The world is changing drastically in terms of technological advancement.

The internet

plays a major role in the lives of children and adults. Teachers and children engage in

internet activities inside and outside the classroom. The Early Childhood Development

Curriculum in Zimbabwe comprises of computer basic lessons designed for children.

This implies that the use of computers is gradually getting into the classroom. Therefore

the caregiver should be part of the paradigm shift and embrace the changes in the

teaching and learning process. There are many roles played by the internet in the

development of ECD children. The writer will focus 5 roles of the internet which are:

communication and collaboration, research, real time, web publishing and saving time

how these can assist in the classroom. The key terms to be defined are internet and

classroom.

Definition of terms

Internet

It is the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the internet

protocol suite (TPS) to link billions of devices worldwide. It is a network that consists of

millions of private, public, academic, business and government networks of local to

global scope, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking

technologies. It a global network of computers that works much like the postal system,

only at sub second speeds. Deducing from the above definitions the internet can be

defined as a combination of different networks globally coming together and providing

services to the whole world.

Classroom
A classroom is a learning space, a room where classes are held. It is a room or place

especially in a school in which classes are conducted (www.thefreedictionary.com).

Therefore a classroom is a special allocated space which serves the purpose of

accommodating learners as they receive their lessons.

Communication and Collaboration

The internet serves as basic tool in the teaching and learning process. Communication

is enhanced in that there is both the sender and the receiver. Therefore the teacher can

be the sender by sending information to other teachers at the same time being the

receiver by receiving information. The information can be in the form of curriculums,

lesson plans, schemes of work and children’s play activities. As teachers communicate

and search through the internet they encounter relevant and rich information that

improves the content of the curriculum. Communication has since lead to the

collaboration. This has led to