Lessons Online
Using the Internet in the Classroom
The internet is an ideal resource for today's classroms. Classroom teachers
are no longer limited by books and the availability of materials. There are
resources on the web for whatever kind of information teachers are looking
for: educational research, examples of lesson plans and even opportunities
to share ideas with other teachers. The wealth of information on the web
is not limited to teacher use; the internet can be easily accessed and
utilized by students and teachers alike.
When teaching English to students with a broad range of educational
backgrounds, ESL teachers need to use as many resources and methods as
possible. It is also important to try to use "authentic" materials. The
internet is a useful resource for the latest "real world" information. The
web can be used as a research tool, to design student scavenger hunts or
even to display teacher prepared lessons.
Although the internet is a wonderful resource for the classroom, teachers
should be aware of the risks that are present when students use the internet.
There is always the possiblity that students will encounter "objectionable"
materials. Most schools try to deal with this problem by insisting that both
parents and students sign an Acceptable Use Policy(AUP) which outlines
possible dangers and absolves the school of any responsibility. However, it
may be the case with ESL students, and/or their parents, that there is a
languge barrier which makes the AUP ineffective. In this case a solution may
be to use a web monitoring program. Here is a site which discusses the use
of AUPs and web monitoring alternatives: Armadillo's WWW Server.
ESL students know that life in America is different than their own cultures
and are interested in learning things about the new culuture. In my sample
lesson I have concentrated on one aspect of American culture--Halloween--
and prepared a page for reference use. The main objective of the lesson is
to introduce an American holiday and to have students think about cultural
differences.
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