Telstar 3 at CPS Library, 3:30 - 7:30 Agenda"Thinking about using Internet resources in the classroom is like . . . "
"Asking students to conduct Internet searches is like . . . "
"Let me tell you what keeps me up at night . . ."
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11 comments:
"Thinking about using Internet resources in the classroom is a no brainer, BUT you need A LOT of time to prepare, make sure the sites are working, create your lessons, etc, etc.
Getting my students to conduct Internet searches is like having my body drawn and quartered. Everyone is calling my name, no one is following directions, someone throws a temper tantrum, and then Ray is down in my room because someone got past te filter and is ona a naughty site.
Thinking about internet resources in the classroom is like a puzzle with the students that I work with because of their very low abilities and very high needs. Usefulness is definitely there, but the time to figure it all out and how to make it all work is not. I use the resources to help me with teaching the students, but not directly with the students actively at the computer.
Asking students to use internet sources in the classroom is pretty easy unless you're doing it for a research project - everyone is everywhere and everybody needs guidance to get where they need to be and how to determine if what they have found is what they should use!
Sometimes if students are free to wonder through the internet with little direction, they get 'lost' in the great beyond. Some more directed students can focus and find the target but some other less motivated students require more direct instruction to get to the end result. It's interesting to see where some end up.
What keeps me up at night-----well, if I start thinking about the repairs my house needs, and how many years I have left to pay on my car, and how many years I will have to work until I am able to retire, and THEN-----it might be what kind of flowers will I add to my garden this summer, and will I be able to have a little veggie garden, and all the projects I want to do!!! So, it's a mix of the good and the bad!
Asking students to conduct internet searches is like opening the door to let the students out for recess. They go out, all excited and full of energy, but often needing guidance to find appropriate and effective ways to handle the situation. Students leave a structured environment, to one of choices and decisions, and they need coaching to make safe educational gains.
Finding internet resources that fit the lessons that I'm teaching is very time consuming. Many times I find that an applet or site is just the same activity I would have the kids do on paper, but using the computer instead.
Thinking about using internet resources in the classroom is second nature to me. I try to teach students to work in a real-world manner. Artists (including myself) are using the internet to find inspiration and ideas, therefore students should practice this as well.
Sometimes scripts can be helpful in finding useful sites to begin the process. We've provided a number of free Dashboard widgets that perform Internet searches and then gather the results into a notebook with pages. It can save time but also help find new sites that might go unnoticed because they're buried several pages deep among other results.
Here is a quick video to show how the process can help students:
http://aquaminds2.com/Web_Agents.mov
Scott Love
Thank you, Scott. I'm very aware of those fascinating scripts . . . which are indeed so handy. :) The issue is that only a few of the K-12 group have Noteshare on their computers.
jim
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