Internet Tools

The idea of concept mapping really made an impression on me. Now when I think about organizing anything including this lesson plan on frogs, I think about visual mapping. My internet tools involve course mapping, using the encarta encyclopedia for information, an on-line authro review through Ask Jeeves. I also used my digital camera to show artifacts of the life cycle stages of the frog provided by past students. I think using the on-line encyclopedia is a must because it is so accessible. It's better than carrying around a heavy encyclopedia or having students trace back and forth from the library. I love the internet, but I really have to balance myself in using it. There is so much information, it's sometimes hard to know where to cut it off. For example, on frogs the more I delved into it, the more information I found. There are frog songs and dances, frog math, art projects, games, & even frog dissection. This type of simulation activity would accomplish the needed objective and possibly save the district some money. I truly believe using the internet gives lesson plans more definition and gives the student a sense of direction with the topic.