1. Top 10 Internet Uses for Teaching & Learning Kim Stewart ADE 6606

2. Research Advancing technologies and the Internet have literally placed the world at our fingertips. By simply typing a few key words into a search engine, we have the ability to research and learn about anything we have an interest in. Google, one of the more popular search engines, was founded in 1997 by computer scientists Larry Page and Sergey Brin, whose vision was to create a search engine that would help organize the incalculable amount of information available on the world wide web (Google History, n.d., para. 3). For a comprehensive list of search engines and directories, visit http://www.thesearchenginelist.com/ For a comprehensive list of academic search engines and databases, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_academic_databases_and_search_engines Google. (n.d.). Google history. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/about/corporate/company/history.html

3. Education According to the National Center for Education Statistics, from 2007-08, approximately 20% of undergrads and 22% of post-baccalaureate students took some or all of their courses online (2011, para. 2); this number continues to grow through learning management systems, such as Blackboard. There are also a number of free course management systems, such as Moodle, that provide the tools to build collaborative learning environments, or can be used as a medium for teachers to share information with students and parents. http://moodle.org/ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). The Condition of Education 2011(NCES 2011-033). Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=80

4. Creating Websites Websites are an excellent way to share multimedia information quickly and creatively. There are many free programs available that you can use to build your own website that allow you to upload videos and pictures, create a blog, and more. One of the more popular web design builders is Weebly. http://www.weebly.com/ For a comprehensive list of free web builders, visit http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/best-web-builders-create-free-website/

5. Collaboration The ability to interact and collaborate with the instructor and other students is key to the perceived quality of any distance education program. Online collaboration tools, such as Wimba™ and Wimba Pronto™ provide the ability to chat/text, upload, design and present projects on a virtual whiteboard, stream videos, record and archive group sessions for future reference, and much more. http://www.wimba.com/products/wimba_classroom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPUVurDaWAE&feature=related For a comprehensive list of free online collaboration tools, visit http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2010/50-free-collaboration-tools/

6. Social Networking Social Network sites are an excellent way to connect with students using a medium that is either already very familiar to them, or is very simple to learn to navigate, like Facebook. Other sites, such as Student.com, are quickly gaining popularity because they are education-focused, but still offer students the opportunity to interact socially. http://www.student.com/ http://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/10/20/100-ways-you-should-be-using-facebook-in-your-classroom/

7. Knowledge Management People, and the knowledge they’ve acquired, are our greatest asset to furthering learning, and formal and informal Social Knowledge Networks (SKN) provide users with the ability to effectively and efficiently engage in Knowledge Management practices via the Internet. One example of a formal SKN is the Aviation Knowledge Network (AKN), created and maintained by KM, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, which contains more than 250 links to Aviation-specific topics and access to the Aviation Warfighter's Forum. Wikis are an example of an informal tools that allows you to create, collaborate and share knowledge on any topic. Educational Wikis already offers a comprehensive list of teaching and learning topics, but if you prefer to create your own, Wikispaces is a free program that will walk you through the process, step-by-step. http://www.rucker.army.mil/leadingchange/initiatives.html http://www.wikispaces.com/ For a comprehensive list of educational wikis, visit http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis

8. Tutorials Formal, online education programs continue to grow at an astounding rate, but the amount of informal learning occurring through this medium is immeasurable. Online tutorials like FreeSkills.com, provide free access to hundreds of basic skill building tutorials, courses, degree programs, tests and test prep exams. http://tutorials.freeskills.com/ For a comprehensive list of free online tutorials, visit http://www.khake.com/page67.html

9. Videos & Podcasting One style of learning does not fit all. In other words, students may respond best to visual, auditory, or tactile/kinesthetic cues, or a combination thereof. Videos and podcasting are excellent mediums for teaching and learning because they engage the students’ senses for a more fulfilling learning experience. An excellent resource for current events that uses videos and podcasting is CNN Student News. It offers videos, podcasts, supplemental discussion questions and quizzes, and more. An excellent resource for creating videos is vimeo – it is simple to use, has high quality video and audio, the links are easy to upload, and it’s free! http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/ http://vimeo.com/ For a comprehensive list of free educational video sites, visit http://www.refseek.com/directory/educational_videos.html

10. Instructional Tools There are a number of sites that provide access to free, customizable instructional tools. Scholastic.com is a great resource for technology-based skill-builder activities, planners and organizers, templates, lesson plans, and more. TeacherShare is a Scholastic® program where educators can create and share their ideas. Currently, there are over a thousand tried-and-proven educational resources available. The Center for Learning & Performance Technologies (C4LPT) maintains a directory of over 2,000 tools for learning and working in education and the workplace, many of which are free. C4LPT http://teacher.scholastic.com/tools/ http://teachershare.scholastic.com/ For a comprehensive list of learning and performance tools, visit http://c4lpt.co.uk/directory-of-learning-performance-tools/

11. Virtual Worlds & Simulation Advancing technologies are producing virtual learning environments that make it possible to simulate activities that might be impossible to duplicate in the classroom, such as conducting high-risk experiments, traveling across the globe, and interacting “live” with other students from around the world. Second Life® (SL) is a 3-D, multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) where students create and manipulate an avatar. Though it is used primarily for entertainment, SL is currently in use in some distance education programs and is being researched for expanded implementation. According to Wang and Hsu (2009), some of the benefits of this media are an increased sense of belonging, the ability for students to communicate nonverbally, and reduced attrition rate because students tend to develop a connection with their avatar. http://secondlife.com/ Wang, S., & Hsu, H. (2009). Using the ADDIE model to design second life activities for online learners. TechTrends, 53(6), 76-82. doi: 10.1007/s11528-009-0347-x