroom assignment using the
Internet must be evaluated. Some questions to consider are:

Was the lesson or unit effective?

Were the students able to solve the problem or complete the
assignment within a reasonable time?

Did technical considerations support the students’ ability to
complete the task?

Did the students become more informed about the topic?

Was the expected outcome achieved?

Was the Internet the correct vehicle for the assignment?

How could the assignment be improved?
By evaluating the assignment, the teacher can make changes to the
assignment to make it more effective for use in future classes.
Conclusion
Like any other assignment, an Internet based assignment takes
preparation and planning. The Internet is a source of up-to-date information
and can be used as a valuable classroom tool. So take the step – become a
“net-savvy” educator and take your students into a world of information
through the Internet.
References
Ansell, S.., & Park, J. (2003). Tracking tech trends. Education Week. 22(35)
43-45.
Barker, J. (2005). Why? Rationale for evaluating what you find on the web.
Evaluating web pages: Techniques to apply and questions to ask.
(2005). Retrieved February 17, 2005, from
http:///lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html.
Curtis, D.M. (2003). Bringing the Internet to the classroom: Some beginner
steps. Retrieved February 17, 2005, from
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/lessons/lesapr02.php.
Peters, D. (2002). Internet abuse: Students in the middle. Independent
School 61(4), 42-46.
Resources for the classroom. (2002). Curriculum Review, 42(3), 12-14.
Schrock, K. (2001). Tapping the Internet for classroom use. Multimedia
Schools 8(2), 38-43.
A LIST OF INTERESTING WEB
SITES FOR CLASSROOM USE
REMINDER: BESURE TO TEST ALL
SITES BEFORE USE.
Site
1
http://www.cocacola.com
2
http://www.hersheys.com
3
http://www.mcdonalds.com
4
http://www.si.edu/
5
http://stats.bls.gov/
By Cindy Prater and Iris Ellis
Adult & Career Education
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698-0080
Description
A company site used to illustrate
logos, slogans, etc., as well as
information contained in annual
reports
A company site used to illustrate
logos, slogans, etc., as well as
information contained in annual
reports
A company site used to illustrate
logos, slogans, etc., as well as
information contained in annual
reports
The Smithsonian – a wealth of
knowledge in all areas
Statistics and information from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Includes
information on careers as well,
including links to OOH and Kids Page
Careers
Subject Area
Accounting,
Business,
Economics,
Marketing
Accounting,
Business,
Economics,
Marketing
Accounting,
Business,
Economics,
Marketing
Art, History,
Science,
Technology
Business, Careers,
Economics, Social
Studies
7
http://finance.yahoo.com/m3?u
Exchange rate calculator
8
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock
9
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/clock.html
Shows the national debt per second.
Also contains links to a government
site on Public Debt FAQs, as well as a
link to find state senators and state
congress people
U.S. Census Population clocks – world
and national
10
http://www.exchangerate.com
11
http://federalreserve.gov/otherfrb.htm
12
http://federalreserveeducation.org
13
http://fx.sauder.ubc.ca/currency_table.html
14
http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/
Exchange rates, including a link to Fun
Facts about money, and pictures of all
legal U.S. currencies including the
$10,000 bill
Map of district banks; links to district
banks
Fed101 – a web site designed for
educational purposes. Includes
quizzes. Also contains a link to get a
free video on The Fed Today
Currencies of the world
FRED II – contains current data on
various government statistics
Business,
Economics, Math,
Social Studies
Business,
Economics, Social
Studies
Business,
Economics, Social
Studies
Business,
Economics, Social
Studies
Business,
Economics, Social
Studies
Business,
Economics, Social
Studies
Business,
Economics, Social
Studies
Business,
Economics, Social
Studies
15
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/Graphing/
16
http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/
17
http://www.quintcareers.com
18
http://www.collegejournal.com
19
http://www.careervoyages.gov/hotcareersmain.cfm
http://www.uncwil.edu/stuaff/career/Majors
/index.htm
20
21
http://www.queendom.com
Allows students to simply create
graphs
Interesting videos on how things are
made
Careers site. Includes links to many
free resources such as resume writing,
interviewing, etc. Has a great section
on business etiquette. This is another
of my favorite sites. However, as with
many “free” resources, there is
advertising.
A wealth of info from The Wall Street
Journal designed for college
seniors/graduates. Includes
information on job hunting, career
paths, salary info, sample graduate
school exams, etc.
A great career exploration site
Business, Math
What Can I Do With A Major In ?
A common question of college
students.
Many interesting personality,
intelligence, and health-related tests. A
couple of good tests to do on working
on teams. Caution students not to
purchase the test results when
finished.
Education
Business, Science,
Manufacturing
Careers
Careers
Careers
Education, Health
22
http://www.greatachievements.org/
Provides a history and timeline of
many great achievements such as the
computer, telephone, spacecraft,
highways, etc.
Tons and tons of clip art
Engineering,
History,
Science,Technology
23
24
http://office.microsoft.com/clipart
/default.aspx?lc=en-us
http://www.metric-conversions.org/
Does what it says – converts metrics
Business, Math
25
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Science,
Electronics, Health,
Technology
Business, Social
Studies
Business, Social
Studies
http://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit
Interesting site on “how stuff works”
as well as theories on unexplained
phenomena.
The World Factbook presented by the
CIA
Find maps using the interactive world
map, go directly to one of the 7
Regional maps, or use the alphabetic
index of countries. Portions of the site
are based on the CIA World Fact Book.
Once you zero in on a map, you will
also be given the official name, Capital,
area, water, land, location, geographic
coordinate, comparative info, land
boundaries, border countries, coastline,
terrain, and elevation extremes in a
basic table format
Test your biases
26
27
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/
factbook/
http://www.map-zone.net/
28
29
http://www.Surveymonkey.com
Assists with preparation of surveys
Social Studies,
Education
All areas
30
http://www.usps.com/customersguide/
Up to date postal information
Business
General
31
http://www.3dchor.com/3d/downloads.html
All areas
http://www.digitalblasphemy.com
Free download animations! Use to liven
up your presentations
Free wallpapers
32
33
www.presentations.com
Tips on improving your presentations
All areas
34
www.eboard.com
Create a “virtual corkboard” for
classroom use. Limited in features, but
is fast and free. See sample classes
All areas
All areas