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A WebQuest Critique

The Best and Worst of Webquest

The two examples from WebQuest I thought were the best were "Grow School Greens" and "Where is my Hero?" These two I feel would be great for students to do. "Grow School Greens" involves togetherness with the class and the students also get to see their project progress as the vegetables grow. "Where is my Hero?" is a great activity to get students creative sides thinking but also includes learning. The students are able to collaborate outside the classroom and analyze people they choose to be theuir hero.  


The two WebQuests I found the worst were "We all Scream for Ice Cream" and "Ancient Egypt WebQuest." The ice cream activity to me does not seem very educational. They learn to make ice cream but what are they really learning? Also the site was somewhat confusing. The Egypt activity is not terrible but the creators probably could have taken a different approach to the idea. The site was very plain and boring which turns people away quickly. Also it seems like the project is very dry, there is not much room for kids to be creative in it.

The best sites mean to me that children are getting involved and learning. These activities are educational but allow students to show their creative side as well. The worst sites are the ones kids would not learn from. Either the activity is fun for students but they do not learn anything or the students learn but are very bored with the activity.
 

A Webquest About Webquests

The Top Ten Video

When it came to activities in my K-12 education it all depended on the teacher to what activities we did. Some teachers strictly taught lectures, others liked worksheets, but my favorite kind of teacher was the one who liked us to interact. So I was able to experience a few times when I did little activities like the one in this video. I had a class where at one point in the year the students were put into groups and had to teach a chapter to the class. I also did group projects where we researched, wrote papers, and created games to go with our topic. So needless to say I did have a few times where I did some fun activities but nothing to this extreme and not in fourth grade. I think that this activity addresses all the learning styles, even kinesthetic. The students are involved in so many different projects everyone’s learning style seems to be incorporated. The students give lectures/presentations, research, have discussion, do a test on their pets, and more.


I am not very surprised that most of this project was done without the use of textbooks. The students did not need books they could find any information they needed on computers and from experience with the animals. I think students have more fun when they are not having to research a book. They want to go out into the world and figure information out on their own and in a fun way. I would definitely consider teaching in a similar way. Some concerns I might have are some students not getting into the assignment and other students having to do extra work because someone is slacking off. Also children at the age do not know much about researching so that may be a barrier we need to work on.

My Blogging Thoughts

I liked keeping a blog this semester because I have never had a blog before. I think it is a great tool to teach teachers and future teachers especially in this technology savvy world. It is a way to stay connected with your students and their parents outside of the classroom. This is definitely a great way for teachers to be more effective with their students. Most likely students have computers at home and are on them a lot. So by communicating to them through a computer you may be able to show them ways computers can help them educationally. I’m not sure if I will continue posting to my blog. I may try to start a new blog in the future focused on my classroom. Throughout my blogging this semester I have learned more about networking. Blogging has helped me learn new ways to communicate to people via computer and internet. There is no limit to the ways people can communicate and blogging is just one of the many. There are also education sites that are designed for teachers and students to communicate. Also, I cannot forget about skyping people, the new way to talk on the computer but still be face to face.  

Wikipedia: Friend Not Foe

The class activity did not change my opinion much when it comes to the value of Wikipedia. I do not think we need to forbid students from using the sight just teach them how to use it properly. Students need to know Wikipedia is not a site you can cite information from but just a starting point site. You can search for your topic and see what information you can find. Then research that information. If I were to have my students use Wikipedia in my classroom I would first have a few lessons on how to use the site. I would probably try to explain the four points brought up in the article: familiarize yourself with the site, discuss the wiki concept with students, start small, and prepare for challenges. I believe these four discussions will help my students become knowledgeable on how to use Wikipedia.  

