General Information Project Overview Goals Curriculum Connections Evaluation

  General Information

  Project Overview

Students have been deciding, by using the Choices program, what they might want to study at a post secondary institution. They will search the World Wide Web for different careers they might like to pursue. Then they will write a research paper relating to the field they have researched.

  Goals

• Students will understand how the World Wide Web operates.
• Students will create a research paper to be submitted.
• Students will search for a career that corresponds with the students interests and ambitions.

  Curriculum Connections

Language Arts 2101

Career Education 3101

• Due to the rapidly occurring changes many new careers are opening. Students will use technology to research new careers that will give them an edge to market or prepare themselves for future opportunities.
• With the World Wide Web as a new research tool, students will obtain the latest information for the developing of research proposals and assignments.

The project also addresses the intended outcomes for technology education at the senior high level. These include:

• Evaluate the impact of global economic decisions on future careers and lifestyles.
• Examine and consider careers in communications and communication related fields.

  Evaluation

• Students will submit a research paper on the career researched.
• Students will demonstrate on understanding by presenting information found on careers.

  Project Overview

Overview

Students searched the Internet for information relevant to research projects. Some students accessed the WWW for ideas, while others started with an idea and searched the Internet for relevant information.

4 For the papers, a minimum of four references was required and only one of these could be an encyclopedia. This condition was imposed in order to limit their reliance on outdated sources of information and to encourage use of the Internet as an excellent information source.

All papers had to be typed, therefore students increased their familiarity with Word Perfect.

Software Used

• Word Perfect - Presentation of information

• Netscape - Searching the Internet and e-mailing

• Presentations - Making graphs and charts

Progress

Two groups of grade eleven language students participated in the projects. Classes were held in the library and adjoining computer room. The majority of students used the Internet, although a few did not and many others found the experience some what frustrating due to various problems.

Problems

• Speed was a problem. Many students reported wasting time because it would often take a very long time to "connect" on line.

• Many students weren't knowledgeable enough about the Internet and how to best use it.

• Computer classes were often ongoing when the language class was in progress. As a result many language students would not have access to computers because they were being used by the computer class students.

• Students who had not taken a computer class found the use of Word Perfect frustrating.

• Students who had access to home computers had a clear advantage over those who did not.

Skills learned

• How to search the Internet.

• How to find and choose relevant information.

• Patience.

• How to enhance presentation of papers via Word Perfect.

Teacher's Comments

Most students enjoyed the inclusion of a "technology"component in their language course. They enjoyed using the Internet as well as enhancing presentation of papers by using Word Perfect. The third and final paper for the year showed vast improvements for the majority of students. The use of the Internet increased, 95% of students had little or no difficulty providing the minimum number of required sources and the care and effort put into the presentation of the information ideas was significantly improved.

My only dissatisfaction with the project was the lack of scheduling foresight. The language class needed to be scheduled in the library/computer room to insure the language students were given access priority during scheduled classes.