Harry Smidlap

I’d like you to meet Harry Smidlap. He’s a fourth grade teacher at SeeSpotRun Elementary School. In Harry’s classroom, the most technological device is the light switch. He has no pressure from his administration to incorporate technology into his curriculum. His principal is 75 years old and doesn’t get around to the classroom very much these days.

Harry is a sharp cookie. He sees the handwriting on the wall, and despite his classroom situation he is determined to use computer technology with his students. Harry has a computer at home that is Internet capable. A little informal survey tells Harry that over half his students have Internet capable computers at home, and several families are looking for a good excuse to purchase their first surfing machine.

Harry sends a letter home to his parents asking for assistance, and finds out that many current surfers would be happy to allow one of their kid’s friends to come over after school to log on to Nibble University. NU partners are established. A couple students live so far out they cannot be accommodated – unfortunate. Harry has to give them some alternative activities.

Harry doesn’t want to overwhelm his students with all the available activities on Nibble University, so he starts out with Daily Math. Five afternoons/evenings a week, Harry’s students log on to Nibble U and do the fourth grade daily math problems. At the beginning of each math period, Harry checks and discusses the NU Daily Math . His kids love going to Nibble University to do their daily math. They still have their book assignments, but Nibble U offers a fresh approach to practicing their skills. Besides, after the daily math problems are finished, many parents allow their kids to go to Nibble U’s playground for recess. Dick and Jane have a great Tic Tac Toe tournament in progress.

– SIX MONTHS INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR –

Six months into the school year we go back to Harry Smidlap’s fourth grade to see how things are going. Harry is now using the Internet Activities and Daily Reading, as well as the Daily Math. He reports that his students put so much pressure on their parents that everyone in class now has an Internet capable computer.

Harry thought the computer would be a great way to communicate with his parents. At first he was stumped, because his school had no webpage server and he still didn’t have a computer in his room. Harry heard about Professor Nibble’s HTML lessons, and soon learned how to build web pages. He also found out there are several free services where you could build a class web page.

On Harry’s class webpage he posts a weekly newsletter, telling the parents all the things that are happening during the week. He also lists all the students with overdue books. The weekly spelling list is available online. Harry has a photo gallery with candid shots of the kids at school. A class webpage is also a great way to share the fieldtrip to the retirement home, where their old principal is now living. (The vice-principal has taken over as principal and there is talk of a possible computer in Harry’s room next year.) Of course, Harry has a link from his webpages to the Nibble University Website. Next year Harry plans to start the year with a Yahoo Class Club where he and parents can exchange ideas and chew the fat.