Integrating the Internet in the curriculum

Chapter 8 talked about integrating the internet into the curriculum. As we all know, it is crucial we use technology in our classroom and one way to incorporate it into our content is to use web-based activities, projects, and lessons. However, they are not always the most effective way to enhance children’s learning. I teach 1st grade so I have not ever made any of my students have a project due from using the internet even though they would be capable. I work with a teacher who is in my grade level that made her student’s complete a project on black history month. She chose different people for them to research in a month’s span. They then had to make some kind of visual for that person, dress up like them, if possible, and give their class a report on that individual. She said they had a blast reporting to their classmates and it was a huge learning experience for them as well as her. I would love to try this next year in my classroom. As for right now, I integrate the internet whenever possible during the day. For example, this week one of our phonics words was oyster. Some of my student’s had never seen an oyster before. During that day, I looked up a picture of an oyster and shared it with them. I also have allowed them to use the dictionary online to look up certain words in the past that they did not know the definition of. The socio-economic status of my school is somewhat lower than others, therefore, many of our families may not have internet access, but I think giving a web-based project would benefit those families even more because it would give them a chance to use a community area such as a library to use the internet which could possibly be another learning experience for them as well. I think if I taught in an older grade level, I would give more assignments that pertained to using the internet more often. In chapter 8 they gave five important questions to consider before giving any online project. I would definitely use these questions to help guide me in planning for the project for any grade level.