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a web-based encyclopedia operated by a non-profit organization called the Wikipedia Foundation. I would not say that this is the most trustworthy source to get information but it can help you get on the right track to finding reliable sources. The creators of Wikipedia put their faith in the “wisdom of crowds.” They hope that with so many people watching the website incorrect information and vandalism will be weeded out. Larry Sanger, Wikipedia founder, left the website because he believed a website like this one should give more authority to experts than the public. Abuse and vandalism on this site look like advertisements and self-interested editing by prominent businesses and governments around the world. The statistics reveal to us that Wikipedia is a site that people around the world use daily for many different topics. Wikipedia is so successful because it has a wide variety of topics and information plus is easy to access. The creator’s probably do not want to accept advertising because this non-profit organization relies on donations. Advertisements would take away some of the donators. Wikiscanner is a tool that allows IP addresses of anonymous editors of the site to be easily checked.

Website Powerpoint

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California's Velcro Crop under Challenge

Name of page: California's Velcro Crop under Challenge
Address/URL: http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html
Date Accessed: April 1. 2010
How did you find the page?: recommended by my teacher

 The domain of the page is .com which mean this is a commercial site and anyone could have posted it. 
The author of this article is identified right under the titile. I assume the author is just an individual because there is only his name, no organization, corporation or organization is mentioned that he may be affiliated with. There is also no information about the author whatsoever. Nothing about his credentials, education or his career.
I believe that this man created the information himself. There are not any sources to back up his statements. With this information presented or lack of I might add, I do not believe this man is qualified to write about this issue. He clearly made this information up because there are no links to other websites that have information on this issue.      
There really is not much of a purpose to this article. It mainly just talks about how over the years velcro is getting more difficult to grow and that it is hard for workers to manage it. The author wants people to realize there are special needs to grow velcro and get them to help solve those problems.
There are no adds so it is hard to tell who the audience is the author is targeting. I would say an older audience due to the vocabulary and people who use velcro. 
There is no information provided that informs us when the article was last updated and there is no need to maintain this page because there is absolutely nothing on it but the article itself. The only information provided is when the article was written. This page is completely unreliable. The are no other sources, links, reviews, awards, or opinions from experts. Anyone could have written and posted this.   
This site fits the criteria of my current assignment. This site is very questionable with no information to back up his facts. This is a perfect example of a website that has false information on it. This website would work for anyone researching questionable websites.

Getting to Know My Class Chart

Getting to Know the Class...

Social Networking for Children Under Thirteen??

Do you think people should be allowed to use sites like facebook or myspace if they are under the age of thirteen?

This has become a major discussion question lately among parents. They don't know whether they should allow their children to become a part of the Facebook phenomenon or not. In my opinion thirteen year olds are too young for Facebook. I understand some people disagree but just listen to what I have to say. First of all Facebook states that in order to create an account the user must be at least thirteen years old. I know for a fact that there are children younger than thirteen who have a Facebook. How do they have one you might ask? Simple, they lie. Already at a very early age children are lying about their age just to be part of Facebook. This is insane! Also, if it is that easy for children to lie about their age what do you think is stopping other people, older people, from lying about their age or other things? Nothing is. Children do not know all the dangers that are on social networks. They believe everyone is telling the truth and just wants to be their friend. In their minds there are no internet predators, cyber bullies, exposed language, or people impersonating other people. They have no sense of the dangers they might be getting themselves into just by accepting a friend request.

So my advice to those parents who allow their children to get a Facebook at a young age are these:

Ø  Make sure you have all your child’s information (password, username, etc.) so that you are able to keep track of what your child is doing.

Ø  Make sure no private information is posted anywhere (phone number, address, etc.).

Ø  It might be a smart idea to create an email designated for Facebook only.

Ø  ONLY add people you know!! Even if you know them be careful, there are impersonators out there.  

Ø  Lastly, supervise absolutely everything your child does or writes.

My Picassohead

How Schools Kill Creativity

     According to Sir Ken Robison creativity is just as important as literacy. As adults we are frightened to be wrong and make mistakes but what we need to be doing is preparing ourselves to be wrong. Today we are trying to change children to not make mistakes and taking away their creativity. As children we grow and educate ourselves out of creativity. The arts are always at the bottom of the teaching curriculum all over the world. People believe that the most useful things are at the top of academics. As teachers we need to rethink what we’re teaching our students, we must learn to educate a student’s whole being not just a part of it.

