TWTW Teaching with the Web	The Instructional Technology Journal of Greenwood School District 50 http://www2.gwd50.org Volume 2, Number 16 February 15, 2007
Some Strategies Never Become Obsolete 2/15/07 The article, “Get Ready to Read,” (February 2007, Learning and Leading with Technology, http://www.iste.org) reminds teachers that the reading strategy of using an Anticipation Guide to focus on the topic before students research on the internet, is a “powerful cognitive strategy.” The article makes the point that in the early days of the internet, the desired result of an internet search was to locate information. Today’s teachers want to use the internet for teaching and learning. Remember the chart with statements about the topic to be studied? Students had to check “agree or disagree” by each statement before reading to make connections between text and their experiences. Then, after reading, the students would go back to the chart and reflect upon their original choices. This strategy is called an “Anticipation Guide” (To refresh your memory see: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=226) Using this strategy can help students focus their attention when conducting internet research. According to the article, anticipation guides help students to consider the Big Ideas that will be revealed in the text. The following are the steps for using anticipation guides when conducting internet research: 1. Before the lesson, select and read the Web site that you want your students to use; make a list of the key ideas; and develop true/false statements using the key ideas. 2. Create a chart and include 4-6 statements (both true & false.) Include two columns that are labeled Agree or Disagree after each statement. Make two sets of columns. Use one set before students read and one set after they read. 3. Model using the anticipatory guide with the students by doing the first statement together. Allow students the chance to agree or disagree & defend their choice. 4. Next, have students locate the Web site, read the information, & find evidence to support or refute their original responses. 5. In the final step, students confirm or revise their earlier responses after reading the Internet information. As teachers, we learned very early in our careers about the importance of connecting to prior information when teaching students new concepts. We know they need something to “hang new knowledge onto.” Using technology in instruction can offer new challenges for teachers, but “tried and true” teaching strategies never become obsolete.	Important Teacher Notes · Staff Development: Remember to check the Technology Staff Development Calendar for your school’s date and time. The topic, with a link to web resources, can be found directly under the name of the month. This month’s topic is “Creating a Web Page in Word.” · Check it Out! After last month’s staff development, many teachers have been busy creating WebQuests! Take a look at: The New Deal, created by Lindsey Insalaco, a student teacher in Angie Nelson’s 5^th grade class at Pinecrest. Teachers, as you create WebQuests, please send me a either a link or a copy so I can post it to the Instructional Technology webpage. Thanks! · Laptop: You can take your laptop home every day to work on school-related matters. Even if you do not have internet at home or your internet is a dial-up service, you can still work on grades, lesson plans, newsletters, web pages, etc. at home. One way to improve your technology skills is to learn to use technology for everyday school- related tasks. The bonus is that once you have created and saved lesson plans, newsletters, calendars, web pages, etc. in Word, you can use them from year to year by updating and making changes. (Don’t forget to bring your laptop back to school and use it every day!)
	Site Survey: Websites that Educate, Enlighten, Entertain, and Engage · USA Today: Education Online http://www.usatoday.com/educate/home.htm Geared toward secondary students, Education Online offers daily custom-made teacher guides that correlate to that day’s newspaper, providing lessons, activities, and project ideas across the disciplines. · Funology http://www.funology.com/ Funology is the “science of having fun.” Funology offers science experiments, quizzes, trivia ... all kinds of great learning activities. Use this site as a classroom aid! · Treasures at Sea http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow8/dec98/main.html Exploring the ocean through literature with web-based activities. Great unit of study for elementary students! · Teacher Created Resources http://www.teachercreated.com/ Check out the “freebies” where you’ll find a treasure chest of free activities, calendars, brain teasers, tips, and quotes.
	The Laptop-and-Projector Project Website Tech Project: http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/TechPlan2006.htm Instr. Resources: http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/StaffDevResources.htm Previous TWTW Issues: http://www2.gwd50.org/techplans/TWTW-Index.htm