The Internet can transform your world as a teacher, or hardly touch it. Much of that depends on your ability to locate and use effective websites and Internet resources. The urls described in this chapter offer you a solid beginning. Here are some additional websites for your to explore to see examples of how technology is being integrated into teaching.

DiscoverySchool.com

http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/tech.html

This website, from the Discovery Channel, features hundreds of lesson plans and includes this section with lesson plans that incorporate technology.

Lesson Plan Search

http://www.lessonplansearch.com/Technology_and_Media/index.html

This search engine offers technology-infused lesson plans for educators in grades K-12.

Scholastic

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/index.htm

This lesson plan section on technology and computers includes Internet field trips and lesson plans.

Now that you have seen some ways technology is being integrated into teaching, think about how you would evaluate potential technology tools. Start by visiting these websites containing evaluation information.

Wolfgang Memorial Library – Evaluating Resources

http://www.widener.edu/Tools_Resources/Libraries/Wolfgram_Memorial_Library/480

This website provides materials to assist in teaching students how to evaluate the informational content of Web resources. It includes PowerPoint presentations and checklists that discuss the following:

• Advocacy Web Pages
• Business/Marketing Web Pages
• Informational Web Pages
• News Web Pages
• Personal Web Pages
• A lesson plan with links to example web pages is included. Printed copies of the materials are permitted for educational purposes.

University of Albany Libraries – Evaluating Internet Resources

http://library.albany.edu/internet/evaluate.html

This web page from the State University of New York at Albany library gives a checklist that addresses strategies for evaluating resources found on the Internet. The following points are considered:

• Purpose
• Source
• Content
• Style

Classroom.com Evaluation Center

http://www.classroom.com/community/connection/connectednewsletter/evaluating.jhtml

This website includes guidelines for evaluating web pages, as well a a range of online resources to explore.

Kathy Schrock's Critical Evaluation Information

http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/eval.html

This site, sponsored by the Discovery Channel School, includes a section with website evaluation forms for elementary, middle school and high school students. The site also features a number of links to other resources for website evaluation.

Now, participate in the following activity.

Thinkquest (http://www.thinkquest.org/)is one of many terrific sites that bring quality materials into your classroom. Browse through the subjects listed, which include: Art and Literature, Science and Mathematics, Social Science, Sports and Health, and Interdisciplinary.

Read through the information and choose at least three of the topics listed (perhaps those that most apply to your teaching area). Now begin to sort out how you might use these Web sites in your own classroom, how your teaching can incorporate this material. The WEST form that follows can help you consider how best to use the site. NOTE: You can download a copy of this form in Word format for your files byclicking here. (19.0K)

Web-Ed Summary for Teaching (WEST)

Topic A:

url:

One sentence summary:

Strengths

Weaknesses:

Three ways that you can use this site:

1.

2.

3.

Another way to consider Internet classroom applications is to complete WEST forms for the urls listed in the chapter. For example, choose two of the urls listed in the global curriculum section and complete the WEST form above.