The Internet - Treasure or Trouble?:
Promise, Problems, & Possible Solutions.
Presenters: Tom O'Haver, the University of Maryland at College Park, and
Mary O'Haver, Fairland Elementary School
THE GOVERNOR'S ACADEMY FOR MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
June 28 - July 17, 1998
Towson University
Towson, Maryland
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~toh/
The Promise
Using the Internet
Project ideas
Student Projects
Telecommunications Projects
Interesting Science Sites
Mathematics
Chemistry and Physics
On-line Magazines
Interactive Sites
Live data and on-line experiments
Collections of Links for Education
Sites for Kids
Errors and Misconceptions
Professional Organizations
Sites of personal and family interest
Problems (and Solutions?)
My school does not have any computers.
Our computers are old and outdated.
Older computers can still be very useful for basic applications such asword processing, email, and spreadsheets. You might also be able torun the older versionsof Web browsers (e.g. Netscape 1.1) on older computers.
We only have one computer hooked to the Internet.
This can still be very useful as a shared information resource! Teachers and children, working individually or in small groups, can share one networked machine the same way they might share a set ofencyclopedias. It is also possible to download Web sites onto disks for students to accesswhile using non-networked computers.
It's so hard to find stuff: The Internet is not very well organized.
Many educators have already created well-organized collections of Internet sites suitable for education. The Internet can also be searched automatically using several different kinds of searching tools .There are tutorials that help you learn how to search efficiently.
What if my kids get into objectionable material?
Young children should be monitored by resposible adults when surfingor searching the Internet. There is "site blocker" software available that will blockaccess to objectional material. For more information, see The Children's Partnership and and Safety on the Net by Larry Magid.You can also download the Web sites that you want your kids to use and install themon non-networked computers.
How do I know if the information is reliable?
Material on the Internet is not organized by grade level.
It does not always work!
It is a fact of life that complex technology is sometimesunreliable. Plan for alternative activities if the network isdown. Consider the possibility of downloading Web sites onto disks so you won't have to depend on a liveInternet connection.
I don't have time for this: our curriculum is full already.
OK, you've convinced me. Where do I get an Internet connection?
The easiest thing is to get your own personal Internet account from a commercialInternet Service Provider (ISP) such as Erols, America On Line,Verio Mid-Atlantic (formerly Clarknet), or many other companies. You can use your account from home orfrom school, using a local telephone number. Any classroom teacher or other person with a direct classroom role, and certain school administrators, may apply for one of the University of Maryland's MDEDU computer accounts, which provides email access.
Where can I go for help if I have questions or problems?
For Maryland teachers, the MDK-12 listserv list is an email discussiongroup of Maryland K-12 classroom teachers and is anexcellent source of experienced and willing help for all sorts of questions. Novices are welcome! To subscribe to this discussion group, send a one-line email message toLISTSERV@UMDD.UMD.EDU, with a blank subject line, containing themessage "subscribe MDK-12 Your Name", substituting your full name forYour Name. Once you are subscribed, any messages that you e-mail toMDK-12@UMDD.UMD.EDU will be automatically distributed to all othersubscribers. To unsubscribe (cancel your subscription), send themessage "signoff MDK-12" to LISTSERV@UMDD.UMD.EDU.