What concerns me about using the internet in my classroom and how can I alleviate those fears? Well, that is the million dollar question, now isn’t it?
Deciding how to use (or if to use) all the different internet-based technology available is a difficult task. First, it is big. There is so much out there and what isn’t already out there, prepackaged, ready to use is available to anyone with the time and talent to piece it all together. Second, it is scary, like Gotham scary. There are people out there pretending to be what they aren’t. Domains that were good and child-friendly one day, are porn sites the next. There are no guarantees on the internet. Third, it is unpredictable. You never know if your connection will work (especially if you are on a wireless network), if the site you are wanting to use will be having technical issues, if you are going to be able to do today what you did yesterday or the day before (even the minute before, for that matter). The weatherman has been known to be more reliable than our school’s internet!
So what do I plan to do about it? The first thing I have to do is give myself a specific amount of time to explore, then make a decision, and finally, use what I find. I am notoriously awful about spending inordinate amounts of time finding really cool things and then never getting around to using them (I am the queen of overplanning-there is never a chance of being left with nothing to do in my classroom!). Then, if at all possible, I will come up with at least two other options (just in case), only one of which is not technology-related, and both of which take up a different amount of time (this will cover all the usual bases-not enough time, the internet is down, the site is having problems).
I think the other key to my using technology more effectively is to work on the design of my room. I know this sounds ridiculous, but technology is like everything else, if it isn’t convenient it won’t get used. I have to make my room ready for using technology. I need to have things ready and set for the natural integration of technology into my regular, every day routine. This is really, for me, probably the single biggest factor in my using technology with my students. Because if it is important enough to me for it to influence the way I have my room arranged, then it is going to be important enough to do!
One solution to prevent your students from going to sites that are inappropriate would be to post the URL's you want them to visit on a school website or write them on the board. Do you have a classroom set of computers? Do you have to check out laptops by reserving them? Is there a computer lab? Depending on you situation, each would involve a different sort of plan. I would try to incorporate technology at least once a grading period. Students enjoy the variety or change of pace when you do something different from the usual routine Believe it or not, I've found too much technology actually becomes boring to the students over time.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your point about the design of the room. That doesn't sound ridiculous at all. It is very important that the layout of the room reflect what is important in the classroom. It's also true that if it is an inconvenience then it is unlikely to happen. Thanks for pointing that out, because I wouldn't have thought about it on my own.
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