The Internet in the classroom

Friend or Foe?



Abstract
The Internet has vast potential as a teaching tool in the classroom, however, its full capacity is rarely utilized due to a number of reasons. This paper addresses these issues and explores solutions to encourage teachers to use this powerful medium as part of their curriculum.

  Introduction

  Current Situation

  Why should teachers be encouraged to use the internet in their classrooms?

  How the reluctant Teacher can be motivated to use the Internet in the classroom

  Conclusion

  Bibliography

  Appendix A - Collection of Possibilities of Internet Activities

This page designed by Dianne McKenzie for ETL411 ICT Experience for Teacher Librarians (MASTL).
MAppS/TL Faculty of Science and Agriculture, Charles Sturt University. Australia.
October 2001. Designed and formatted for a 15 inch Macintosh screen, with Netsape Navigator facilities.
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The Internet in the classroom

Friend or Foe?



Introduction
The Internet is a huge resource which is made more overwhelming by its disorganised state, however, it offers so many significant learning opportunities which are delivered in a sensory way that is appealing and exciting to most students. Due to these factors, it has become impossible to dismiss or ignore as a potential teaching tool.

Teachers who have delayed their training in this medium are now finding that their students have overtaken them in expertise and attitude toward the Internet from a very early age, and the teachers are finding it difficult to fit their own training and learning into an already busy time frame. How can we help these teachers to see the benefits of Internet use in their classroom and how can we help them to make time to develop their skills so they can competently integrate Internet activities into the curriculum?

  Current Situation

  Index Page

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The Internet in the classroom

Friend or Foe?



How the reluctant Teacher can be motivated
to use the Internet in the Classroom


The teacher librarian in the role as a facilitator of resource development and retrieval of information, also has a role in helping reluctant teachers to learn about the Internet's possibilities and in doing so, helping them to see the potential use in their own classroom.
Methods of doing this include:
  • Including websites in hotlists or pathfinders for the topics they will covering in class. (McKenzie 1999)
  • Set up a school gateway which allows for easy access to researched and already selected sites. (McKenzie 1999)
  • Do research into the topic and go through online activities which have been developed for their topic, and introduce them slowly.
  • Conduct inservice based on one aspect of online activities, then follow it up with suggestions on how it can be utilized in their classroom, offering time for reflection with the following questions -
    What does it all mean to me? How might I do this with my class? What might it take? What obstacles will I have to overcome? What are the benefits? (McKenzie 1995)
  • Have the administration support the inservice projects by offering release time for teachers to be taught about the Internet and other computer technology, so it does not impose on their own time. (Davies 1997)
  • Set up small groups for peer coaching and informal sharing of ideas. (Williams 1993)
  • Make the library computers available for class time or staff development.
  • Offer ideas and suggestion on how they can integrate activities from the Internet into an computer-less classroom.
  • Let the staff know about listservs available which will help them learn more about online education.
  • Piggy back with other inservice courses - offering an online benefit to what they are doing. (McKenzie 1993 )
  • Show them the possibilities of activities with a collection of what is possible such as outlined in Appendix A


    In offering these solutions the Teacher Librarian also needs to take into account the following aspects of reaching the reluctant teachers:


  • Speak ordinary talk - don't get caught up in the computer lingo as it will lose the reluctant. (McKenzie 1999)
  • Offer continual support and be reliable in this support. (McKenzie 1999)
  • Find out what turns them on - what are their interests and help them to see how online can fulfil this need and this will spark an interest.(McKenzie 1999)
  • Provide rewards and incentives for teachers who are trying hard. (McKenzie 1999)
  • Teach with brevity and clarity. (McKenzie 1999)
  • Eliminate surprises in the teaching phase - make it appear easy to do, keeping in mind the aim of teaching the reluctants is to improve their confidence in their own ability to integrate these skills into the classroom. They need to be able to understand and apply what they have been shown. (McKenzie 1999)
  • The reluctant teacher must come to terms with being a learner again, and in some instances work alongside students to learn new skills. For some people this requires a shift in thinking. The Teacher Librarian needs to be aware of this shift. (US Congress)
  • It has been found that teachers tend to use technology when they can see how it will help them become more productive or do their jobs more professionally. The Teacher Librarian needs to be able to show how the Internet is used in their lessons - be an example. (US Congress)
  • The TL needs to be on the technology committee in the school to ensure the reluctant teachers are not bypassed when decisions are made, and to ensure that both the technical and software expertise is supported from the administration.
  • They should lobby for computers to be in every classroom with Internet access so that this technology is accessible and not a trial to use. Anything too difficult or arduous to negotiate for use will negate any inservice or potential interest the reluctant teacher may have.

    The aim of the teacher development is for each teacher you help to have the confidence illustrated in the following image:-

  Conclusion

  Index Page

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