d. Developing Your Own Knowledge of the Resources

Having made decisions about using some of the resources and opportunities in tandem, it is important for the teacher in the case study to get to know the resources well enough to feel confident about using them in the classroom. It is also important that the pupils will feel comfortable about using the resources.

We can focus on this with an exercise that requires that you get to know a bit more about searching and retrieving material from a CD-ROM or the web. Firstly, try the following two search methods using the web:

• Go to any of the search engines mentioned earlier, and type in only the phrase: unidentified flying object. Take a note of how many hits you get from the search, and look at them to see how relevant they are.
• Then, repeat the search, this time typing in: "unidentified flying object". Note again the number of hits and their level of relevance.

Take a look at the results of your search, and visit as many of the sites as you like. Note the views expressed on the sites, and consider how these views might inform the arguments of learners. Try the same technique for the CD-ROM. Also, though, use the topic and subject index for the disc and note where in the subject structure of the disc the topic has been placed.

Then answer the following questions - just to give you some focus to begin with:

1. When you searched for the words 'unidentified', 'flying' and 'object' together, what happened to your search results?
2. When you placed these words together as - "unidentified flying object" - what was the difference?
3. How would you describe the range of perspectives encountered on UFO's compared with that on the other two topics?
4. How would you describe the materials in the CD-ROM you used from the point of view of their value as stimulus to discussion?
5. Do you know how to copy segments from the web or the CD-ROM for insertion in your own worksheets and resources? If you do, are you aware of the copyright laws governing this action?

When you have looked at your CD-ROM and the web in the light of these questions, and perhaps written some worksheets of your own to go with the CD and web, you should discuss with your mentor what you want to do with the resource in the classroom. This can be done in a mentor visit, over the telephone or by e-mail, and should serve merely to satisfy you that you are on the right track with your use of the materials.

e. Planning the Work of Learners