Many of the Internet
projects require students to communicate with students from different states or
countries via electronic mail or mailing lists or other news groups.
Furthermore, The Internet should be a part of an integrated teaching system. It
should be seen as a tool that supports and enhances learning and not as a means
by itself. A poll result conducted by Global Strategy in April 1997 shows that
this is the only way that the Internet adds value to the learning process.
Teaching using the Internet does not by itself lead to achieving curriculum
objectives, because part from assisting in class preparation, a good knowledge
of the Internet allows us to assist our students in their class activities
involving the Internet. Besides, Professional Development is a key to updating
skills and for career advancement for teachers. Among others, we can use the
Internet to join a discussion group, subscribe to a news group, take classes,
and keep in touch with professional colleagues.
To successfully
use the Internet for teaching, we must know how to access the various services
available through the Internet. Moreover, it has been reported that the
majority of teachers who use the Internet in teaching are those who believe
that the Internet is a new way for doing things. These teachers also use the
Internet for shopping, banking, looking for mortgage rates, etc. It is not the
computer by itself but how they are used that makes the difference. They emphasize
teacher training as a key to effective use of computer technology in the
classroom. Every new technology brings with it positive and negative impact.
Nobody has taken time to analyze the negative impact of exposing students to
the Internet may have on their social development.
How the Internet Enhances the Teaching
Process
We can use the
Internet to add value, manage our classroom or improve the planning. We want to
teach using the Internet because we want to change, improve, add a new
dimension to our teaching, or vary the types and increase the quality of
activities assigned to students. In learning, the students need some
motivation. Allow them to use the Internet in their learning is a motivational
push to who are bored by the traditional ways of information delivery, and
thereby expedite the transfer of information from the short-term memory to the
long-term memory. The Internet allows us to motivate some of the lost students
in the class, and thereby accelerate the assimilation process. According to an
African proverb, a person who asks questions understands a new language faster.
Using the Internet for educational activities provides a different avenue for
discovery through questioning, and for critical evaluation of information. It
is also important that we answer students’ questions properly and timely. This
is why we must constantly retrain according to the needs of the time. For this
information age, we must be vexed with the personal and educational uses of the
Internet.
Generally,
Communication is a way of using knowledge. It is a source for re-enforcement.
The Internet promotes fast communication across geographical barriers, and
therefore gives students an opportunity to communicate early in life with a
broad range of people not imagined possible before. Also using knowledge in
different settings give a better understanding of the different shades of
meaning of the concepts involved in a giving learning situation. Besides to
manage the class room, you can post class lessons, homework problems, and
practice exams on the Net for students to access from home, from the library,
or from any place that has access to the Net. Parents can access the Web pages
to confirm the homework problems their children are required to do. Moreover,
the homework could be structured in such a way that the student can progress
from simpler to more challenging activities by means of hyperlinks. In addition
to posting class lessons and homework, we can have a class bulletin board on
web site. In this way, students can get involved in class discussions in a
manner not possible in the classroom. This medium can also be used to resolve
problems between class periods.
In conclusion,
the Internet allows you to add content to your lessons and to disseminate
useful information to students and parents without waste of valuable class time
and those give many advantages for students in learning. Hilts and Turroff
(1985) and Hilts (1994) suggest that this flexibility supports collaborative
learning among students who can therefore participate at times and places of
their choosing. Hilts (1994 : 10) states that : Students may participate at any
time of the day or night that they have the time and the inclination.
Opportunities for feedback from the instructor and interaction with other
students are not limited to a few fixed times per week.
Advantages of Students Using ICT for
Learning
As was pointed
out previously, the Internet provides students with the tools they need to
discover and own knowledge. And give students the hooks and templates they need
to fasten information to the long-term memory. There are some advantages of
student using ICT for learning :
· Motivating
Factor.
The Internet
can act as a motivating tool for many students. Young people are very
captivated with technology. Educators must capitalize on this interest,
excitement, and enthusiasm about the Internet for the purpose of enhancing
learning. For already enthusiastic learners, the Internet allows you to provide
them with additional learning activities not readily available in the
classroom.
· Fast
Communication.
The Internet
promotes fast communication across geographical barriers. Your students can
join collaborative projects that involve students from different states,
countries or continents. This type of learning experience was not possible
before the Internet. This is a unique learning experience very essential for
each of our students, as the world is becoming one big community.
· Cooperative
Learning.
The Internet
facilitates cooperative learning, encourages dialogue, and creates a more
engaging classroom. For example, a LISTSER V for our class will allow your
students to get involved in class discussions through e-mails in a way not
possible within the four walls of the classroom.
· Locating
Research Materials.
Apart from
communication, research is what takes many people to the Internet. There are
many more resources on the Internet than the school library can provide. We can
encourage students to take advantage of this wealth of resources on the
Internet for their research.
· Acquiring
Varied Writing Skills
If students are
required to publish their work on the Internet, they have to develop hypertext
skills. These skills help students gain experience in non-sequential writings.
Moreover, and since the Internet is open to all with access, students
publishing their work on the Internet are forced to be mindful of their
language and to write to non-expert audience.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletecongratulations guys, quality information you have given!!! Accelerate
ReplyDeleteHehew thaknks :')
Delete