Post #5

The interenet can be very useful when it comes to student research. Search engines, virtual museums, online articles, and data collections are very useful to students who are trying to compile information. It also allows for students to gather large amounts of information very quickly, which would create a more through essay or presentation, for example. A search engine may not be useful is an assignment asks for the student's own opinion or a deeper analysis using one's own skills.

Another way the internet could support student learning is through distance education. The internet allows for web based classrooms, where lectures can be posted on slides and assignments can be turned in online. This allows for people who may not be able to physically attend school obtain an education or degree. Online encylapedias, dictionaries, and other resource materials can also help support student learning. Websites that create math problems, like www.funbrain.com, can be useful for younger students as well.

I plan on teaching children no older than 6th grade. Because of this, it will be very important that I supervise my students while they are researching the internet. It will be very important for schools to have a system of blocking inappropriate websites. If this tool is not available, it would be necessary to use a children's search engine, like Ask Jeeve's for Kids, because of the high risk of inappropriate material showing up on a normal search engine, like Google.