The Internet

I have been thinking a lot about the internet as I am taking a course on technology integration.  Recently, I was asked to read about the history of the internet and was certainly surprised at what I learned. 

It is important to understand the history of the internet because we are all “digital citizens.”  It is important to have a basic understanding of internet milestones because of the impact those milestones have had on communication as well as on the world as a whole.

I was surprised to learn through my study of the internet that the first computers were linked in 1969.  I now think maybe I am a digital native and not an immigrant!  From the year after my birth to the current day, technology has been transforming.  Yes, I was surprised learn that I may in fact be a native as well as surprised at the fact that I don’t think Al Gore was mentioned any where!

One of the most powerful learning tools available to students is the internet.  Within seconds students can have a country thousands of miles away on their desktop.  Questions that used to take hours to answer are answered with great detail in a short amount of time.  The internet is an exciting educational tool.

In order to use the internet responsibly students need to learn how to navigate it as well as “manage” the large amounts of information they find.  There’s lots of good information on the internet but there are also many misconceptions, inaccuracies and well as opinions.  Students must learn to judge the quality of internet resources in order to use it responsibly.

As an educator, I believe I play a vital role in not only helping my students to navigate the internet but also to understand its dangers.  I also believe those lessons on internet safety must begin with young children and built upon each year.  I have taken my students through an activity mentioned in one of the articles I read--  “Spotting a Fake”.   The activity was completed at the end of our unit on explorers.  Students had some knowledge of the subject I was asking them to research and became alarmed as they completed their project because they knew that the information was false.  The activity was meaningful and memorable because the students figured out the site was inaccurate all their own, based on the knowledge they had acquired from me.

I love to learn how others have taught students about the internet in a meaningful way.