TEACHING GUIDE

WIT 2002	Managing the Use of the Internet in the Classroom
Home	Goals	Record Ideas	Situation	Options	Strategies	Plan	Teaching Guide

Aim

The aim of "Managing the Use of the Internet in Your Classroom" is to assist teachers to maximize the use of the Internet in their teaching in a variety of real-world classroom situations.

Rationale

Managing the Internet in a classroom can be overwhelming and frustrating to teachers who have had little or no Internet experience. Teachers have a variety of classroom Internet situations - from no Internet connection in the classroom to one or more Internet connected computers to every student having an Internet connected laptop! Once teachers determine which teaching goal(s) can be assisted by Internet usage, they can define their classroom situation pertaining to the Internet and begin to consider options for its use. The more management strategies that teachers can be presented with; the more likely they will try out and refine those that work in their situations.

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Audience

This module is intended for teachers who are beginning to use the Internet to assist their teaching.

Prerequisites

Teachers who work through this module should have experience in using a mouse to navigate from one page to the next. Keyboarding skills are helpful when filling in the forms. Knowing how to print out pages is necessary. Having email access is helpful so that teachers may email the completed forms to themselves.

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Subject matter

Teachers will be asked to collaborate with one or more colleagues throughout the module to stimulate idea exchanges pertaining to Internet usage in their classrooms. They will define and record teaching goals which will be enhanced by Internet usage. They will fill out a form to help determine their classroom situation with regard to Internet connectivity. Then they will consider a variety of options that may apply to their situation. After reading through a list of management strategies that have worked in classrooms, they will develop a plan to implement the use of the Internet in their own classroom.

Materials

An Internet connected computer and printer are necessary for this module. Handouts from What Are Your Options? and Some General Strategies That Have Worked In Classrooms are suggested for each participant.

Also, the following forms (in PDF format) should be available on paper:

Record Your Ideas:
http://cuip.uchicago.edu/wit/2002/modules/managinginternet/diarykoform1.pdf

Developing A Plan To Implement Internet Use In Your Classroom:
http://cuip.uchicago.edu/wit/2002/modules/managinginternet/diarykoform2.pdf

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html

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Instructional plan

This content of this module is designed to be covered in 3 sessions - each about 40-45 minutes in length.

Suggested Handouts:

• Record Your Ideas
• What Are Your Options?
• Some General Strategies That Have Worked In Classrooms
• Developing A Plan To Implement Internet Use In Your Classroom

Mentors are encouraged to browse through the pages of this module as they are not intended to be used one right after the other. For example, the last section "Developing A Plan To Implement Internet Use In Your Classroom" is most useful after teachers have published a student activity such as a Web Quest, web lesson, curriculum web, and/or classroom web pages.

One plan may be to have teachers in your homeroom begin at the home page and work through the first 2 pages:

• What Are Your Goals?
• Record Your Ideas (suggested handout) - At the conclusion of this page, teachers will print out and/or email (to themselves) their ideas for reference during the whole group discussion.

Allow plenty of time for collaboration and discussion (at least 20 minutes) after teachers have worked through these pages. Be prepared to share your own experiences relating to identifying your teaching goals.

At the next session, teachers can work through the next 3 pages:

• What Is Your Situation?
• What Are Your Options? (suggested handout)
• Some General Strategies That Have Worked In Classrooms (suggested handout)

As before, teachers will print out a form that details their situations regarding Internet accessibility in their schools and classrooms. Allow at least 20 minutes for teachers to share their situations and brainstorm ways to increase Internet usage in their teaching. "What Are Your Options?" will make a helpful handout for teachers to refer to as they work through the final 2 pages of this module.

The next page Some General Strategies That Have Worked In Classrooms will be a helpful handout as well. Teachers may refer to this page as often as they wish as they think about their plans to implement Internet usage in their classrooms. Teachers may discuss the strategies on the page and add more of their own. This is an opportune time for you to add your own proven management strategies to the discussion!

The last page of this module, Developing A Plan To Implement Internet Use In Your Classroom (suggested handout), will be most helpful after teachers have worked on writing a student activity such as a Web Quest, web lesson, and/or curriculum web. The "plan" should be considered part of the activity rather than separate from it and details how the activity will be presented to the students. For a curriculum module and a Web Quest, this plan is contained in the Teaching Guide section called "Instructional Plan." In a web lesson, the "plan" is how you intend to teach the lesson. It is recommended that mentors share examples of "plans" from the Wit 2002 modules during this section. Teachers will record and then print out their plans for reference during discussion and collaboration. Emphasize that these plans are flexible and subject to extensive revision during and after use!

• Developing A Plan To Implement Internet Use In Your Classroom

Each page has clear navigation directions to the next page. It is important that teachers be given collaboration and discussion time as they work through each page. The printouts of the teachers' recorded notes will assist in discussions. It is suggested that mentors contribute to the discussions and share their management strategies and plans with the teachers. Encourage the teachers to network and establish lines of communication that can be continued during the school year.

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Learning Objectives

• Teachers will articulate which of their teaching goals can be enhanced by Internet usage in their classrooms.
• Teachers will determine their classroom situation with regards to Internet connectivity.
• Teachers will discuss a variety of Internet usage options they may choose from depending on their classroom situations.
• Teachers will read through and discuss a variety of practical management strategies that have worked in Internet connected classrooms.
• Teachers will select several strategies to try out in their classrooms.
• Teachers will develop a plan to implement Internet usage in their classrooms.

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Assessment and evaluation

The printouts of the notes and ideas that teachers record on the 3 forms throughout the module as well as the content of the discussions that take place among teachers as they work through this module will determine whether the aim and the teaching goals of the module have been satisfied. A more long-range assessment can be undertaken throughout the school year as teachers report feedback to the WIT staff about their experiences in implementing Internet usage in their classrooms.

Feedback on this module is important! If readers have additional management strategies, options for usage of the Internet in classrooms, and/or other suggestions, please use the Feedback form.

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