Cyber classrooms

According to a national survey conducted in the U.S. on "Teachers using Digital Content," 97 per cent said that they used a computer for professional activities, 53 per cent of all teachers surveyed used software for classroom instruction, and 61 per cent said they used the Internet to supplement instruction. In contrast, most classrooms in India, even those in major metros are digital deserts.

Presently in U.S. schools, net penetration is believed to be 38 per cent while in India it is well below one per cent. To further the development of the Internet as an educational instrument within India, institutional access to the Internet must increase dramatically. Educators and others interested in promoting networking in schools must help teachers across India get connected. Creative partnerships among diverse players-government agencies, businesses, and nonprofit groups-must play a major role in connecting schools to communications networks.

In all debates on Internet as an educational instrument, equity is a serious issue. Though the Internet is consistently touted as the newest educational tool with the potential to narrow demographic disparities, the data world over show that only those who have already attained educational success are using the Internet.

Students with Internet access have potentially much greater learning opportunities than those who don't. Digital divide and cyber segregation are terms used to describe digital exclusion and are considered the latest form of denial to tools of literacy and empowerment. Educational authorities must conceive and implement measures to ensure that all groups and regions have equal opportunities to succeed in the Information Age. Net access has the power to dramatically improve the quality of education for every student and wide and equal access must be an important objective for initiatives by both the public and private sectors.

Continuing with the theme of plenty and penury, this month's web sites are all about forests and deserts.

http://www.gp.com/EducationalinNature/topics/afi.html

A forest is a home for plants and animals and a source for valuable resources. Most of all a forest is an interconnected/dependent community of plants, animals and microscopic beings, soil, minerals and water - - in which trees are what you see at first glance.

http://kids.infoplease.com/ipka/Ao775290.html

Deserts are arid regions, generally receiving less than 10 inches of precipitation a year, or a region where the potential evaporation rates is twice as great as the precipitation.

The world's deserts are divided into four categories. Subtropical deserts, the average temperature is much cooler because of frigid offshore ocean currents. Cold winter deserts are marked by stark temperature differences from season to season, ranging from 1000 F (38 0 C) in the summer to 100 F (-120 C) in the winter. Polar regions are also deserts because nearly all moisture in these areas is locked up in the form of ice.

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Tips for teachers

The best way to integrate technology effectively into your classroom is to plan for it. Remember that integrating technology into your classroom does not end with purchasing the hardware and software. A written Technology Plan will help you articulate your needs and goals. Components of a technology plan should generally include.

Introduction - An overview and a mission statement: What does your classroom need, and what impact will technology have on learning?

Goals and objectives - Specific goals that you hope to achieve by using technology. How will you integrate technology into your curriculum? What academic outcomes do you hope to see?

Existing resources - List equipment your school has access to; how will it support your objectives?

New Resources - List the hardware and software that your school needs to support your goals and objectives.

Training - How will you and your students get the training you need to use the new resources?

Maintenance - How will the new resources be maintained, and who will maintain them?

Costs and Funding - How much will all of this cost? Where will the money come from?

Here are a couple of sites featuring informed discussions on the role of Internet technology in education that might motivate you to use the net more extensively in your classrooms.

http:/ /www.mcrel.org/resources/technology/impact.asp

This site lists the latest research on the effectiveness of technology in education.

http:/ /k12.cnidr.org

This educational site includes very useful and accessible explanation of the development of the Internet and its relationship to education reform.

USHA THIAGARAJAN, Learning Connections, Chennai

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