Getting Started on the Internet: Searching the Web Is as Easy as ABC

It's hard to believe that one day, not long ago, Tammy Payton was in the same place a lot of teachers find themselves today. The computer had just arrived in her classroom -- and she didn't know where to begin!

It's hard for Payton to believe too!

"I was just getting a handle on how to integrate the computer into my classroom curriculum when they came along and told me that I was also going to have Internet access," says Payton, a teacher at Loogootee Elementary West in Loogootee, Indiana. "I wasn't ready . . . I was overwhelmed!"

Today, references to Payton's (and her students'!) Web pages can be found all over the Internet. But even cooler is the fact that Payton is a first grade teacher! She's a firm believer in kids' -- even first grade kids' -- abilities to learn to surf, and an even firmer believer in using the Internet as a teaching tool.

JUST DIVE IN!

A couple years ago, Payton created a special summer project for kids about to enter first grade. The project, called "Surfing for ABCs," is a model of Internet learning at its best. Kids involved in the project learned to surf safely -- and much, much more.

But don't be fooled by the project's simple-as-ABC title! The real neat thing about this project is that it's a great one to use across the grades. More on that later...

So, are you ready to take a look at a simple project that'll knock your socks off?

READY TO SURF!

All the kids showed up ready to surf! They'd been instructed to wear their surfing duds and to bring in beachballs, beach umbrellas, and the like. Those things were part of the lesson! They'd be used to create a "surfing set," the background setting for the ABC videotape the students would be starring in as part of their Internet surfing project.

The kids got down to work on the very first day. Payton and parent volunteers had created giant cutouts of each letter of the alphabet out of butcher paper. The letters were spread out on the floor on one side of the classroom. On the other side, all the kids' desks were grouped together to form a large "table" on which were spread out a ton of magazines and enough scissors and glue for an army! Kids spent part of their first day on the job hunting down magazine pictures for each letter of the alphabet.

Day One also included some surfing-the-Web basics, such as where to type the Web address on the browser page, how to back up, and how to use hyperlinks (many of the things covered last week on this site in Getting Started on the Internet 102: All Navigators On Board!). And students were introduced to Payton's favorite search engine for young children, Yahooligans!.

Yahooligans! is the younger kids' version of a well-known search engine called Yahoo!" Payton explains. "Yahoo! is great for older elementary kids but Yahooligans! has sifted the Internet for great Web pages that are appropriate for young children. When students use Yahooligans!, teachers can be assured that their students will find appropriate links."

"If you've done much searching on the Internet, you've probably discovered that it's not easy to find great sites for young children," Payton adds. "When I started out on the Internet, there was much less available than there is today."

Last, but not least, Day One includes a little lesson in "seven rules for on-line safety." Payton's rules closely mimic Yahooligans! "Rules for Online Safety."

• I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parent's work address, or name and location of my school without my parent's permission.
• If I joined a game or chat group on the Internet, with my parent's permission, I will never tell anyone my password to that game or chat group.
• I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
• I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents.
• I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.
• I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable.
• I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online.

Kids had to sign a "Pledge to Surf Safely" once they understood those rules. Parents and students signed another form -- the "Permission to Publish" form -- which gave permission to Payton to publish the students' images and work on the Internet.

"Internet safety is a big issue in our community. Loogootee is a conservative community located in a rural area of Indiana, and the Internet is little known for its potential and widely known for its misuse," says Payton. "So my challenge as an educator was to develop appropriate Internet activities for my young students while teaching my kids how to find information and share information safely on the Internet."

"On the Internet, we use only first names to ensure privacy," Payton adds.

Noting the need, Payton has created another wonderful Internet project and written an article that emphasizes the safety aspects of Internet surfing. You can find a link to the project, called "Surfing Safely on the Internet" (which includes an accompanying lesson plan), and the article, "How to Publish Student Projects Safely" (which includes an example of the permission letter Payton sends home) in the "Payton Place" section below.

'EVERYBODY'S GONE SURFIN'SURFIN' A-B-C!'

On the project's second day, the kids build their surfing set. Then they're ready to dive in and get their Internet feet wet!

Good organization is key to the success of any Internet project. Payton chose to organize this project so that each day would focus on three letters of the alphabet. (If you attempt an ABC project, you might organize it in a different way.)

Each day, students bring in from home objects that begin with any of the day's three letters. Payton divides the kids into three groups, generally based on who brings in the most objects for each of the assigned letters. The three groups rotate among three activities that are going on simultaneously (thanks to parent volunteers and the fact that Payton's classroom has five computers).