Using the Internet with Your Students

Using the Internet with Your Students - A Quick Guide

Thompson School District - Media Services, 1999
Diane Lauer

If You Can...
You Could Try...
You Can Use...

1. Use basic browser skills.

Go to a specific Web address
Identify a hyperlink
Go backward and forward in a path
add/use a bookmark

Study Guide (click to see an example)- a worksheet with one URL (Web Address) listed at the top of the page, followed by a list of questions students need to answer.
Presentation - get your classroom computer connected to a projector, LCD screen or television, and showcase sites to enhance your curriculum.
Handout - Print information from the Internet to be used as supplemental reading material.

The Help Web - a super-friendly beginner's guide to using the Internet !
Kathy Schrocks Guide for Educators scroll through her Subject Access headings to find outstanding sites for use in any classroom.

2. Conduct a Simple Search using a Web Directory to find general information.

Browse through subject categories
Find general information or broad topical information about a subject.
Use Media Service's "Finding Information on the Internet."

Learning Quest - a worksheet containing a list of questions and the exact URL's where your students can find information to answer the questions.
Descriptive Writing Activity - locate an interesting image and allow students to use it to construct a descriptive essay.
Virtual Field Trip (click to see an example) - find a museum or other place that supports your content-area standards and allow students to take a virtual field trip. Provide them with focus questions to answer on their journey. ( Teaching with Historic Places, from the National Park Service, has ready-made lesson plans. Check out GreatPlaces.org too!)

Kids Click! - links for k-8 kids
Yahoo! - an excellent directory
Yahooligans! - a super kids directory
Looksmart - a friendly directory
Thompson's Media Services - check out our "Links to Educational Sites"

3. Evaluate a Web site.

Check accuracy
Check authority
Check objectivity
Check currency
Check coverage

Teach Evaluation Skills to Students - provide your students with the essential skills to evaluate a Web site.
Enhance Critical Thinking Skills - create a situation where students can analyze or synthesize information from various Web sites that you provide for their use.
Resource Materials - after locating and evaluating various Web sites on a certain topic area, provide those URL's to your students so that they can be used in reports, essays, and other projects.

Kathy Schrock - a good set of resources about evaluation with critical evaluation guides you can print for your students.
The Five W's of Web Site Evaluation - uses student language!
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - a great interactive site for 6-12 students. They can learn online!

4. Save images and/or sound files and use in another document*

Grab an image/sound file
Save an image/sound file to the hard drive and/or floppy
Insert image/sound file into another document

*This is considered a fair use of copyrighted materials if it is not being distributed, sold, or put on a Web site and it will not be used after two years of time.

Multimedia Slide Show - students can supplement their research/knowledge by using the pictures/sounds found online within an interactive reports or stories. HyperStudio, PowerPoint, Claris SlideShow and KidPix are a few multimedia applications that can be used to create a presentation of learning.
Desktop Publishing - insert images collected from online browsing to enhance student produced work, i.e., reports, concept maps, newsletters, and other word-processed documents.

Ditto - this is an image search engine. Use this tool to find great graphics!
Amazing Picture Machine - another great place to search for images.
Yahooligans! - put the word "sounds" in the search box to get a listing of great sounds to use with kids.

5. Be able to use and organize Bookmarks.

Add a bookmark
Edit bookmarks
Organize bookmarks
Create a saved Bookmark list
Create individual Bookmark files.

Interactive Resource Lists - have the saved Bookmark List or individual Bookmark files ready on the computer's desktop, within a shared folder, or on a floppy disk. Tell students to open and access the individual sites from the saved Bookmark List by clicking on the hypertext or double clicking the individual Bookmark file icon(s). These interactive resource lists can support any structured learning activity. You and/or your students can also create your own set of bookmarks to be stored online at IKeepBookmarks.

Using Netscape Bookmarks in the Classroom tutorial that helps teachers add, remove, organize, modify, and save bookmarks.
Using Favorites- This site can help you add and organize your Favorites if you use Internet Explorer as your browser.

6. Use Advanced Searching Techniques to locate specific information.

Create a research plan
Efficiently use a key word search engine or meta-search engine
Use Boolean search tactics
Use phrase searching ("")

Teach Searching Skills to Students - provide your students with the essential skills to create a research plan and be able to perform a successful online search (grades 4-12) using a variety of search engines and search strategies. Assess their ability to perform such searches BEFORE they are allowed to do so.
Scavenger Hunt (click to see an example) - use a content-area scavenger hunt to support student learning. This activity can be used to assess student searching skills as well as an assignment that encourages students to locate and use information from a variety of content-area resources.
Research - allow students to use their searching skills and Web site evaluation skills to locate information needed to meet content-area learning situations.
WebQuest (click to see an example) - an inquiry-based, Internet activity where the instructional goal is knowledge acquisition, integration, and presentation. Most WebQuests are collaborative group projects and revolve around an essential question.

Searching the Web - an interactive tutorial for beginners, intermediate and advanced users.
SearchQuest - a WebQuest for 9-12 students that reviews and refines their searching skills.
Education World -hundreds of Internet scavenger hunts on a wide variety of subjects. Put "scavenger hunt" into their search box.
Choose the Best Search Engine for Your Purposes - a handy grid.
WebQuests - a definitive site by the author of WebQuests, Bernie Dodge.

