Often, teachers and students use the Internet merely as a fact-finding tool. The huge number of available Web sites, however, combined with the Web's lack of organizational framework, make online research a gamble at best.

Don't squander your class time or your students' enthusiasm on hit-or-miss search engine surfing. Instead, use online learning tools -- sites that facilitate K-12 learning -- to focus your classroom Web work.

In other words, surf like a SHARK!

What's a SHARK?

SHARK is an acronym for the five kinds of Web sites that serve as online teaching and learning tools, by providing

• Skill reinforcement;
• Human interaction;
• Assessment;
• Research and resources; and
• Knowledge construction.

First: Skill drills!