What Do Students Understand About the Internet?

I am using the web site Welcome to the Web with students in grades seven and eight. This web site leads students through 5 main topics: 1) the internet, 2) guestbooks, 3) web browsers, 4) searching the net, and 5) researching on the net.

The information is presented at a very elementary level. I find the graphics used to be very child like, for example one of the graphics used is a clown.

After working though the first section I find that students need to be slowed down to read the information on the page, there is a lot of print on the pages. It seems that they are not used to reading all the print, but just want to find the link that leads them to the next page. As I listened to the students talk, they used each other to support their learning, as not all students knew what a hyperlink was.

At the present time I think students know how to use parts of the internet but may not understand its structure and format. Then again, do I?

Success

I am on a medical leave right now recovering from surgery, but the last blog session with the grade sevens was our best. It was the best writing that we had produced and I believe it was because the students did their writing in a document program and then pasted it into the blog entry form. Students wrote with capitals and used better punctuation. Best of all we could spell check their work. I would certainly recommend this method of blogging.

Small steps

During the last class, I worked with students in small groups on their blogs and comments and found success with this approach. I plan to build on this strategy for the next couple of weeks. I will also open the questions for students to respond too and not stress the commenting part of the process until students are more comfortable with the process.

I feel enough confidence to try blogging with the grade eights.

Blogging with Students

I am blogging with grade seven students during a library class. It has been a slow and painful process, but today it felt like it was getting easier. I will find out tonight when I approve the students' comments.
Techno question: Why has it been so painful?
Answer is:
1) I didn't provide good enough instruction into the process. I had not considered some of the problems we ran into. Students writing in a text message style. Students not having a book to write about. ( I may have rushed into a process without understanding it adequately.)
2) I think students want to play with the computers and don't see the computer or my time with them as serious work. Students are keen to change their desktop, knowing it will disappear when they log out, and they want to play games.
Reg Block told me yesterday at our meeting that students don't like to blog. He also said to persevere. And so I will.
Today I had students use a rubric to evaluate 4 blog posts I had found on the internet and put together on a web page. I was pleased with those students I talked to, who saw what good writing looked like. We also reviewed what the purpose of blogging is.
Tomorrow we learn to put an image into out blogs. Should be fun.