Part 3:

Internet Tools and Strategies

Technology Enhanced Instruction


3.1
Evaluating internet information

3.2
Using the internet to enhance the curriculum

 

Integrating the Internet into the Curriculum

3.1 Evaluating Internet Information

Visit the website http://www2.mlc-wels.edu/grunwald/website.htm. This webpage is a lesson used at MLC to focus future educators on the necessity for website validity techniques, techniques that should be discussed even at the grade school level. Please read through the last two parts of the assignment; Now, a true story about Zack: and Activity: What have you learned?  Be certain to visit and read Alan November's article The Web -- Teaching Zack to Think. http://www.anovember.com/articles/zack.html

Do you instruct the students at your school concerning how to evaluate internet information?
^

3.2 Using the Internet to enhance the curriculum:

This section focuses on curricular resource materials available on the Internet. We will take an investigative look at virtual field trips, scavenger hunts, WebQuests, research modules, and "slam dunks." Visit the sites explaining each main resource and any additional links that are of interest to you.

  1. Electronic Field Trips: (also know as virtual or guided tours)
    What are Guided Tours/Virtual Field Trips and why use them?
    http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/Guided.html - "Guided Tours" from Spartanburg School District
    http://www.field-guides.com/develop.htm - "Field Trips" powered by Tramline: http://www.field-trips.org/abouttram.htm)
    http://trackstar.4teachers.org/ - TrackStar software for creating online lessons and activities
    http://trailfire.com/ - TrailFire a web collection and annotation tool similar to TrackStar
    http://ikeepbookmarks.com/ -iKeepBookmarks.com free internet based tool for teachers to store and share a listing of websites for students to visit (premium membership of additional features available for an annual fee).

    Additional links and examples of Field Trips:
    Zoos: http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr080.shtml
    Museums (various): http://www.museumspot.com/
    Museums (Smithsonian): http://www.si.edu/
    Museums (British Museum): http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/
    Africa: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/
    Virtual Tours site: http://www.virtualfreesites.com/museums.interest.html - portal to virtual tours on the internet
    Aquifer (elementary or middle): http://www.spokaneaquifer.org/kids/

  2. Scavenger Hunts:
    What are scavenger hunts and why use them?
    http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WhyScavHunts.html - "Why Use Scavenger Hunts?" from Spartanburg School District
    http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/Scavenger.html (overview page of resources)

    Additional links to sample Scavenger Hunts:
    Crisscrossing the Country: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson195.shtml
    Animals of the World: http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson068.shtml
    Dinosaurs: http://www.spiritsd.ca/teacherresources/science/themes/dinosaurs/hunt.htm
    Mathematics Scavenger Hunt: http://www.wtvi.com/math/mathhunt.html
    Hunt activities: http://homepage.mac.com/cohora/ext/internethunts.html

  3. WebQuests: What are WebQuests and why use them?
    WebQuest Portal - http://webquest.org/
    What are WebQuests (Really)
    http://bestwebquests.com/what_webquests_are.asp


        WebQuest Resources http://webquest.org/index-resources.php
        WebQuest Garden http://questgarden.com/
        Best WebQuests by Tom March http://bestwebquests.com/
        Kathy Schrock's Guide to WebQuests http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/webquest/webquest.html
        Everything WebQuest http://www.ozline.com/learning/

    Some Additional examples:
    First Grade Keypals: http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/grant/keypals/index.html
    Light in the Forest: http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/lewis/litf/index.html

    The WELS has also created a website of WebQuests at http://www2.mlc-wels.edu/webquests/ which includes links to help you understand and create WebQuests. Note the WebQuests created by WELS teachers. (If you have a particular WebQuest you would like to create, help is available to construct the pages and post the WebQuest to this site.)

  4. Research Modules:
    What are Research Modules and why use them?
    An overview of the main components and process behind creating a Research Module.
    http://questioning.org/module/module.html

    "South Africa Apartheid" example http://my.athenet.net/~vetter/

  5. Slam Dunks:
    What is a Slam Dunk?
    http://fno.org/sept02/slamdunk.html "The Slam Dunk Digital Lesson" September, 2002
    http://questioning.org/module2/quick.html Module Maker II - an overview of the main components and process behind creating a Slam Dunk Digital lesson (Summarizes the article "The Slam Dunk Digital Lesson".)
    http://questioning.org/module3/slamdunk6.ppt - PowerPoint based template for 6-step Slam Dunk.

    "Which Hurricane?" example http://questioning.org/module2/storm1.html

    "At What Risk" example http://my.athenet.net/~gpotratz/

    Five Types of Slam Dunk Lessons: (with examples of each)
    http://fno.org/sum04/fivekinds.html - article by Jamie McKenzie, summer 2004
    http://questioning.org/module2/5types.html - examples of each type

    "Nothing But Net" article by Jamie McKenzie http://www.edtechmag.com/k12/issues/march-april-2006/how-to.html from the March/April 2006 issue of EdTech: Focus on K-12 magazine. This article seems applicable as you learn about creating "Slam Dunk Digital Lessons" and introduces a new "NoTime" type of Slam Dunk (see link below). Some excellent links are contained in the article if you are interested.

    The NoTime SlamDunk Digital Lesson http://questioning.org/jan06/notime.html

^

Prof. James R. Grunwald, Ph.D.
 Director of Academic Computing

 Martin Luther College
 1995 Luther Court
 New Ulm, Minnesota 56073
 e-mail comments to: grunwajr@mlc-wels.edu

 
Revised: November 09, 2008
 Copyright © 1997 James R. Grunwald