Social and Cultural Foundations of American Education/Second Edition/11.3.3
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
Tracey Selestay edits this page
Jamie LaCava edits this page
Too Good to be True?
By: Denise Bagwell
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
You haven’t started your research for your presentation that is due in a few weeks. You think to yourself where am I going to find the necessary information. It suddenly comes to you…the Internet. At earlier times when research needed to be done, many people went to the library and spent numerous hours looking for information in books, journals, and etc. to use for their papers. As time passes, stepping into a library to find sources on a particular subject is becoming a thing of the past. The usage of Internet for all types of purposes is becoming a major factor in everyday life. Many schools across the nation are becoming or are accessible to the Internet for education purposes in the classroom. What purpose does the use of computers and Internet accessibility provide in the education setting? The following essay will explore the pros and cons of using the Internet in classrooms and how the usage of Internet is being implemented in the classroom.
[edit] History of the Internet
Believe it or not the idea of an Internet came about, like many information and communications technologies. The Internet we know today grew from seeds planted by the U.S. government. (Federal Communications Commissions). In response to the early advances of the Soviet Union with the launch of the Sputnik satellite, the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was established in 1957. ARPA main goal was to be on top again and regain technical notoriety along with the assistance of National Aeronautics and Space Administration that were newly created.
[edit] Purposes
“The Internet is a network of networks, linking computers to computers sharing the TCP/IP protocols” (Colletti). As previous mentioned the Internet beginning purpose was to see if it was possible to communicate and to keep up with technological advances. In today’s world the Internet is very important for daily life. The Internet is composed of many features, capabilities, and functions that can prove to be helpful at any time. Today the Internet is used to research, communicate, purchase, and entertain.
[edit] Pros
Using the Internet can provide many advantages to its users. With the use of the Internet in the class, it can assist the teacher with engaging their students with the particular lesson. Instead of the children having to sit at their desk listening to the teacher, the students can explore information for themselves, while the teacher serves as a guide to ensure the students are exploring the correct information. In using the Internet, it provides the opportunity for students to participate in student-centered learning, where they learn for themselves and the teacher asks a guide throughout the process. With the Internet being filled with endless information, students are able to get up to date information versus having to read from outdated books. The Internet also provides different viewpoints on all subjects and can provide students with other insights besides just having to know how the teacher or author feels about a particular subject.
In addition to all of these advantages that using the Internet in the classroom can provide, there are still a few more important benefits that need to be discussed. Students using the Internet in the classroom will gain knowledge on how to incorporate all different materials from a plethora of sources into a project, activity, or discussion. This will not only help them throughout their school career, but will also be a vital skill in most future careers. Besides helping students with their own individual work, Internet use is also commonly utilized when students participate in collaborative projects and activities. This use of the Internet allows students the opportunity to develop their communication and social skills in two ways. When using the Internet in group or collaborative projects, students will have the opportunity to learn more effective communication skills with their peers by collecting and exchanging information together. This will also allow them to feel a sense of ownership on account of their increased contribution to the group and the class as a whole. Another way that students can improve their communication skills as a result of using the Internet are that they can take part in activities such as “setting up key pals (email pen pals) to connect with peers around the world, and corresponding with experts in various fields via e-mail” (National Teacher Training Institute, 2006), among other things. These are some important benefits that can come from Internet use in the classroom.
[edit] Cons
When the notion of using the Internet in the classroom arises many concerns come about. Some concerns include cost, safety, and validity of the information found on the Internet. The question about cost always arises when technology is mentioned in any form. Opponents state that it cost too much money to put the needed equipment in the schools to allow accessibility along with having staff that can maintain and fix problems when they arise. A major concern also includes the safety of children on the Internet. Some people have a problem with using the Internet in the classroom because of the risk children can be subjected to while on the Internet. Many schools try solving this problem by having filtering software on the schools networks that blocks students from visiting certain websites that include graphic or adult information. With the Internet being accessible to anyone anywhere concerns arise about children being introduced to child predators, adult material, and false information. Although there is endless and creditable information on the Internet, there is also information that is not creditable. With using the Internet in the classroom especially with younger children, they are easily influenced by what they see and hear. For this reason many skeptical people have their concerns with having children using the Internet. One way to solve this concern is to teach students about understanding and recognizing what is a valid source.
