9. What Next?

Don't expect to become an Internet expert all at once. As we have already stated, the ideas in this book are only meant to get you started and make you more familiar with what the Internet has to offer. You don't need to know everything before you begin. It's important that you try things out. Play around with E-mail and the WWW before you introduce it to your students. Remember, with the WWW there's no fear of losing information or accidentally deleting important files. This is often a major worry for new computer users. On courses, we have come across teachers who have found the Web a helpful introduction to computers in general because of its ease of use and the reassurance that data will not be lost accidentally.

If possible, take the modem and Internet software (and a computer if necessary) home and surf the Net at your leisure. You can use the school access account outside the school if you have the username and password, but you will have to pay the phone costs on your own line. By visiting Web sites and using the search engines, you will come up with your own ideas for using the available resources. Use E-mail to contact other teachers and schools to find out what they are doing. You may even decide to join a mailing list.

When you do feel comfortable enough to introduce the Internet to your classroom, start small - you may decide to begin by using E-mail to write to schools requesting information for specific project work, you could join a schools' E-mail project. With the Web, you might introduce one or two interesting Web sites to the children. We found the 2FM site a great ice-breaker especially when it came to sending in an E-mail request to be read on the radio.

Ask your students if they have used the Internet. You may be surprised by how many have access either at home or through their parents' work. In our school for instance, 5% have Internet access at home. Don't be put off if they seem to know more than you do. We should recognise this and allow students to share their expertise.

As you and your students become more familiar with using the Internet, you may decide to publish your work and ideas on the Web. With your students, carefully plan and design your pages and arrange to maintain them on a regular basis.

As more schools go on-line, teachers and students themselves will determine how the Internet is to be used in our schools. E-mail and school Web sites will allow schools to share their resources and ideas with other schools; the emphasis is on partnership in education.

Schools now recognise the importance of Information Technology in the preparation of their students for the Information Age. Many Irish teachers are trying to equip their schools with hardware and software to help prepare their students. As the Internet develops and more on-line services become available, our schools will hopefully be in a strong position to use and develop these to the full benefit of all our students.

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