Elementary Education & Internet Final

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION & THE INTERNETSally Shewmaker W200 December 2009

Menu

I. Besides Google: Guiding Gifted Elementary Students Onto the Entrance Ramp of the Information SuperhighwayJoan Schneider, Gifted Child Today (Waco, Tex.: 2000) 32 no1 27-31 Wint 2009

Summary & APA CitationQuotePersonal Relection

I. YouTube in the Science ClassroomJerry Everhart, Science and Children 46 no9 32-5 Summ 2009


I. Student Safety from Cyberbullies, in Chat Rooms, and in Instant MessagingJeffrey S. Wolfsberg, The Education Digest 72 no2 33-7 O 2006


Besides Google: Guiding Gifted Elementary Students Onto the Entrance Ramp of the Information

SuperhighwayJoan Schneider, Gifted Child Today (Waco, Tex.: 2000) 32 no1 27-31 Wint 2009

Schneider , Joan. Besides Google: Guiding Gifted Elementary Students Onto the Entrance Ramp of the Information Superhighway. Gifted Child Today (Waco, Tex.: 2000) 32 no1 27-31

When a young student is considered to be “gifted” one may immediately be worrried that he or she will become bored in the traditional classroom setting. Joan Schneider believes that the internet, and in particular the site Google can advance the students learning to a higher level. Schneider believes that Google is just a mouse click away to an entire universe of learning. Some many even say that it is the single most valuable too for the gifted student. Schneider has written an enlightening article on ways teachers can use Google in the classroom setting for the student that wants more than their classroom, library or even town, can offer.

Quote from Article

“Locating information is perhaps one of the most important functions of reading on the Internet (Henry, 2006) and the key to beginning a successful journey on the information superhighway. By teaching our young gifted students how to access information efficiently and effectively, we are guiding them onto the entrance ramp. These students are learning the importance of seeking information beyond their own personal knowledge. By learning how to structure a search to locate the best information to meet their particular need, they are realizing that having good information is important. At this point, however, our young gifted students are still only on the entrance ramp. The student who is to become information literate will need to learn how to evaluate information critically and competently, be a critical consumer, and then use that information accurately and creatively (AASL, 1998). The Internet superhighway is a valuable resource, with its complexity and depth, for developing young people's gifts and talents (Siegle, 2005), and is readily available to those who have learned how to effectively cruise and critically navigate its limitless resources.”

Personal Reflection

As a student, Google is an important research tool on many different levels. For the gifted elementary student it can be a useful tool of exploration beyond what takes place in the traditional classroom. For the gifted child, I know see how this commonly used site can open doors to education that we previously impossible to open without advancing grade levels or changing locations.

YouTube in the Science ClassroomJerry Everhart, Science and Children 46 no9 32-5 Summ

2009

A great way to use the internet in the elementary classroom is using You Tube in science class. The article by Jerry Everhart, who is a professor of Elementary Education, has many useful ways that You Tube can be presented to the elementary student in a science setting.

In particular, you tube can be useful in promoting science to the students who don’t seem to be interested in science activities. One of Everharts tips is to assign students to create their own video of an experiment and post to a classroom You Tube account. This is an innovation way to get kids excited about science.

Quote from Article

“When incorporating YouTube in your lessons, keep in mind the unit's learning goals and purpose for doing so. YouTube can inform, but there's no substitute for a teacher's selection of content, instructions, and running commentary. Teacher input adds depth, poses additional questions, encourages students to look at details, and makes connections that align the video with school curricula and standards.”

Personal Reflection

I am taking a Science Inquiry class this semester and we have been using You Tube frequently to see different experiments performed in many different ways. As long as the videos are age-appropriate, they are an excellent resource to get young students excited about science.

Quote from Article

“Teachers, get involved. According to a source which calls itself Martial Arts for Peace, every seven minutes, there is a child being (cyber) bullied. Adults are estimated to be intervening only 4% of the time. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, bullying begins in elementary school, peaks in the sixth and eighth grades, and persists into high school.”

Student Safety from Cyberbullies, in Chat Rooms, and in Instant Messaging

Jeffrey S. Wolfsberg, The Education Digest 72 no2 33-7 O 2006

Wolfsberg, Jeffrey S (2006) Student Safety from Cyberbullies, in Chat Rooms and in Instant Messaging. The Education Digest 72 no2 33-7.

The author, Jeffrey S. Wolfburg, writes an article intended for parents and teachers of students who are beginning to use the internet. The internet is becoming increasingly popular in elementary education and children need to learn at en early stage that there are many negative things that can happen on the internet. Cyberbulling is a topic that is covered extensively and there are many helpful tips for parents, teachers and students. For students who have been exposed to cyberbullying themselves, and for parents who have either been exposed to it or are seeing their child experience it, and for educators who have either been exposed to it personally or are seeing students go through the pain of it, the tips are meant to help stop it or to prevent it from happening again.

Personal Reflection

There is no doubt that the Internet is an important tool in educating students- in particular elementary students. But, there are downsides, such as cyber-bullying, identity theft, and possible interaction with sexual predators.

This article was straight-forward in giving advice to teachers and parents about internet safety. As a parent, the internet and the negative aspects scare me. But, as a future educator I know that educating students on the safety precautions is crucial. The internet isn’t going away. It is going to become an even more important teaching tool in the future.

Conclusion

Ways to use Internet in the Classroom:

You Tube for Science Research

As the internet becomes common in elementary classrooms, there are many innovative ways to advance the traditional teaching styles.

For the advanced student, it can become a window into new opportunities, and a way to broaden the student’s interests.

For all the positive aspects of using the internet in the classroom, there are some negative aspects, such as cyberbullying and internet predators.