Teresa Ritchie's Blog

Response to Internet Workshop and Blog Publishing: Meeting Student (and Teacher) Learning Needs to Achieve Best Practice in the 21st Century Social Studies Classroom by Elizabeth M. Frye, Woodrow Trathen, and David A. Koppenhaver February 10, 2010

Let’s face it.  We live in the Technology Age.  Whether we like it or not, children in classrooms today must be exposed to lessons on the internet to keep pace with society.  The writers of this article are very helpful in showing social studies teachers how to guide children in conducting research on the internet.  A primary concern I have is that children who spend time on the computer are vulnerable–there are predators lurking in cyberspace who are very, very wily about getting “close” to a child surfing on the internet and who are ready to victimize them at the first opportunity.  This article covers those bases.  It gives information about finding child-friendly sites so that children have a decreased chance of losing their way on the internet highway and finding themselves in an objectionable website.  Bookmarking these sites is most important and must be a prerequisite before allowing students to begin their research.    

Blogs are such a great way to follow up internet research.  Children love having their work read by others and publication serves as a big motivator in not only getting them to do the work, but to do a good job.  As stated in the article, blogs cost nothing but a little time.  Considering the rewards of students’ having been motivated to perform at their best academically and having learned the ins and outs of computer navigation and research, it is time well spent.