Practical guidelines for teachers on the use of the Internet in the school

In 1997 the University of the State of New York issued an introduction guide for adult educators in
the use of the Internet as an instructional tool. The manual includes, among other things, fifteen
hands-on lessons (including hand-outs) on different topics. In "Integrating ICTs into the
Curriculum: Analytical Catalogue of Key Publications", published by UNESCO in 2005, detailed
strategies on how to integrate ICT successfully into education are described. The catalogue includes
abstracts and excerpts from a number of different publications on the implementation of technology
in teaching practice.
Läraren – eleven - Internet (1997) by Una Cunningham and Staffan Andersson contains a
great many practical tips on how to use the Internet in the classroom. The authors list a number of
advantages of the use of the Internet in teaching. It is possible to locate information online that is
not to be found in course books or printed dictionaries, and to get recent updates on for instance the
political development in other countries or natural disasters (i.e. information that continuously
changes). Moreover, the Internet gives students the opportunity to learn about other cultures, and to
communicate directly with people abroad (16-17).
By publishing their work on the Internet students can reach an even wider audience, which
can be a motivating factor. More specifically, the Internet can be a motivator for students with
learning disabilities. Being allowed to use the computer and to read about subjects that interest
them, these students could be stimulated to read more, or even to read in the first place, and to write
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as well (using, for instance, the online spell check). Regarding advantages for teachers, there are a
great many teaching resources on the Internet, such as mailing lists and lesson plans (17, 73, 90-91,
103, 131).
Cunningham and Andersson stress the fact that there are no publishing restrictions on the
Internet, anyone can publish what they want, which is also emphasized by Karchmer (2001:446).
They thus point out that it is important to know who is responsible for the online information one
finds, to be able to evaluate it properly for reliability. Discussing the new role of the teacher with
the advent of ICT in the school, the authors state that because there is also incorrect and misleading
information on the Internet, teachers have to pick and choose among the material they present to
their students. Students, on the other hand, need to learn how to deal with vast amounts of
information (Cunningham & Andersson 17, 21, 107, 137).
In a chapter discussing the negative aspects of the Internet, the authors state that there are for
instance sites containing information about extreme groupings and criminal activities that children
and young people can get access to (284). In agreement with Cunningham and Andersson (1997),
Gavin Dudeney discusses negative aspects of the use of ICT in the classroom in his practical guide
The Internet and the Language Classroom (2007). One drawback is problems with technology,
which is why teachers always should have a back-up lesson plan (36-37).
Another drawback is “'questionable' content” on the Internet (Dudeney 2010:37). Dudeney
observes that there is indeed information on the Internet that is not suitable for young people;
however, it is not as common as the media pretends. Yet teachers are responsible for making sure
that their students do not access inappropriate web sites during class (37).
Dudeney mentions two approaches to deal with students' possible access to unsuitable
material. One possibility is to install a piece of software which blocks certain sites, for instance Net
Nanny (see also Cunningham & Andersson 1997:18). However, it has the negative consequence that
it might restrict a teacher's access to (useful) information more than is desirable. The other approach
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is to do regular checks (such as checking temporary Internet files and downloads of images to
computers) as well as to instruct students in the correct use of the Internet (38-39).
Dudeney gives examples of a number of Internet-based activities (elementary to advanced
level), ranging from activities about teenage problems, famous people and borrowed words in
English to online tools, such as webquests, discussion lists and different writing projects (2007:43-
140). When students can publish their writing online, they put more effort into the presentation of
their work (such as accuracy). Dudeney states that, for instance, email exchanges with key pals
from other parts of the world are very motivating for students, giving them the opportunity to
communicate with an authentic audience (115, 132).
Echoing Harmer (2007), Dudeney writes that there is a great deal of information on the
Internet, if one only knows how and where to find it. He regrets the fact that training in ICT is not
very common in teacher education, and so individual teachers have to gain knowledge and
experience in this area on their own (2, 19). Nevertheless, teachers can benefit from using the
Internet as a teaching resource, as it “opens up a world of possibilities” for teachers and students
(Dudeney 2007:32).