First Things First Page

Welcome to Internet in the K-12 Classroom. During this course you will learn techniques for bringing the Internet into the classroom in new and creative ways. Before we begin, let's review some key issues as aspects of this course.

One key point to keep in mind, the Internet is BIG. There are approximately three billion Web pages and growing. Even if we eliminate irrelevant, inappropriate, and insignificant sites, that still leaves hundreds of millions of quality resource sites for teachers and students. No matter how many links we find, there will always be more excellent options to chose from just around the corner.

One of the most cherished possessions of any Internet-using educator is his or her personal collection of URLs or Web addresses -- called Favorites by Internet Explorer users and Bookmarks by Netscape and Opera users. Teachers spend years collecting and sorting URLs. Schools spend millions of dollars sending teachers to Internet workshops and conferences around the country and often the most valuable thing teachers return with is a handful of new Web addresses to add to their stockpile. We expect you to organize your own personal URL lists and add to them significantly during this course.

Each week will begin with a reading. Links will take you to various Educational Technology Journal sites. You will be given either a required article, a suggested article, or the freedom to chose your own. Read the article, summarize it and provide commentary in a weekly posting to WebCT. This reading and posting is not mentioned in the weekly list of assignments but it is required nonetheless.

Weekly Reader (Week 1): Web-based Education Commission

Read through Section 1 (PDF format) of their 186-page report on
"The Power of Internet for Learning." Share your summations and opinions
If needed, Click for a free Acrobat Reader

FYI: Home Page & full report (5 MBs PDF format)

(If for any reason you are unable to open a required news site, article, or PDF file, move to another week's reading assignment, and notify your instructor of your problem.)

View the Weekly Reader Index

TECH SUPPORT is built in on the side. Our sidebar lessons address the common technical issues faced during the completion of this course. They focus on the software applications rather than course content. Sidebar lessons are offered at appropriate times, at the bottoms of weekly lessons, and in their own index. You are welcome to read the sidebar content as needed.

Everyone must post their own assignment responses. Grading will be performed by checking for entries for each participant in each assignment area.

You may work with a partner or two in creating your Primary Curriculum Unit template. Please inform the instructor in advance if you are doing your Primary Project as a group and include everyone's name in the Template before submitting it.

This course tries to be non-software specific. Having said that, it must be noted that this course does use in its examples the PC-versions of Microsoft's XP Office Suite, Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express.

A primary goal is that we share files with other participants and with the instructor. When uploading a required file to the Discussion Forum, please use common file types so others can view it. The preferred "Save file" format is the generic PC/Macintosh-compatible word-processing format known as .RTF (Rich Text Format)

Using .RTF (Rich Text Format): Virtually all word processors on PC and MAC have a "Save as..." file-type option known as .RTF Look for it when you save, and BE CERTAIN the .RTF file extension is part of uploaded documents.

If you have a problem learning to use the .RTF format, then upload using either Microsoft Word format or convert your file to HTML.

Schools usually have broadband Internet connections. Many homes still use slower dial-up 56k connections. This course uses several types of streaming video that work best on a broadband connection. Slower connections may experience delays or difficulties accessing video streaming activities.

SPECIAL NOTE: No streaming video assignment is crucial to successful completion of this course. We want you to try and experience the video features of the Internet. However, any time you are unable to view a video, simply substitute commentary about your difficulty rather than critiquing the videos themselves.