Chapter 8 - Integrating the Internet into the Curriculum

Chapter 8 talks about the use of the Internet in the classroom and how to effectively integrate use of the Internet into lessons. One very important step in the integration of websites into classroom learning is the evaluation of websites. It is very important to make sure websites are appropriate for students and providing accurate material. Important things to look for when evaluating a website are the content of the website, the websites visual and audio design, how to navigate the website, and miscellaneous things about the website. After evaluating these items you can score the website as excellent, very good, fair, or unacceptable.

Out of these four things I think that content is the most important part of the website to evaluate. For example a website may present very misleading information, have an agenda (such as selling a product), have inappropriate material, or have incorrect information. A great website to use to practice your skills as a website evaluator is www.dhmo.org. This website introduces its visitors to a substance called dihydrogen monoxide. It leads site visitors to believe this is a harmful substance that we should all be concerned about coming into contact with. For those who haven’t had a chemistry course this information might come across as frightening. For those who do know that dihydrogen monoxide is simply water, this website seems ridiculous. This is a perfectly good example of a website that should not be used. It presents misleading information as well as tries to sell you stop DHMO products.