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Evolving with the Internet: Taking Technology for Granted-Finally

by Kristine Mueh, Science Teacher, Centennial Middle School, Boulder, Colorado

In this article Kristine Mueh compares her student experiences with the internet in 1995 with student experiences with the internet in the year 2000. Both groups of students were involved in the Kids as Global Scientists Project which began in 1992. This project involves middle school students studying the weather. The purpose of the project is for students to learn about the weather and also to communicate with other students and scientists. In the process of this communication, it is also expected that students will learn about geography and other cultures.

Ms. Mueh suggests that surfing the web in 1995 was much more cumbersome than it is today. In 1995, the students had to use the Gopher text browser and often times were unable to interpret the information that was returned from a site. Typing in site addresses and email names was difficult for her sixth graders.

In 1998, a CD-ROM was developed for the project. This made it much easier to implement the project by loading the CD-ROM onto all of the computers the students would be using. Included in the software were menu items and buttons that made navigation of the internet and communication much easier.

Ms. Mueh also says that because she has always used some form of technology in her classroom, planning and choreographing lessons has become much easier. She suggests that not all the outcomes of experimenting with technology can be predicted. That some of the things students are learning are not necessarily science. The addition things learned are how to navigate the internet and communicate with others.

Ms. Mueh has noticed that because communication on the internet is anonymous more students are willing to participate in a dialogue about the subject matter. Some students who are unwilling to speak up in class, willingly communicate with other students and scientists on the internet. She feels this may be because in such a situation, there are no preconceived notions or labeling happening.

The article concludes by saying that advances in technology makes the internet a more effective tool to use in teaching. Ms. Mueh has noticed less hesitation by the students to use computers. With each passing year, more students are surrounded by the advances in technology. The technology becomes more of something each student has grown up with. The combinations of the students’ prior knowledge and Ms. Mueh’s willingness to take some risks in the learning environment have combined to make the whole project a more seamless process.

Mueh, K. (2000) “Evolving with the Internet : Taking Technology for Granted Finally”

Retrieved October 12, 2003 from

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