I am often asked by computer teachers for the ability to disable the Internet when they work with students in a computer lab.  There are numerous programs that control a student’s workstation.  I have reviewed numerous proposals for software that achieves this goal.

I’ve come to a final conclusion: No computer class should deny students access to the Internet.  In fact, a computer is not a computer without the Internet (and not only because your computer runs faster and better when fully updated).  No technology project or assignment is complete without the benefit of the Internet.

If a teacher doesn’t want a student to use the Internet, he/she need to make the expectations clear from the beginning of the assignment.  If a student uses the Internet instead of works on another project, he/she should receive a consequence.  A warning at first, then they could be removed from the computer for a limited amount of time, and finally removal for the rest of the period.  If the behavior persists, a parent should be contacted.  The computer lab is no different than the classroom; if a student is not on task and working on an assignment, how do we respond?

Why have I reached this conclusion?  We are foolish not to embrace the advantages of the Internet.  It’s existence has made computing much more interesting and interactive.  Are we still caught up in teaching students the same skills from ten years ago: how to type in Microsoft Word, organize data in Excel, and program in Java.  These activities, though still valuable, were the most that technology offered in the 1990s.  Since then, there are more options than word processing and object oriented programming.  We need a significant paradigm shift toward seeing how the ever increasing resources on the Internet enhance our curriculum.

I’ve read elsewhere how the concept of technology integration is outdated as well.  It’s true.  No core subject can exist without technology.  Technology allows us to teach and make our content area more accessible and engaging to our students. Let’s stop finding ways to restrict access to the content and help redirect them toward using it for their benefit.