If You Can...	You Could Try...	You Can Use...
1. Use basic browser skills. Go to a specific Web address Identify a hyperlink Go backward and forward in a path add/use a bookmark	Study Guide (click to see an example)- a worksheet with one URL (Web Address) listed at the top of the page, followed by a list of questions students need to answer. Presentation - get your classroom computer connected to a projector, LCD screen or television, and showcase sites to enhance your curriculum. Handout - Print information from the Internet to be used as supplemental reading material.	The Help Web - a super-friendly beginner's guide to using the Internet ! Kathy Schrocks Guide for Educators scroll through her Subject Access headings to find outstanding sites for use in any classroom.
2. Conduct a Simple Search using a Web Directory to find general information. Browse through subject categories Find general information or broad topical information about a subject. Use Media Service's "Finding Information on the Internet."	Learning Quest - a worksheet containing a list of questions and the exact URL's where your students can find information to answer the questions. Descriptive Writing Activity - locate an interesting image and allow students to use it to construct a descriptive essay. Virtual Field Trip (click to see an example) - find a museum or other place that supports your content-area standards and allow students to take a virtual field trip. Provide them with focus questions to answer on their journey. ( Teaching with Historic Places, from the National Park Service, has ready-made lesson plans. Check out GreatPlaces.org too!)	Kids Click! - links for k-8 kids Yahoo! - an excellent directory Yahooligans! - a super kids directory Looksmart - a friendly directory Thompson's Media Services - check out our "Links to Educational Sites"
3. Evaluate a Web site. Check accuracy Check authority Check objectivity Check currency Check coverage	Teach Evaluation Skills to Students - provide your students with the essential skills to evaluate a Web site. Enhance Critical Thinking Skills - create a situation where students can analyze or synthesize information from various Web sites that you provide for their use. Resource Materials - after locating and evaluating various Web sites on a certain topic area, provide those URL's to your students so that they can be used in reports, essays, and other projects.	Kathy Schrock - a good set of resources about evaluation with critical evaluation guides you can print for your students. The Five W's of Web Site Evaluation - uses student language! The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - a great interactive site for 6-12 students. They can learn online!
4. Save images and/or sound files and use in another document* Grab an image/sound file Save an image/sound file to the hard drive and/or floppy Insert image/sound file into another document *This is considered a fair use of copyrighted materials if it is not being distributed, sold, or put on a Web site and it will not be used after two years of time.	Multimedia Slide Show - students can supplement their research/knowledge by using the pictures/sounds found online within an interactive reports or stories. HyperStudio, PowerPoint, Claris SlideShow and KidPix are a few multimedia applications that can be used to create a presentation of learning. Desktop Publishing - insert images collected from online browsing to enhance student produced work, i.e., reports, concept maps, newsletters, and other word-processed documents.	Ditto - this is an image search engine. Use this tool to find great graphics! Amazing Picture Machine - another great place to search for images. Yahooligans! - put the word "sounds" in the search box to get a listing of great sounds to use with kids.
5. Be able to use and organize Bookmarks. Add a bookmark Edit bookmarks Organize bookmarks Create a saved Bookmark list Create individual Bookmark files.	Interactive Resource Lists - have the saved Bookmark List or individual Bookmark files ready on the computer's desktop, within a shared folder, or on a floppy disk. Tell students to open and access the individual sites from the saved Bookmark List by clicking on the hypertext or double clicking the individual Bookmark file icon(s). These interactive resource lists can support any structured learning activity. You and/or your students can also create your own set of bookmarks to be stored online at IKeepBookmarks.	Using Netscape Bookmarks in the Classroom tutorial that helps teachers add, remove, organize, modify, and save bookmarks. Using Favorites- This site can help you add and organize your Favorites if you use Internet Explorer as your browser.
6. Use Advanced Searching Techniques to locate specific information. Create a research plan Efficiently use a key word search engine or meta-search engine Use Boolean search tactics Use phrase searching ("")	Teach Searching Skills to Students - provide your students with the essential skills to create a research plan and be able to perform a successful online search (grades 4-12) using a variety of search engines and search strategies. Assess their ability to perform such searches BEFORE they are allowed to do so. Scavenger Hunt (click to see an example) - use a content-area scavenger hunt to support student learning. This activity can be used to assess student searching skills as well as an assignment that encourages students to locate and use information from a variety of content-area resources. Research - allow students to use their searching skills and Web site evaluation skills to locate information needed to meet content-area learning situations. WebQuest (click to see an example) - an inquiry-based, Internet activity where the instructional goal is knowledge acquisition, integration, and presentation. Most WebQuests are collaborative group projects and revolve around an essential question.	Searching the Web - an interactive tutorial for beginners, intermediate and advanced users. SearchQuest - a WebQuest for 9-12 students that reviews and refines their searching skills. Education World -hundreds of Internet scavenger hunts on a wide variety of subjects. Put "scavenger hunt" into their search box. Choose the Best Search Engine for Your Purposes - a handy grid. WebQuests - a definitive site by the author of WebQuests, Bernie Dodge.