[edit] Internet Safety Rules
Although, the internet can be used for many wonderful things it also creates concerns as mentioned above. While explaining the internet to your students, it is a necessity that you should explain the dangers of the internet. In order to keep the students out of danger, state the rules that students should follow while using the internet:
1.Students should not give out personal information such as their address, phone numbers, parents names, or the location and name of school and location.
2.Tell parents/ teachers if a students comes across any information that makes them feel uncomfortable.
3.Never agree to get together with anyone you meet on the internet/chat rooms.
4.Never send a person a picture of you or anyone else.
5.Always check with a teacher/parent to ensure that you are on a safe website.
To ensure that the students will understands these rules and emplamit them correctly, it is best that the teacher play a review game or create worksheets before getting on the internet.
[edit] How are Teachers Implementing the Use of the Internet in Classrooms
As the Internet becomes more popular and technological advances allow users to connect within a split second, more and more schools across the country are getting connected. How are schools especially teachers implementing this technology? The answer is Webquest. Webquests are student centered learning tools that help engage the students in the subject at hand. Webquests can be used for any subject that is taught in the classroom today. Instead of the children having to spend ample time searching for the information, the webquest project provides all the valid and appropriate sources the students need to complete their project. Along with the webquest providing a guide in which the students use to find the needed information it provides step-by-step instructions along with information on how their assignment will be evaluated. The webquest can also allow for student cooperation when students are paired together to work on the project.
[edit] Conclusion
The Internet can be helpful tool in many aspects of a person’s life. Although the Internet can provide great opportunities to students in the classrooms, some skeptics think it is unsafe, has no meaning to learning and cost too much. In recent visits to schools in the area, I noticed that every classroom had at least one computer. It was evident that the schools are taking strides to implement technology in the classroom and more confident that using the Internet will become a trend in all classrooms across the country as time passes.
Editing by Jamie LaCava
This article (below) gives great incite into the views of a “techie” when it comes to integrating technology into the classroom. A techie can be defined as one who works with computers on a regular basis. This author brings many good points for the integration of computers into lesson plans. He targets elementary/middle school teachers, giving quite rebuttals to all of the heard excuses for NOT using technology in the classroom. His basic ideal is that a teacher must keep up with the times, and their lesson plans should show for it. He believes that there should be no tolerance of not using technology in the classroom. Although his language in the article is sarcastic and crass, his makes his opinion very powerfully and clear. Is it not the duty of teachers to do whatever it takes to further the education of the students? Are teachers that disregard the use of technology in the classroom being lazy, or just don’t have enough time? You have to decide what you think.
Holland, Jim. "When Teachers Don't Get It: Myths and Misconceptions, and Other Taradiddle" Techlearning, Dec 2005 www.techlearning.com
The second article I chose was a teacher’s blog response to the article found above. This gives the reader a good point of view of a teacher that may have reasons for and against using technology. It was written very eloquently and the voice is quite profound. He says that many teachers do not have the time to teach themselves how to use the computer properly. Just like we teach the children about things with which they are not familiar, we too must be taught things we don’t know a lot about, especially if we are to incorporate it into the lesson plan. That takes time out of an otherwise busy schedule to learn how to do something else. That would also be neglecting the learning needs of a child. Both articles give opposite perspectives. After reading each article, think about each side, and make a sound decision on whether technology integration is a good move or not.
Johnson, Doug. “When Techies Don’t Get It” Techlearning, Jan 2006 www.techlearning.com
[edit] Sidebar
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -Confucius
The proper artistic response to digital technology is to embrace it as a new window on everything that's eternally human, and to use it with passion, wisdom, fearlessness and joy. -Ralph Lombreglia
