One of best ways to incorporate Internet lesson plans into your curriculum is to make it part of your standard lesson plans. Instead of trying to find "canned" lesson plans to adopt in whole and unmodified, focus rather on "lesson ideas" that can be adopted and integrated into your lesson objectives. Look for internet lesson plans to enhance and supplement what you are already doing, not supplant it. Keep in mind that the number of sites devoted to lesson plans grows daily and you will need to do some critical evaluation before introducing any of these ideas into your classroom. Not all lesson plans will automatically be valuable, authentic learning experiences.
Here are some suggestions from the Plano ISD Instructional Center:
Identify those areas of your curriculum that seem to be the most likely to be supported by freely available Internet resources.
Keep a bookmark list with a section devoted to lesson plans in the areas you're most interested in.
Involve other colleagues in the collection and evaluation of possible lesson plans already produced.
Research the topics yourself before assigning projects to students to make certain that an appropriate number of resources exist. Expect the students to find resources that you didn't.
Work collaboratively with colleagues as you develop your original lesson plans that integrate Internet resources.
Share your lesson plans so that others can benefit from your work.
"Your examples showed how we can maximize student participation in every class activity, and thus have them take ownership of their own learning."
Margartia Curtis, Head of School, Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA
