Web-Based Instruction
Introduction
When the environment changes, skill sets change! What was valuable becomes obsolete!
A new skill set is now required-for teachers and students
In today's 1-To-1 Laptop Environment, multiple choice tests that measure recall are pretty much worthless
Education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another
Because of today's learning environment, education is no longer just about knowledge acquisition- it's also about processing and using information
Students must be able to use facts they have learned in new and creative ways
New information that is fully understood, and successfully stored in long-term memory, has been learned
The application of knowledge is performance
A teacher is one who provides the discipline and framework necessary for learning
The purpose of a teacher is to ask questions
The purpose of a student is to answer questions
Today's three proofs of education
What do you KNOW?
What can you DO with what you know?
What are you WILLING to unlearn, then relearn in order to solve new problems and accomplish new goals?
Web-Based Instruction is teaching and learning supported by the attributes and resources of the Internet
WBI embraces today's learning environment
WBI should be used differently in elementary school, middle school, and high school
WBI has several advantages over traditional textbook-based instruction
Teachers can customize the curriculum to fit their own teaching philosophy
Teachers construct an online curriculum to do what they want it to do. They do not have to compromise to find a textbook that is close to what they want
A Web-Based Curriculum can be updated at any time
Laws don't have to be passes and textbooks rewritten to add the Murrah Building Bombing of April 19, 1995 to the curriculum of an Oklahoma History classroom! In addition to the OKC National Memorial & Museum and Wikipedia, Google provides one and a half million related Web resources!
Resources are available for teachers to design tasks that help make students better communicators and critical thinkers
It's not so much about resources for students to FIND. It's more about resources for teachers to USE to develop perfect Web-Based Lessons with tasks that students see as interesting and relevant to their lives
A Web-Based Curriculum is nonlinear. Hypertext links allow students to explore interesting concept areas in more detail
With teacher support, students can find things to study that they would LIKE to study
Students can become involved in developing parts of the curriculum
Teachers should always ask students, How could this lesson be improved?
Some student products, such as Podcasts, can become curriculum resources
Student can access instruction at any time, not just during class
Be it good or bad, teens stay up late. When the curriculum (including class Podcasts) is online, if the student gets in the mood to study at midnight-they can do it!
Students can be actively involved in their own performance evaluation
Teacher-prepared grading rubrics give students the power to make decisions based on first-hand knowledge of how what they do, or don't do, will effect their grade on a task
Computers don't teach students-TEACHERS teach students!
Just bringing 1-to-1 laptops into classrooms will NOT raise test scores. In fact, without proper teacher training and support, test scores are more likely to go DOWN
For a school to successfully move from a traditional learning environment to a 1-to-1 learning environment requires a total commitment by the whole School Community
From the one-room school house of the nineteenth century to the ultra-modern school of the twenty first century-it's all about the TEACHER- their understanding of the Learning Process, their ability to properly support students as they learn to learn, and their classroom management skills
The more common student computers become in the public school classroom, the more important teachers become
Staff development is the key for a traditional public high school to successfully implement Web-Based Instruction in a 1-To-1 learning Environment
1-to-1 Laptops and Web-Based Instruction are new to the educational environment and still rare in public high schools.
Proven examples of classroom procedures and teacher training come mainly from higher education
Crescent Public School's Web-Based Instruction 4 1-To-1 Teachers brings together the best practices published on the Web by progressive colleges and universities and the personal experiences of the Crescent High School faculty and administrators
Faculty resources from these institutions are used throughout this document
U.C. Berkeley
Ohio State University
Durham Technical College
Stanford
WBI information from each of
Indiana State University
University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Montclair State University
Clayton State University
Lewis-Clark State College University
University of Wisconsin
Park University
University of Pittsburgh
Abilene Christian University
Virginia Tech
SanDiego State University
these Institutions has been summarized and modified to fit the K-12 learning environment
Links to the pages used are found in WBI Resources
Although they relate to higher education, before deciding to offer Web-Based Instruction, public schools should consider these twelve questions
Planning for Web-Based Instruction should include the Oklahoma Nine Essential Elements
The worst thing a public school can do is decide to use computers just to say they are using computers.That will guarantee a poor experience, for teachers and students.There must be a reason for using ANY technology, and everyone involved must buy in!
The second worst thing a public school can do is chase the technology.There will always be a latest new thing that seems to make everything else obsolete. Buy the best technology available at the time, and stick with it unless you have money to BURN