URLs are the 800 numbers of the 1990's. -- Chris Clark
Official website for Webquests http://www.webquest.org
[edit] Multiple Choice and True False Questions
1. What was the purpose of the ARPA in 1957:
a. To find the next American Idol
b. To spy on US citizens
c. To find a way to become superior over Soviet Union
d. To stop terrorist threats
2. What is one reason people are not in favor of the Internet in schools?
a. Too cheap
b. Too costly
c. Has no valid information
d. Jealously
3. What is a webquest?
a. An online website to spy on people
b. TV sitcom
c. A software parents can purchase to keep track of their child’s online activities
d. A student centered learning tool that engages students with a particular subject
4. Incorporating the use of the Internet in lesson plans will hinder the ability of students becoming computer literate
a. True
b. False
5. Implementing the use of the Internet in lesson(s) will help
a. engage students in the lesson
b. Give teacher an opportunity to check email
c. Promote student centered learning
d. Answers a and c
6. Internet use in the classroom can potentially help students with their communication and social skills in what way?
a. By having them collect and exchange information with their peers
b. By having them communicate with peers around the world through e-mail
c. By having them correspond with experts in different fields through e-mail
d. All of the above
7. Which of these choices is NOT an advantage of Internet use in the classroom?
a. Having access to a large amount of up to date information
b. Gaining knowledge on how to incorporate different materials from multiple sources into a project, activity, or discussion
c. Having the ability to read about extracurricular topics that have nothing to do with what they are learning
d. Advancing their communication and social skills
8. Internet use can possibly benefit students in which type of learning?
a. Individual learning
b. Group learning
c. A and B
d. None of the above
9. One way of insuring that your students learn internet safety rules is:
A. Playing a review game
B. A practice quiz
C. Verbally reviewing them before using the internet
D. All of the above
10. Sally is filling out a form for a new bike on the internet and is asked to enter her home address. She should,
A. Freely put it it. What could it hurt?
B. Ask her parents first to make sure it's ok.
C. Fill it out completely then get her friends to do the same.
11. Of the following, which is not an internet safety rule?
A. Do not give out personal information such as home address, phone number, and pictures.
B. Do not give out your passwords.
C. I will tell my parents if anything makes me feel uncomfortable.
D. These are all internet safety rules.
[edit] Essay
If the school system made it mandatory that teachers use the Internet within one of their lessons, would you be in favor of using the Internet or against using the Internet, why? How would you implement the Internet into one or more of your lessons?
[edit] Rose Figliola's response to essay:
If the school system made it mandatory for teachers to use the internet within one of their lessons, I would definitely be in favor of it. The internet is filled with a lot of useful and beneficial information, you just have to be cautious and safe when using it. As a teacher using the internet in a lesson, I would have the knowledge on evaluating internet sites and deciding whether or not a webpage or site is valid or not. Just because they say you have to use the internet doesn't mean that you have to turn the children loose and let them be free to do their own searching. Also, kid's search engines, such as Yahooligans and Kids Click, make it safer for kid's to search the internet for information. I could implement the internet into one or more of my lessons by simply asking the student's what topics (that we have learned about) they would like to know more information about. Then from my computer (that might be connected to a television or some kind of projector) I could look up these topics. You could also use the internet in a lesson plan by doing Webquests on the internet. Another interesting way to incorporate the internet into a lesson plan would be to find a video or video clip on UnitedStreaming that would supplement the lesson plan.
[edit] References
Colletti, Kristi. Publication 2005. History of Internet. Retrieved Jan 14 2007. http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/mccnm336/internet.cfm?wpid=151043
Hargittai, Eszter. Publication 2004. General Concerns About Internet Implementation. Retrieved Feb 3 2007. http://www.eszter.com/edu/concerns.html
National Teacher Training Institute. (2006). Internet Strategies; Why Use Internet in the Classroom? Retrieved February 21, 2007 from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/ntti/resources/internet1.html
Publication 2006. Pros and Cons of Internet Use. Retrieved Feb 3 2007. http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~earlabon/proscon.htm
Something to Share. Publication 11-21-2005. Federal Communications Commissions. Retrieved Jan 14 2007. http://www.fcc.gov/omd/history/internet/something2share.html.
Szalavitz, Maia. Publication 2004. Concept to Classroom. Retrieved Jan 14 2007. http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/webquests/index_sub2.html
Magid, Larry. Safekids.com. Edited last 2005. Accessed on 3 feb 2007. < http://www.safekids.com/kidsrules.htm>.
Answers 1. c 2. b 3. d. 4. False 5. d 6. d. 7. c. 8. c. 9. D. 10. B. 11. D.
