September 2001 — Features
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Classroom Web Sites and Student Success
After the first quarter, the hit counter read 1,067. I also noted that just prior to a recent exam, there were 47 hits in one day. The missing assignments are giving me a mixed message. Last year, my first-quarter chemistry class showed a 2.9 percent missing assignment rate, compared to 3.2 percent during the same period this year. What I did not expect to see were the improvements made as far as the average score is concerned. The average score for last year's class was 80.9 percent, and this year's average is 87.2 percent. I see improvements in both fields for my physics classes. Last year's missing assignment rate was 3.9 percent first quarter, and this year's was only 2.4 percent. In addition, the class average score increased from 80.5 percent last year to 85.4 percent this year.
This information is encouraging. My plan is to continue monitoring student achievement and conduct some surveysto find out what the students' thoughts are about the site, what they find useful and what improvements they would like to see. What is nice about the site is how dynamic it is. The more I work with it, the more I learn about it and the better it gets. The hardest part is taking the time to keep it updated. But based on the evidence, the time is well spent.
Matthew Washenberger is a chemistry and physics teacher and a member of the technology committee at Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, MN. He received his bachelor's in physics from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. He is an educational technology consultant for Saint Mary's University in Winona, MN.
E-mail: Matt.Washenberger@mail.moundsview.k12.mn.us
URL: http://www.geocities.com/mjwash1/Home1.htm
References
Peckover, R. B. "Mapping the Process of Action Research." MPAR. Fall 2000, 1-15.
Symonds, W. C. "Wired Schools." Business Week, 25 September 2000, 116-128.Welcome to the Information Age. We are living in a time of monumental change in the way society interacts. The world has shrunk to an astoundingly small size as a result of the Internet. I teach chemistry and physics at Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, MN. As a science teacher, I feel it is critical that I stay on the edge of these technological advancements. I was feeling a little left behind when it came to the Web as a result of my ignorance to anything beyond surfing the Internet; but I recognize the Internet as an extremely effective communication tool.
Computers are certainly not new to education. My first computer class was basic programming on a Commodore PET computer in 1981. At the time, teachers were learning about computers right beside the students. The power and possibilities of this new contraption was recognizable even then. Because technology has grown at such a dizzying rate, educators have not put this tool to the many uses that were originally envisioned for it. Public schools have recognized the need for technology. According to the Department of Education's Quality Education Data, there are now 200 computers per 1,000 pupils nationwide, as opposed to 1984 when there were essentially no computers. In addition, nearly 75 percent of public school classrooms are now connected to the Internet. However, many teachers still do not take full advantage of the Web as an educational tool. Fewer than 20 percent of teachers use the Internet for lesson planning and less than 10 percent utilize the Internet to communicate with parents (Symonds 2000).
