The advent of the Internet and its effects and implications upon science classroom teachers for K-12 students in the new millenium

Abstract

The advanced technology age is upon us, the amount of information worldwide is abominable and growing constantly. The methods of teaching a particular subject area in primary and secondary schools have changed dramatically in little more than thirty years, which has been virtually consistent for more than two hundred. As we approached the turn of the century, a new idea sprang into the scene of education, the worldwide web, or the informational giant most known as the Internet. This giant, with all of its potential became widely known in the mid-nineteen nineties and had significantly changed much of the way we viewed teaching, not to mention almost everything we did in our day-to-day lives. At the time, the question was not "Is it real?" Rather, "How do we use it?” was more appropriate. The words were a "buzz" in every aspect of life and the educational community became very interested in its applications, specifically the federal and state governments, universities, and the technology industry itself. The knowledge soon filtered into the primary and secondary educational settings. With this rapid advancement of international and worldwide information being accessed in seconds, the Internet "had come full circle" by the 21st century. In respect to teaching students through the twelfth grade, this giant information resource has enabled educational methods and techniques to metamorphosis and change consistently with every new addition. Specifically, the subject of science education is the focus of this study. What effects are involved for science education and what implications will the Internet have upon our youth in the new millennium? Some problems may exist. There is evidence of this information crunch actually "stalling" education while the instructors themselves catch up with the knowledge that their students already possess through simply "growing up" during this special time of universal learning. Other problems with the advent may be a longer delay of teachers from the "old school" of education resisting the imminent changes of the future. Yet another aspect may possibly be the challenges for universities to implement these new methods and integrate them into the world of teaching for new student teachers. Also, what are the expenses involved in the institutions to implement these changes? Finally, what new techniques and methods are blooming to change the shift of thinking to a more global intellectual world and make American education one of the premier leaders in K-12 education? All of these questions could be poised to be major problems if we do not set the stage correctly and education as we know it becomes simply a part of history. The future is here and in order to verify that these changes are for the better we, as educators, must take an imaginable step and ensure our future with this informational giant. The purpose of this study was to review, analyze and critique the literature relating to technological advances in the delivery of science in education. The information found in this study was used to provide a set of recommendations for future primary and secondary science teachers to adhere to in the future with respect to the Internet.