One of the frustrating moments when using this resource is trying to revisit this ultra useful or ultra cool website, only to find that it's no longer at the place where you had last bookmarked it.
Webmasters let their domain name registration lapse and some cyber-squatter comes in and takes possession of the site. Regular users of the internet site can certainly get a surprise when the content of the site changes dramatically from it originally had been.
This phenomenon of cyber-squatting is not going unnoticed. For an interesting article, check out this article from ITeachnet.
In other cases, it happens because the website operator has done a little housekeeping and moved pages around. Another common occurrence is the scenario where the original webpage was a private project that was placed on one of those Internet sites that offers "Free Parking". The site goes down, the author loses interest, or for any one of many reasons, the site is no longer available.
In any of the above scenarios, the result is the same.
A perfectly crafted lesson has now lost its effect. Students are told to ignore this site and move on to the next site or to compromise the intent in some other fashion.
Does this mean that you should remote this resource from your lessons. No. What we're seeing is a technology that is maturing. Would filters ensure that things work the way they should? Again, the answer is no.
The solution lies in the treatment of the Internet as a classroom tool. As with all lessons, proper planning and preparation ensures success. Check to make sure that online resources work before the lesson, just as you would check an overhead projector. Proper supervision of the class will ensure that the most benefit can get obtained from the resource.
Now, more than ever, ensuring that everything works takes on great importance. The used of verified link pages or webquests will direct students to known sites of educational value.
The GECDSB Webquest collection and the GECDSB Curriculum Link pages are verified regularly and missing links are either corrected or purged. These should serve as starting points for designing activities to get the most from student time spent online.
