Internet Resources

As I'm learning about new Internet resources, I realize how little I actually know about the Internet. There is so much more out there on the Internet than I have ever seen. Some of the options I would probably not use, but oh, so many more have great potential!

In my future classroom, I can envision using collaborative email projects. Many students moan when they hear they have to work on a unit study. But wouldn't it be exciting if they could work on it with students from around the country, or even around the world? This would open up their minds to how things work in other geographical areas. I can especially envision this option when working on a unit about weather. Just imagine an American student conversing with an Australian student about the weather in December!

Most students have prepared unit studies on the usual poster boards. Think of how excited they would be to work on an electronic project, with images, sounds, and video. My unit theme is on natural forces, including hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. Most children have never seen these forces up close and personal. Imagine their delight when they find videos on the internet to embed into their project. Or they fill their project with pictures and sound bytes. They will be so much more interested in learning about natural forces. As I cruised around the internet, I began a list of interesting sites to explore for this unit on natural forces.

I have never been one to jump head first into anything electronic. As they say, ignorance is bliss. Well, I'm beginning to get bored with bliss. So if I'm getting excited about adding technology to my future classroom, I can only imagine how excited the students will get!