I. Goals
II. Overview of the World Wide Web
III. Web-based learning and instruction
IV. Uses of the Web in science teaching and learning
V. Development of Web-based Regents science lesson plans
VI. Using our Webboard to keep in touch

Goals of this workshop

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

• demonstrate the potential of the World Wide Web to enrich and enhance the teaching and learning of science;
• understand how the World Wide Web works;
• use search engines to locate Web science resources for students and teachers;
• understand the general principles of Web page design for educational pages;
• understand the basics of hypertext markup language (HTML);
• use simple authoring tools to create Web pages;
• identify web sites that provide free e-mail and web site hosting for students and teachers;
• identify methods of using the World Wide Web in Regents Biology and Earth Science classes;
• post lesson plan ideas on a webboard; and
• begin an ongoing dialogue using computer-mediated communication.

Materials

Required: computers with World Wide Web connectivity , a current browser and Web authoring software.
Optional: LCD projector

Procedure

• Begin with a conceptual overview of the World Wide Web. Discuss its development, kay terms associated with it and its many uses today.
• Discuss and demonstrate web browsers and search engines.
• Participants experiment with simple searches.
• Discuss applications of the Web to education today. Also discuss educational telecomputing activities.
• Participants brainstorm various applications of the Web to science teaching, with an emphasis on Regents-level Biology and Earth Science.
• Discuss basic principles of Web page design and provide useful reference links.
• Demonstrate simple authoring sofware.
• Participants experiment with authoring software.
• Demonstrate various free e-mail and web hosting sites. Provide URLs.
• Participants brainstorm the development of Web-based Regents science lesson plans.
• Discuss and demonstrate the webboard.
• Participants experiment with posting to the webboard.
• Participants brainstorm educational applications of a webboard.

References

A Beginner’s Guide to HTML
URL: http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html

The Web as Tutor: Hypertextual Teaching Aids
URL: http://edweb.gsn.org/web.tutor.html

Harris, Judi, "Way of the Ferret:Finding Educational Resources on the Internet."
URL: http://www.oise.on.ca/%7Elromano/active.htm

Free e-mail
URL: http://www.geocities.com/homestead/email_info.html