The Internet as a Teaching and Learning Tool

Diane Hanson

A Grade 3 teacher returning to the classroom after an absence of five years found that the school environment had changed. There was now a computer lab, and computers could be found in the office, library, staff room and many classrooms. She quickly worked to develop her own computer skills, only to discover a few months later that she had become the technology representative in her school.

[I] found to my great surprise that...the computer lab wasn't being used much by other classrooms. I had mistakenly thought that all the other teachers would have been familiar with this technology and their students would have been making good use of the computers. But not so! As it turned out, I was now one of the more knowledgeable people on staff...

Out of this experience was born a research project to explore ways in which the Internet could be used in the classroom. Hanson was aware of the debate that exists about the appropriate place of technology in education. She noted that the "super optimists feel that the Internet will solve all the problems related to teaching and learning", while the naysayers believe that "the Internet is simply a toy and that students can be led astray". She concluded that:

The truth lies somewhere between these two poles. Teachers need to become familiar with this new technology in order to help students make the right decisions about its uses. What better way to do this than for teachers to take an active role and learn how to use the Internet in their classrooms?

However, as her research project evolved, Hanson's questions concerning its purpose became more precise. Was the Internet to be used simply as a resource? Were the students meant to be instructed on how to use the Internet? Were the students meant to become computer literate? How comfortable did teachers have to be with the Internet or computers in general to make good use of the Internet?

A literature search conducted mainly on the Internet revealed that papers were being written relative to: a) standardizing the terminology used; b) identifying the current use of technology in schools; c) identifying the challenges to be met in order for widespread use of technology to be achieved; d) outlining some national/provincial strategies to expand the use of technology in education; and e) assessing the impact of technology on student performance. Hanson's project seemed to fit into the category of "identifying the challenges to be met in order for widespread use of technology to be achieved". But its purpose was closer to the actual teaching and learning going on in the classroom on a daily basis.

For the purposes of her project, Hanson focused on use of the Internet to support mathematical problem-solving at the Grade 3 level. Problems and units found on the Internet were linked to the provincial curriculum. A variety of instructional strategies were used, including manipulatives, discussion, and direct teaching, as well as rubrics to assess students' problem-solving abilities.

The project revealed that the Internet is a formidable resource, offering many sites containing a variety of interesting and challenging mathematical problems. Due to the wealth of problems offered, the project focused on the Internet as a resource. Hanson found that teachers need not be proficient in using the Internet to easily access and use it as a resource. She also found that the project had a dramatic and positive effect on her use of problem-solving in the classroom.

Appended to the report are a list of interesting web sites and a handbook, both in English and French, on How to Use the Internet for Teaching and Learning. In providing the handbook, Hanson recognized that teachers face increasing expectations but also a lack of time and supports to become comfortable with the Internet, or even computers. "Teachers have earned a reputation as being equal to any challenge presented to them," she says, "Hopefully this handbook will be of some help."

How the Internet Can Be Used in the School Setting

• to ensure that students become computer literate
• to support and enrich the curriculum
• as a medium for interaction between teachers and learners, between learners and between teachers
• as a tutor, rather than a tool
• as a tool, rather than a tutor
• to support individual learning
• to support group learning
• as an instructional management tool
• as a means of communication
• as a tool in administration
• as a tool for professional development
• for projects
• for publishing
• for learning exploration
• as a research tool for students and teachers