In today’s generation, the Internet is a very popular tool. It is becoming a tool that has become essential to many people in their everyday life, whether to check e-mail, keep up with friends on a social networking site, do research for a report, or check the news to see what is happening in the world. The Internet has so many uses and has become a very powerful tool.
I am a fourth grade teacher in a private school. The students do not have access to the Internet at school and they also do not have access to a library in school. The absence of these leaves gaps that keep students from learning how to research properly. Being a teacher without these resources makes me realize how valuable these resources are to be in my students’ lives. I feel that if I had the Internet or a library I could make my lessons even more engaging than they already are.
Even though my students do not have Internet in school, my class this past year had a wonderful sense of the Internet. Some of my students had even built their own websites. They always told me how they wanted to learn more about the Internet, how to use it properly, what they can find, what they can build, and what they can learn to be better students.
I honestly cannot wait until I have the opportunity to have Internet in a classroom to open my students’ eyes to. A few resources that can be shown are Google (and all it has to offer), Encarta, YouTube, webquests, Amazon, sites that have newspapers from all over the world, and so much more. They are all available 24/7 with endless possibilities. All of these resources can be a starting point for lessons. For example, the students can look at prices of a book on Amazon and compare that to prices of the same book on EBay. The student can learn how to look around for the best deal, compare prices using subtraction, and learn about what to look for in a product. Students can also learn how to use the Google search engine or other search engines like Bing to research for reports or for homework by finding reliable websites.
The Internet is a world of information at the touch of our fingertips. This is a world that students should know how to use safely and effectively. It will be a resource that students will be able to use now and in the future.
5 comments:
I really like the format you chose for your blog. I hope I can figure out how to do mine. The points you made were good. I think the Internet can be sooo overwhelming. Teaching kids when they're young is important.
WOW Jen! I am thouroughly impressed with the layout of this page!
In regards to your blog, I agree with you on many points. Like it or not, the Internet and all of its tricks and treats is here to stay. The best way to introduce our next generation to its many uses is by letting them experience it-- with the guiding, caring, hand of an adult. Just like any new concept, the more the child can learn within the boundries we create, the better equipped they will be when alone. I feel that Web 2.0, and now the next step, Web 3.0, must be taught appropriately in the classroom. This is the only way that we can ensure our next generation will be successful with obtaining the information that they seek!
Kathryn
Jen,
Love some of the comments on your blog but I do have to admit that sometimes having internet available for research projects just seems to get in the students way. In the past I have even had to require my students to use at least 2 books and an encyclopedia before I even allow them to get onto the internet. This is because otherwise they spend most of their time looking for specific answers that aren't even on the internet. Or they find links to sites that are unreliable and they don't know it. Again coming back to the point that researching on the internet has not been taught properly. ~Kristen
Nice Blog, Jen! I agree with you that there are so many possibilities out there that it can be overwhelming. Finding a way to make the internet manageable and safe for students is a challenge. Even if a school is lacking in technology resources, most kids have it as home, so it's still our job to teach them how to use it properly.
Hey Jen,
The biggest issue is the discrepancy between the haves and have-nots. Besides the school having different levels of funding it is also very obvious in the students. It is hard to have a classroom where some kids have their own laptops and others don't even have lunch.
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