Ten ways to take charge of the web

I found this article online and it told the story of a teacher who decided to let his students search the web. this situation quickly turned bad when he realized that his students knew what they were doing better than he did, and one student even accidentally logged on to a inappropriate website. rather than trying to shorten the 10 steps i will just paste them on here for you guys because i think they are very important.


1) Explore your own interests on-line. What holds for your students holds for you: Use your hobbies and passions as points of entry to the World Wide Web. There is no better way to familiarize yourself with it. Do you love auctions? Check out eBay (www.ebay.com), the on-line auction house, and bid on that old Brownie Hawkeye camera you've been longing for. Have you been meaning to join a book-discussion group but haven't gotten around to it? Join other literary-minded folks at Salon (www.salon.com) to discuss the classics or the latest best sellers on-line.

2) Develop an acceptable use policy (AUP). The best way to keep Internet access safe and appropriate for children is to teach and monitor responsible use. Make your terms the children's "ticket" for going on-line. Begin by teaching basic Internet safety rules and discuss the importance of observing them. Rules to include in your policy:
Students may access only those Web sites that you, the teacher, have approved;
Never give out your address or phone number;
Never upload your photograph without adult consent. Put your AUP in writing and print it out in the form of a contract. Have students, parents, and your principal commit to these rules by signing the contract. Be sure to post a copy of your AUP near each computer.

3) Narrow the playing field. Just as you wouldn't turn your students loose with a set of encyclopedias or a stack of Ranger Rick magazines, you shouldn't expect them to find information on-line without a framework. This was Mr. Harris's biggest mistake. If he had taken the time to identify appropriate sites about Washington, D.C., in advance and then either bookmarked the sites or posted their URLs, he wouldn't have lost control of his class's on-line research exercise.

4) Know your search engines. Search engines are indispensable tools for Web-based research. Most, however, are too indiscriminate to be useful to young users. For example, searching for "White House" on the search engine Alta Vista returns over a half-million hits, most of which will be irrelevant or inappropriate for elementary-school students. To prevent frustration and inefficiency, experiment beforehand with search engines designed specifically for children. Bookmark the ones you like best and organize them into a "search engine folder" on your Web browser. Limit your students to these as they explore specific topics you have researched in advance.

5) Consider using a filter. Although I am convinced there is no substitute for having a hawkeyed teacher or parent on hand any time children are on-line, filtering devices function as a useful safety net. Filtering software (see Filtering Options) typically accomplishes three things: It blocks access to undesirable content; it keeps a log that tracks where children have been on the Web; and it puts the skids on what kids can do on-line (such as chatting with strangers).

6) Use the World Wide Web to lighten your load. Yes, it's true. Although many teachers see technology as a pesky addition to their overflowing schedules, smart users know that they can actually save time by drawing on Web resources (see Outstanding Teacher Resources). If you know where to look, you can find ready-to-use lesson plans, reproducibles, and activities to support curriculum and standards.

7) Teach kids to navigate a Web site effectively. Model for students how they can get the most out of a site. If you have access to an LCD panel or other projection device, conduct a class lesson on a popular site. Discuss how you would be selective about clicking on the site's links, opting for ones that are most relevant to your interests. A fun site for this purpose is one created by an early-childhood-education student in Australia: www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Tower/4295

8) Use the Web as a professional development tool. Go on-line for wonderful opportunities to network with other teachers, exchange ideas, and learn about the latest research findings in your field. For example, Reading Online (www.readingonline.org), an electronic journal developed by the International Reading Association, offers the latest research findings in literacy as well as news about professional conferences and literacy-related events. Instructor's Teacher Forum at Scholastic.com invites teacher input on a different professional development issue each month. And www.EdsOasis.org offers teacher-generated lesson plans and discussion groups with a special focus on ESL students.

9) Teach children how to avoid plagiarism. The availability of digital texts and graphics makes it all too easy for youngsters to cut and paste information and photographs into their reports and projects without considering ownership. Just as you teach students appropriate use and citation of printed reference materials, do the same with respect to on-line resources. Post examples of correct citations in your computer area.

10) For advanced users: create on-line writers' portfolios for your students. If you already have a class Web site, consider using it to extend your portfolio management system. By hyperlinking individual Web pages for each of your students to your class's site, you can offer a far-reaching forum in which to discuss their progress as writers and to display their final products. By using this electronic medium, you'll add a new dimension to traditional student portfolios, one that can have a profound impact on students' motivation to develop their writing skills and become published authors.