     The main thing that I believe will help teachers promote creativity is to step out of their comfort zone. I know that this is easier said than done but the overall benefit is worth it. Teachers will have to put a little more effort into their planning but if it helps the students get to know more about their creative side isn’t it worth it? We need to brainstorm and put our ideas to a test; if they don’t work then we try something else. Without trial and error we will never know what works. Teachers can also bring their own ways of learning into their classroom. They can show students what helps them to learn better and that may help the child to start thinking of ways that may help themselves learn.

     One thing that I wish my teachers had known about me as a learner is that I learn best when I am up moving and involved in an activity. I think this is true for a lot of people and students. I believe that students learn faster and remember more when doing hands on activities.

 

My Learning Style

I have learned from the learner style test that I am a kinesthetic learner, although my other styles are quite high as well. Some strategies for these learners should use in the classroom might be to chew gum. Kinesthetic learners are antsy and need movement which is why chewing gum or walking while repeating their notes would help offer a motion stimulus for students. Coloring their notes and maps is also a great way for students to be activity while learning. One last thing that can help kinesthetic students is re-writing or re-typing their notes, this helps them with memory. I believe this test to be moderately accurate. I have thought of myself as a kinesthetic learner multiple times because I normally learn better when I do hands on activities and am moving.

Kinesthetic Learner by Melanie Springer: "Picassohead"

Investigating Junk Mail Powerpoint

Investigating Junk Mail Powerpoint Link:
http://www.slideshare.net/melspri/investigating-junk-mail-ppt-7289330

Lesson Plan Link:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/investigating-junk-mail-negotiating-321.html

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Fifth Graders Thoughts on Edmodo

   The number one reason fifth grade students liked using Edmodo to publish their writing was having other people read their stories. They liked the fact that their friends could read their stories and give them advice on how to make their story better. The students liked the collaborative writing activity the best. It seems to me the students really enjoyed having us Fairmont State students read their stories and add our own thoughts to them. 

   I thought the Edmodo project was enjoyable and interesting. I loved being able to hear what kinds of stories are in the minds of a fifth grader. Also it was fun seeing how fifth graders reacted to what college students thought about their stories. This was a great learning experience for me because I was able to hear straight from fifth graders what they are looking for in a teacher. This will help me greatly as I continue my journey of becoming a teacher.  

   Collaboration projects that I might be able to implement in my future classroom using a microblogging tool like Edmodo would probably be very similar to this project. I like the idea of students communicating with people or students of different backgrounds or ages and being able to hear their thoughts on matters. I think it might be a fun project to team up with a class in a different country and see what my students and those of a different country had in common. We would be able to learn about new countries and have fun while doing so.

President Obama picture comparison of the Gulf Coast Oil spill

I think Obama looks more concerned in this picture because he looks very serious and worried. He looks as if he is deep in thought figuring out what words to choose for a difficult speech. Maybe he is preparing for a television interview or press conference. You can tell from the background that he looks like he is inside which is normally where interviews or conferences happen. His facial expressions and body language give away that something is wrong. His eyes are serious and posture is tense. Also the camera angle is right in his face, like nothing else matter except what he is going to say.   

In this picture Obama looks more in control. The background tells us that he is in the Gulf Coast with people working on the oil spill. This picture would be the one that makes people feel confident in Obama's abilities to respond to the disaster. If you look at his facial expression he is smiling. He does not look nearly as tense as he does in the other picture. It looks as if he feels that everything is going to work out and the people should feel the same way. The camera angle here is from a distance giving Obama his space. His arms and hands look relaxed; he almost looks like he may be walking to just enjoy the scenery with coworkers or friends. He may be thanking all the workers for their hard work and encouraging them to keep it up. That would put a smile on all their faces.   



