Introduction

Introduction: Classroom scenario

Mrs. Wright is an experienced middle school Social Studies teacher whose school has recently been connected to the Internet. When this resource first became available, Mrs. Wright was overwhelmed with the possibilities for her students and was unsure how to begin. Fortunately her principal was able to suggest that she consider the National Educational Technology Standards as a framework for appropriately integrating the use of the Internet into her classroom. As Mrs. Wright began to introduce these standards into her classroom, she transformed her traditional learning environment into an integrated technology classroom.

What are the NETS?

Mrs. Wright heard about the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Project which is an ongoing initiative of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). ISTE is a nonprofit professional organization with members from all across the world who are leaders or potential leaders in educational technology. ISTE is dedicated to fostering the appropriate uses of information technology to support and improve learning, teaching, and administration in K-12 education and teacher education.

The NETS Project is developing standards for educational uses of technology that facilitate teachers incorporating these new tools into the classroom. The National Educational Technology Standards for Students are divided into six broad categories as shown below. Each category includes performance indicators that will be introduced, reinforced, and mastered by students.

National Educational Technology Standards for Students

  1. Basic operations and concepts
    • Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
    • Students are proficient in the use of technology.

  2. Social, ethical, and human issues
    • Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
    • Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.
    • Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.

  3. Technology productivity tools
    • Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
    • Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

  4. Technology communications tools
    • Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
    • Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

  5. Technology research tools
    • Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
    • Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
    • Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.

  6. Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools
    • Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
    • Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.
Reference: National Educational Technology Standards (NETS)

How can the Internet be integrated into the classroom curriculum?

Mrs. Wright has decided to organize six teaching units that build upon the NETS for Students. In addition to the performance indicators provided by the NETS, she will develop her own performance indicators, reflecting the skills the students have mastered for each unit. Mrs. Wright wants to develop a new learning environment for her class that involves collecting and organizing information, and presenting results.

The first unit will be developed around standard one - basic operations and concepts for technology. For this unit, she will introduce her students to Internet basics, such as the World Wide Web, domain names, and browsers. She will provide activities allowing students to demonstrate their understanding of the Internet and basic proficiency using technology.

The second unit will be developed around standard two - students should be aware of social and ethical issues of technology and the Internet. She will teach her students about safety and netiquette on the Internet and the global responsibilities of communicating with others through email, videoconferencing, and chat rooms.

The third unit will be developed around standard three - student use of technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. For this unit, she will focus on how she and her class will be able to use the Internet as a productivity tool to find resources that are available for their units of study. The fourth unit will be developed around standard four - student use of the Internet as a communication tool. Students will exchange emails and plan their own web page, taking advantage of multimedia resources they have created or found on the Internet.

The fifth unit will be developed around standard five - using technology as a research tool to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. Mrs. Wright's students will begin researching information on the Internet and evaluating web sites for classroom use.

The sixth unit will be developed around standard six - using technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions. Her students will collaborate to create web pages and electronic portfolios.

What are the benefits?

By accessing the Internet as a tool for learning, Mrs. Wright can develop new teaching strategies for curriculum design, enabling her to move from a traditional learning environment to a technology rich one. She understands the importance of guiding her students to become more active learners. By integrating the curriculum and technology through Internet resources, her students will experience problem-based learning.

Resources found on the Internet can provide her students with an abundance of up-to-date and constantly changing information, encourage purposeful writing, increase motivation to write, and help develop friendships across cultures. Consequently, stereotypical first impressions may be avoided among students. (Barron, 1997). When compared to traditional methods, telecommunications will offer her students a more realistic way to broaden individual perspectives on global and multicultural issues.

How does this guide work?

The Internet: Ideas, Activities, and Resources is a guide for teachers to integrate the Internet into their classroom. The Internet is not an approach to teaching but rather a tool to be utilized in the classroom. As a tool, the Internet provides additional resources for teachers, such as lesson plans, teacher forums, expert advice, multimedia resources, and curriculum ideas. By using the Internet as a tool, a teacher is able to create a dynamic and active learning environment for his or her classroom.

This guide is divided into six chapters, with each chapter reflecting a unit of the NETS. At the end of each chapter, there will be either student activities, teacher activities, or links to sources of information on the given topic. You are encouraged to copy and use it in the classroom.

Guide resources

|| Contents || Internet Basics || Becoming Good Netizens || Productivity Tools ||
|| Communication Tools || Research Tools || Problem-Solving Tools || Appendices ||

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FCIT Home Publications The Internet: Ideas, Activities, and Resources Last updated 02/03/04 Contents Introduction Previous Next Internet Basics Becoming Good Netizens Productivity Tools Communication Tools Research Tools Problem-Solving Tools Appendices