Home and Community

    Connecting what goes on in school with what's happening in the local community and at home is an important element of any students' education. To the extent that students can see these connections between school work and real work is the extent to which they can feel connected to the larger communities they live in. In many cases, students may not know much about their local community, and the units and lessons in this section can help facilitate learning about community organizations.

• Encourage students to learn about their local community, their family, their culture, and the organizations in the community. Local community organizations, such as police departments, fire departments, heath departments, social services, and homeless shelters are important services in the community. Often, these organizations have no money to develop and use the Internet. This, combined with students interest in using the Web, can be turned into a win-win situation if students help local organizations create a presence on the Web.

• Ask students to think about and appreciate the value of supportive services they have used in their lives. While many students are lucky enough not have needed these services, there are probably also students whose experiences can be turned into powerful learning opportunities for others. Encourage students to take an active role in community organizations in the local area. Many students start out in Girl or Boy Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, and other community organizations that help build an appreciate for the value of community service.

• Plan specific tasks for students to accomplish that focus their "browsing" but simultaneously allow them to pursue their own interests in family and community. For instance, if a student has a rich family history, encourage them to search for their genealogy at any of the resources on the Internet (see Related Resources section).

• If a problem occurs, technical, curricular, or otherwise, don't throw in the towel. Brainstorm with your students about possible ways to solve the problem. By viewing problems as challenges, teachers can help students adopt a mind set of inquisitiveness and empowerment that will help them navigate their own lives as well as the Web.

• Be flexible and prepared for anything, especially if this is a first time home-community connection. The best-laid plans may come to be scrapped, sometimes with wonderful results.