EDUC 632, Summer 2001
Jodi Bloom
Reflection on Uses of the Internet in the Classroom
 
    As a relatively "young" teacher, I've grown up with technology in my learning environment for the past twelve years.  I can still remember when my high school hooked all the library computers up to the Internet - yet in the four years I had there, no teacher ever had the students use them.  It wasn't because we students didn't know how to use the computers; (or the Internet, for that matter) it was more because the teachers just didn't know how to integrate this new technology into our education.
    Thankfully, the role of technology in education has changed.  The year I entered the University of Delaware for my undergraduate teaching degree, the College of Education decided to require all undergrads to take four educational technology classes.  We learned everything from how to turn the computer on, to how to create web pages and such.
    Moersch stated that there are, "strong links among technology, academic achievement, staff development, and classroom instructional practices" (p. 2).  My district, Oxford Area School District, readily agrees with this view point.  For that reason, our tiny farming based community is attempting to expand its students' (and it's teachers') horizons by encouraging the integration of technology in the classroom.  Teachers in my district are now required to perform and "test out" of basic technology awareness levels.  For example - all teachers must be proficient in using basic Windows programs such as Outlook and Word by fall of 2001.  This goal, although small, is a step in the correct direction for a district that on my first day of teaching could offer no more than an Apple II E in my classroom.
    On the same note, teachers in Oxford are being encouraged to join Technology Committees, take technology courses, and apply for grants.  Already, five of ten classrooms in my building have personal large-screen t.v. computers with constant Internet access.  Our school is equipped with distance technology capability.  We produce a morning "newscast" viewed by all students in their classrooms.  Lastly, all students receive weekly computer classes on basic technology skills.  Yes, we're on the right track.
    Technology is a quickly growing and expanding part of education, and this means that teachers will have to strive to achieve higher levels of technology integration in the classroom (such as those found in the LoTI Framework, Learning Quest Inc.).  In my personal pursuit of excellence in teaching, I can do no less than to aim for the Level 4 B integration of technology in the classroom - that of using technology in a routinely manner each day and in integrated units.  Through my experiences in EDUC 632, I have more of a wealth of knowledge than ever to pull from.
    Feldman recommends that teachers, "Use the internet to broaden the context of locally grounded inquiry" (CH6, p1).  Through the use of Internet access, my students will now have the ability to seek out answers for their questions in education.  Search engines, Ask an Expert sites, email, telecollaborative projects, listservs, and datasets offer my students a wealth of information.  My greatest responsibility as a teacher will be to teach my students the web etiquette they need, and the research skills to locate accurate and legitimate resources.
    My district has the great responsibility of providing the computers and access we need, as well as providing the students with the protection they need in the cyber world.  Magid offers that, "children need parental supervision and common-sense advice on how to be sure that their experiences in "cyberspace" are happy, healthy, and productive."  Although we can not be in the home with the child, we can offer guidance and advice to the parent.  With a good relationship between parent and school, the common goal of the child's safety and education can be met.

    All of these are things that students deserve, and that districts are striving to provide.  As a teacher, I have more implicit goals in the classroom -

    My co-workers may find many of these goals overly ambitious when coupled with the restraints of our tiny district.  I am luckier than most - having two computers in room with computer access (most have just one).  We have a computer lab, however it is only available for classroom use the final period of the day (ironically an activity period in which half our students attend Band and Chorus practice).  The restraints are there.  It just means I'll have to be a little more creative to get around them.
    While developing my Native American WebQuest, I stumbled across a great realization - all my goals are in reach.  I had only to explore what was available, and EDUC 632 helped me to do that.  Everything we could possibly need or want to supplement our teaching is out there, just a few mouse-clicks away.  Lesson plans, resources, listservs - all are ways that teachers can expand their teaching base.
    The American Library Association and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology developed Literacy Standards that all students should meet.  All can be aided and met with the use of technology.  "The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively" (Literacy Standard 1) - the computer and the Internet are clearly the fastest and largest wealth of information available to students today.  As stated before, all that we, as teachers, need to do is to utilize it.

    In closing, teachers have an ultimate responsibility - to provide our students with the best education we can.  If we are not using the greatest resource we have available, if we are not teaching or students cyber survival skills, if we are not empowering our students with the ability to locate and evaluate valuable information on the Internet, we are not living up to our responsibilities as teachers.

Works Cited:

American Library Association and Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (1998)  Information Power: The Nine Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning. Technology and Learning. [Online]. Available http://www.ala.org/aasl/ip_nine.html.

Bloom, Jodi.  (2001). Native American WebQuest.

Feldman, Alan. et al. (2000). Network Science, A Decade Later: The Internet and Classroom Learning (Erlbaum). excerpts from Chapter 6. [Online.] Available http://teaparty.terc.edu/PDFs/NetworkScience.pdf

(1999) LoTI Framework. Learning Quest, Inc.. Available on electronic reserve.

Magid, Lawrence J. (1998). Child Safety on the Information Highway, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. [Online]. Available http://www.safekids.com/child_safety.htm

Moersch , Christopher. (1999). Levels of Technology Implementation: A Framework for Measuring Classroom Technology Use. Learning and Leading with Technology, 26(8), 59-63. Available on electronic reserve.

Sine, Pat. (2001).  EDUC 632.  University of Delaware Graduate Studies.