Blog Post #6

1). There are many different pros and cons for using the internet in early elementary classrooms. As for pros, the internet, as well all know has many different resources that are available for students. The internet can also enhance different skills for students. Some skills that can be enhance are communication skills, writing skills and depending on what activity is being used on the internet it can also enhance and improve critical thinking, problem solving and group work skills. Students can also learn to explore things on their own, see different and multiply view points on specific topics, and it also provides the opportunity for students to participate in student-centered learning. Some disadvantages to the use of the internet in an early childhood classroom are, the easily accessible resources to students that may lead children to wrong information, bad/ not appropriate web sites, some students may not be aware of how much personal information to share (safety concerns). Another disadvantage that some may seem to have is the cost that is put into having these tools available to students and to maintain and fix them if any problems arise. Personally, I feel that internet in an early childhood classroom is crucial. Technology is a main part of our society today and it is important to teach children about current things and give them an opportunity to start and learn at a young age. Although there are many cons to internet in the classroom, I think the pros over power them. Schools have to of course limit the sites the students are allowed to be on and teach them safety rules when using a computer. It is also important when students are on the internet to have assistance and someone monitoring their work. If teachers and schools make the right precautions and teach how to work and view the internet it is a very educational, useful, and powerful tool.

2). My favorite education website so far is probably Academic Skills Builders. I really like this website because it gives students a chance to enhance their basic math, language arts, vocabulary and thinking skills through a variety of different games. An example of one game that this website provides is a game called, Grand Prix. It is a multiplication game (obviously not a game for an early childhood classroom) and it gives students a chance to race again each other to get to the Multiplication Cup first. The faster the students correctly answer the problem determines how fast their race car goes. I think that these kind of educational games make students have more fun and it makes them want to learn. The better they know their facts, the faster the will go and become the winner. The link to this website is: http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/
(to get to the games look in the right hand corner at the different tabs and click on games)