With only one computer in a classroom, the options may be limited, but there are still a number of ways to use the Internet in the one-computer class. These activities can be performed both with an Internet connection in the classroom or at another location, since for many Internet-based activities, the connection can be made at a remote site, and resources brought to and from the classroom.
1. Downloading Internet resources
You can download resources from the Internet to make hard copies for the classroom. From the Internet browser, simply select <<print>> to produce a copy of the current page. You can then photocopy these printouts or transfer them to an overhead transparency.
A web page may be much larger than you think. You can end up with one "page" that prints out to 10 sheets of paper. So when you print, you may want to print a page at a time. Also remember that just like information from any other source, information from the web may be copyrighted. It is important to observe copyright laws. So before you do your copying, be sure to get permission to do so from the author of the web site.
2. Saving individual pages on disk
You can save individual pages simply by using the "save as" feature on your net browser. You have a choice of saving "text" or "source." Selecting "text," you save only the text of the page, with no colors or formatting. You can then open the document with a word processor.
If you select "source," you get all of the colors and formatting. This saves it as an HTML document, to be opened with a web browser such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. In this case, however, you must also save the graphics for that page. You do that by placing the mouse arrow over the graphic and pressing the mouse button. A dialogue box appears. You can select the option "Save this image as..." Show these documents on the computer monitor or a TV screen.
3. Web collection utility
Downloading text and graphics of various pages can be tedious. An easier way is to use a web collection utility that collects, organizes, converts, and saves all the information you find on the web. While browsing the page you want to save, simply click on the web saving utility, and it will automatically downloads the entire page and all of its associated graphics. In addition, you can specify how many levels you want it to download. That is, if you specify this page and one more level, it downloads the specified page and all the pages that are linked to it. Selecting two more levels downloads this page, all pages linked to it, and all pages linked to those pages. Once they are downloaded, the utility will convert or "translate" the pages to the format of the word processor of your choice, thus giving you a quality copy to print.
Some of the new web browsers (Internet Explorer) include a web collection utility. To save a page, under "File" select "Save As." Under "Save As" select the format "Web Archive" and save.
WebWhacker by Blue Squirrel is available for free trial download and costs about $49.95.
Web Whacker (PC) http://www.bluesquirrel.com/products/whacker/whacker.html
Web Whacker (Mac) http://www.bluesquirrel.com/products/whacker/whackermac.html
(Web Buddy has been discontinued.)
4. Zip Drives
If there is no Internet connection in the classroom, it is still possible to use Internet sources. Download them onto a disk at a remote site and bring them to the classroom. If the pages are too big to save on 1.4 MB diskettes, a Zip drive with a 100 MB removable disk will work fine. The cost of a Zip Drive is about $149.95, and extra disks cost about $20 each.
A Jaz drive has a 2 GB removable cartridge. The cost of the Jaz drive is about $350 and extra cartridges cost about $125.
Even if you have an Internet connection in the classroom, there are advantages to downloading pages to be used to the hard drive or Zip disk:
5. Hardware for classroom presentations
With one computer in the classroom, you find that the computer screen is too small to use for viewing by a whole class. There are several options for a larger screen.
A computer-to-TV-monitor adapter has a zoom feature that allows you to zoom in to make about 1/9 of the computer monitor fill the whole TV monitor can help overcome some of the resolution problem. But when you do that, you see only 1/9 of the screen at a time and must move the field around to see it all. However, it is possible to reduce the Internet frame size to 1/9 of the screen. This can make make the text more manageable on most pages.
6. Activities for the one computer classroom
Look for ways you can supplement your curriculum with Internet resources. For example, my textbook talks about murals that are popular in many communities in the U.S. It mentions the influence of Rivera, Orozco, and Siquieros.
So I went to the Diego Rivera Museum, (http://www.diegorivera.com/) and downloaded a site with about 15 examples of Diego Rivera's work. Then I showed them to the students with the TV monitors.
In the movie unit, I used the movie activity, "Movies in Madrid..." (http://www.clta.net/lessons/level1/movies.html).
In the clothing unit, I used "La Tienda En Casa," an e-mail order service from El Corte Inglés in Spain with descriptions, sizes, and colors in Spanish and prices in pesetas. I used just the "Especial Moda" section. (http://members.aol.com/maestro12/web/tienda.html)
In the travel unit, (lakes, mountains, waterfalls, cathedrals, jungles, taking pictures) I used "Fotos de la Argentina." (http://members.aol.com/maestro12/web/argen.html)
If you don't have one computer for each student, it usually works well to have two students for each computer. Three students for each computer is less desirable but can be satisfactory in some cases.
You don't need Internet connections in the lab, either. Web pages can be downloaded as described above and saved on each computer or, if the lab is networked, on the lab server. Downloading beforehand limits students' access to the Internet--that is, that they can access only the pages that you have downloaded for them. However, this may not be practical for use with research activities, for which students might need freer access to Internet resources.
You can find partner classrooms on the Internet for your students to write letters to partners in the other classroom in the target language. There are several sources to find "keypals":
- How to Write Activities For The Web : Using the Web as a resource of authentic documents
- Reading Strategies For Web Activities: How to incorporate reading strategies into readling lessons using Web resources
- Favorite Teacher URL's - Use these web sites to write your own Internet activities. There are 480 links to authentic documents on the web. They include Geography, Newspapers, Foods, Sports, Music, Literature, Museums, Artists, Leisure, History, Holidays/ Celebrations, Weather, Search Engines, and Comics.
This page is part of a Web site sponsored by the California Language Teachers Association (CLTA) and the California Foreign Language Project.
We'd like your feedback. Do you have questions or comments? Do you find this page helpful and accurate? Can you suggest any additions or corrections?
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Lewis Johnsonlewis_johnson@eee.org