Integrating technology into the classroom might seem to be a daunting task--especially when confronted with the fear that your students might know more about technology than you do. Most of your students will enter a work force dominated by electronic reliance. It is essential to get them in the habit now of using computers and the Internet for their assignments and tasks. Don't be afraid to take this step. Turning normal classroom procedures into an online experience is easier than you might think.

Encourage your students to conduct research on the Internet. The next time you assign a research paper, instruct them to use at least one or two Internet sources. You might need to set aside time in a class to teach what kind of online sources are reliable and acceptable for research, and you will need to demonstrate how to properly cite these sources in a paper.

Give your students the option of turning in assignments online. Show them how to attach a document to an email and send it to you. This will not only get them accustomed to using email in a job setting, it will also save paper and cut back on tiresome excuses such as "my printer malfunctioned," or "I left my paper at home by accident."

Require that your students have an email address that they check regularly. Use email as a primary way of communicating outside of the classroom. You can send them articles to read before the next class, remind them of upcoming due dates or send homework assignments to absent students. Remember that this goes both way. Make sure you are checking your email often in case a student has a question for you.

Create a class forum. You can use this online setting as a place to further discuss learning material. Make minimum requirements for the students' activity. For instance, you could say that the students must start at least one thread with a discussion question each week, and they must reply to at least three threads started by other students.

Substitute traditional classroom projects or assignments with online alternatives. For instance, you could let go of the typical class writing journals and instead ask each student to create a blog. When you have an in-depth project coming up, don't require poster boards filled with charts and information--have the students create their own webpages.

Embrace the ease of the online grade book. Bid goodbye to the days of punching numbers into your calculator to average grades together--online programs can do that for you. Even better, these grade books can be posted publicly, so that students and parents can check grades or absences any time they wish. This could potentially eliminate the need for struggling students to receive weekly progress reports.