Media and Traditional Literacy

In the article “Teaching Media Literacy” by Jane L. David it is discussed how schools in the United States do not teach enough about media literacy. I do not know exactly what goes on in the schools these days but I know when I was growing up we did not have many classes where we did work on the computer. We mostly worked on traditional literacy skills. As much as I want to say yes we really need to step up our game and teach more online, we also need to work on the basics still. I believe it is important to stress both media literacy and traditional literacy skills in the school system these days. Both are needed to understand each other. If we do not teach kids to read and analyze things how are they going to go online and know what they are looking for or reading? Both types of literacy skills are very different but both are needed to survive in this world. It is true that most people and kids now a day spend a great deal of their time online and we need to start preparing them with information they will need to know to make good decisions on the internet.

Teacher Magazine Cover

Digital Story Learning

I think that Digital Stories are great but not quite the same kind of learning as an essay or research paper. I like digital stories and think children would love to have projects involving them, but I would not have it as a substitute for an essay. Students need to learn how to write a good paper. Just because their teacher this year believes digital stories are a better way to get your point across does not mean next year’s teacher will be. I can see some students figuring out shortcuts to get the information they need without having to research their topic. Granted students can do the same with an essay, but in an essay it would be stealing another person’s paper or plagiarizing. If teachers want to use digital stories instead of research papers they will need to create a system of steps for the students to show that they have researched their topic and understand what they are presenting. That seems like a lot of work that is not necessary. I think digital stories are great and should be taught, but not in place of writing papers.     

Teacher Quote

How To: Toss the Text

  This article is about teaching without textbooks. It may sound like a strange thought because normally when people think of school they think of kids reading and learning from textbooks. But that may not be the best way for kids to learn anymore. This article is about steps to help teachers move away from the textbooks and create their own new curriculum to help the students learn more. Some of these steps include:

1. Read Widely, this way teachers can find a variety of approaches to use.
2. Plan and Prioritize, figure out what exactly you want the students to learn, you can still use the book but this is a stepping stone in the right direction.
3. Borrow and Adapt Others' Curriculum, no one expects you to come up with all your own ideas in the beginning, it's okay to ask other teachers and use outside sources.
4. Stay Organized, always plan ahead, maybe even use a computer to keep all the information in one place.
5. Keep your Students Organized, kids always need help staying organized, you can explain to them easy ways like organizing their binders and notebooks, it will help them later down the road if they learn to stick with it.
6. Customize Homework, sometimes the best way for a student to learn is to use real life examples and scenarios, they may understand it better because it relates to them.
7. Consider the Barriers to Doing Without a Textbook, not using a textbook does not make life any easier, actually it's quite the opposite, there are costs for handouts, parents that worry their children are not learning without a textbook and administrators to convince this is better for the students.
8. Remember to Teach Textbook Skills, even though you may not use a textbook that does not mean children do not have to read anymore, you can have them read articles from a magazine or web page.
9. Anticipate Failure, no one gets eveything right all the time, people fail, it is just a part of life, learn from lessons that do not seem to work and brainstorm new ideas.

Textbooks have been used for many many years and will continue to be used for years to come. Just remember students today may need more than just words to help them understand a concept. Stepping away from the textbook every now and then may be a good idea, who knows, you may even begin to prefer it.

Introducing Me

      I was born and raised in Martinsburg, WV. This is the city in which I decided I wanted to become a teacher. After graduating from college I plan to become an elementary school teacher. I would love to teacher fourth or fifth grade math.

      I believe that children need to experience early on that learning new things does not have to be a chore. Learning can, and should be fun!! Children do not need to read out of a textbook. They need hands on experience to fully understand what is being taught. If you make the lesson into a game or at least relate it to kids then they will learn and remember more. Make the kids laugh, kids will always remember a lesson they laughed in. In my classroom I plan on having activities that the students will be up out of their seats moving around the classroom. I will do my best to have plenty of games for students to learn with and make class as enjoyable as possible.