LITE Home


Effective Instructional Models for Internet Integration
in the Secondary Curriculum

Julie Coiro, Jill Castek and Laurie Henry
University of Connecticut




The purpose of this professional development day is to spark conversations about strategies for integrating effective instruction with new technologies while empowering you to begin where you are most comfortable.  We encourage you to network with other teachers at your grade level, in your subject area and across comfort levels with technology as you explore, critique and reflect on the resources provided throughout the day.  

These activities are designed to introduce four important instructional models for integrating the Internet into literacy and learning.  These include
  • Internet Workshop
  • Internet Project
  • WebQuest
  • Internet Inquiry
It is our hope that you become familiar with these models as you...
  • share resources and develop ideas for classroom application relevant to each;
  • discuss logistical concerns about exploring these ideas in the classroom; and
  • develop a realistic action plan for exploring with your students at least one of the ideas gained from today's experiences.


Internet Workshop Internet Project WebQuest Internet Inquiry Other Tools


Internet Workshop

Internet Workshop (Leu, 2002) is an instructional model for quickly integrating the Internet into the curriculum. Internet Workshop is especially useful to introduce students to sites for an upcoming unit and develop useful background knowledge. It is also useful to develop important understandings as you work through a unit. 

Internet Workshop has many variations.  Generally, though, it contains these steps: 
  1. Locate a site, or several sites, on the Internet with content related to a classroom unit of instruction and set a bookmark for the location(s).
  2. Develop an activity requiring students to use the site(s).
  3. Assign this activity to be completed during the week.
  4. Have students share their work, questions, and new insights at the end of the week during a workshop session.
Several topics are appropriate for workshop sessions. 
  • Navigation (e.g., What are the best strategies when using a search engine?)
  • Content (e.g., What did you learn about volcanoes?)
  • Critical evaluation (e.g., How can I determine how a site might be biased?)
  • Synthesis (e.g., How can I use an outline, graphic organizer, or software tool like Inspiration to organize the information I have discovered?)

The workshop session is a critical element of Internet Workshop. The purpose of this session includes:
  • supporting students' ability to acquire information from the Internet;
  • learning content information about the topic that students are studying;
  • thinking critically about the information they, and others, obtain; and
  • developing new navigational strategies on the Internet.
Internet Workshop Examples

Students at the elementary level are participating in all types of Internet Workshops as they access content at their level on the Internet.
  • KidsWeb Japan:
    • Read several recent news stories from Japan.  Find out what is happening in Japan and be ready to share this during Internet Workshop.
    • Visit "What's Cool in Japan" and find out what students are doing.  Write down notes about what you discovered is most popular among students and be ready to share this information during Internet Workshop.
    • Compare the information you found at KidsWeb Japan with information found at Japan for Children. Does it match up? Come to Internet Workshop ready to discuss something you found that is similar or different.
Informational websites with higher level content provide exciting opportunities for exploring curriculum topics through simulation, photographs, and interactive tours. 
Try It Out
 
Explore at least one or two of the websites related to your content area.  For each site, develop two short activities that you would ask your students to answer as they engage in Internet Workshop back in your classroom.   This activity should open-ended enough to encourage students to bring back different information to share during the workshop session. 

Language Arts/Literature
 		Math
Science Social Studies
Search a thematic topic of your own using Google, Yahooligans, or KidsClick
More information about this instructional model is available at these resources: 


NEXT MODEL