How to integrate the Internet into your lesson plans

Teaching Pre K-8, Sep 1997 by Lindroth, Linda

Getting ready to use the Internet with your class? Wondering where to begin? It's easy when you start with what you know - your curriculum! Use these step-by-step suggestions for deciding where to integrate, what types of activities to "internet-ize" and which web sites you will use.

The key to beginning integration is to use existing lesson plans that will benefit from the wide range of resources available on the Internet.

Eight steps. There are eight basic steps for integrating the Internet:

1. Choose the curricular area to be reinforced or enriched with the Internet. Example: A sixth grade life science unit on microorganisms.

2. Divide your curriculum into manageable portions and set a schedule. Curriculum looks at what microorganisms are, asks students to identify their characteristics and research their role in everyday life.

3. Decide on the learning activities for each objective. Curriculum activities include reading about microorganisms, learning the parts of a microscope, discussion of how microorganisms affect our lives.

Do these first three steps seem familiar? They should. They're the steps all teachers take when they organize and plan curriculum - with or without technology and the Internet.

By using existing plans, you can be confident that activities and resources will meet the identified learner outcomes for the selected curricular focus. This helps insure that the Internet can be used as a resource tool to assist in teaching core curriculum content.

4. Decide which learning activities could be supported with the Internet. My classroom does not have a microscope that will view microorganisms and the school library is limited on this topic.

5. Search for web sites that are best suited for your curricular needs. I did a search using the key words "microscope," "microorganisms" and "microbiology. "

6. Evaluate each web site for appropriateness. (Content? Ability levels of students? Classroom setup?) I decided the following sites had "yes" answers to most of my questions: MICROBE ZOO at http:// commtechlab.msu.edu/CTL Projects/dlcme/zoo and SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE at http.mos.org/sln/sem/intro.html 7. Bookmark the selected sites for student use.

8. Repeat steps 1-8 for each part of the curriculum you want to integrate.

Learning activities. The best activities for integration are lessons that require real-time content and updated information, research, comparisons and/or discussion.

Integration works well when you're introducing new material or trying to maximize computer time in a one-computer classroom. You can also get good results when the class is involved in simulations and learning centers activities. Remember - integration is most effective with sites that are activityoriented or research-based.

How many people are going to be involved in the integration? It makes a difference. Small group integration, for example, involves cooperative learning and requires assigned tasks for each member of the group.

Individual integration, on the other hand, involves independent assignments and requires a schedule which will allow each student adequate time to access the web site. Individual integration is best used with sites that require individual responses. It also works well with activities that reinforce content already taught in class.

Final tips. Remember to ask yourself these questions: Is there a "real" task to do? Does the use of the Internet make the task easier? Does the Internet integration enhance your curriculum? Is the lesson manageable and simple?

Never go online just to say you used the Internet. Determine your goals and student outcomes before using the World Wide Web. The key to successful integration is the meaningful use of Internet resources.