For my WebQuest I worked with Shara Israelsen and Amy Jeppson. I really liked the WebQuest format and I think this is such a great resource for students to use.
Here is the link to view the plan http://questgarden.com/71/92/5/081027081536/index.htm
Monday, November 24, 2008
Weekly Reflection--Whitney Anderson
I have never used computer tutorials and I found that they were o.k. I liked the math one a lot better than the reading one because reading is a more open ended process.
a. Discuss the potential benefits of the computer tutors.
These programs are nice because they are very accessible and the student can work on their own. They can also move at a pace that is comfortable to them. It helps cut back on having to hire extra help to come in as a tutor. Students can be tutored at any time and it is very adaptable to their needs.
b. Are there any concerns or weaknesses?
You can never replace the knowledge of a human being. On the reading tutorial when I typed in my answers they would just correct it with whatever they had typed in. As a student this could be come frustrating and de-motivational because they can't really check the students work. All the computer can do is tell the student that they are wrong. In the math one you only got one extra try before they gave you the answer. In real life students may need 3 or 4 chances to get the answer right. I think that these tutorials are good but a real person working with a child is the most beneficial.
c. How would you better design those tutors?
I would try to find a way that the students can ask more questions, some kind of interactive feedback. Students should also be given more chances to get the correct answer with hints and more instruction given to them. It would be awesome if the computer could track what the student writes for the answer and then either accepts or doesn't accept it.
a. Discuss the potential benefits of the computer tutors.
These programs are nice because they are very accessible and the student can work on their own. They can also move at a pace that is comfortable to them. It helps cut back on having to hire extra help to come in as a tutor. Students can be tutored at any time and it is very adaptable to their needs.
b. Are there any concerns or weaknesses?
You can never replace the knowledge of a human being. On the reading tutorial when I typed in my answers they would just correct it with whatever they had typed in. As a student this could be come frustrating and de-motivational because they can't really check the students work. All the computer can do is tell the student that they are wrong. In the math one you only got one extra try before they gave you the answer. In real life students may need 3 or 4 chances to get the answer right. I think that these tutorials are good but a real person working with a child is the most beneficial.
c. How would you better design those tutors?
I would try to find a way that the students can ask more questions, some kind of interactive feedback. Students should also be given more chances to get the correct answer with hints and more instruction given to them. It would be awesome if the computer could track what the student writes for the answer and then either accepts or doesn't accept it.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Weekly Reflection--Whitney Anderson
During this class session we learned the basics of the Instructional Architect (IA) program. Professor Tom Caswell was kind enough to come and share what he knew about the program. IA has about the same purpose as WebQuests, it is designed to provide students with online experience and present websites in an organized manner to help students learn. While they have about the same purpose they are executed in different ways. I really like that IA is free to all teachers and that you are able to take projects that other teachers have done and adapt them to you and your needs. Many times we find great ideas but we need to tweak it to fit our situation or our teaching style. It was also really easy to pick a layout and format the lesson exactly the way you wanted, it allowed for a bit more creativity. Yet having less structure can really vary the quality of the projects. I also really enjoyed how it had the resources that you could search right through the program. The web has limitless information sources available but these programs are wonderful in narrowing down the information to provide a quality experience for our students.
Learning about these wonderful tools makes me wish that they would have been utilized in my practicum and even during my own schooling. Really the only experience the children in my practicum had was using a computer once maybe twice a week and most of this was spent at one site dictated by the adults. Programs like IA and WebQuest not only give the students control over their learning it gives them necessary technology skills. Teachers cannot afford to overlook this generation and their needs. I plan on incorporating both of these helpful resources and tools into my teaching.
Learning about these wonderful tools makes me wish that they would have been utilized in my practicum and even during my own schooling. Really the only experience the children in my practicum had was using a computer once maybe twice a week and most of this was spent at one site dictated by the adults. Programs like IA and WebQuest not only give the students control over their learning it gives them necessary technology skills. Teachers cannot afford to overlook this generation and their needs. I plan on incorporating both of these helpful resources and tools into my teaching.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Weekly Reflection--Whitney Anderson
Today in class we did a geometric scavenger search using digital cameras. This activity is very appropriate for students because it was fun, engaging, and meaningful. It helps students to apply their learning into a real world context. Shapes are all around us and should not just be studied out of a textbook. This activity helps them to find shapes in their immediate surroundings. It also gives them practice using cameras and learning about how to download, edit, and place them in a program. Comiclife was a very fun program that I think the students would just love. It was very user friendly and a great way to present their final work. I remember one day I was walking around campus and I saw a class from the Edith Bowen Elementary school out doing this exact activity. The students were having a blast finding an assortment of shapes. I never used a digital camera in school but I think that it would have been very fun and useful if I would have had the opportunity too. This activity was easy and wouldn't take a lot of preparation. We need to give the students opportunities to use these programs and to help them to see how technology can enhance their own projects and work. The digital camera can be utilized in many different types of projects and useful in helping students create their own images. It also gives them skills that they can use in personal use so that they will understand how to upload their own personal pictures. Overall I really enjoyed today's activity and will definitely incorporate the use of digital cameras into my future classroom and throughout my student teaching.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Weekly Reflection--Whitney Anderson
1. What form(s) did you like/dislike? Why?
The forms that I liked included the critical evaluation of a website on the elementary school level and the midlink magazine web page evaluation form. These two forms allowed more flexibility in evaluating the page. The critical evaluation page allowed you to write a whole paragraph assessing the pros/cons of the website. The midlink one allows you to use a scale rather than a yes or no type answering. The one that I did not really like was the regular website evaluation form from bv299. I felt that it was lacking in information about the site and didn't really help you evaluate the quality of the site. The www.cyberguide ratings was fair I wish that instead of a yes and no type question format it would be more on a scale but the questions helped you to see the quality of the website.
2. Were there any hidden secrets about a website you discovered by using an evaluation form?
One of the things I learned was about the www.altavista.com where you can find how websites link to others. This can give you more of an idea of what type of website you are looking at. The other thing I learned more about is just how to find how current the page is and who the author is.
3. What is the value of using a web site evaluation process?
By using the evalution process it helps you focus on things that you may not have considered before. It helps you really narrow in on the use and credibility of the information. Many things like how it links to other websites, if it has a way to get back to the main page, when it was created and updated, etc. It is always easier when you have something to follow rather than just trying to come up with something yourself. It can also help keep everyone on the same page, you could have many different people evaluate a site but the standard form would keep some consistency.
4. Are there times you would/would not use a formal evaluation?
As long as the form is effective in evaluating I feel that it is a very beneficial to use. I would use it in most instances especially if a principle asked me to check out certain sites. It is also useful for personal use to help me narrow in on what information I want to get out of a site. I probably would not use a formal evaluation if I was in a rush to get something done and didn't have a lot of time to sit down and fill out a form. Also there are times when you go to a website and from first impression you can tell if the content will be appropriate or not appropriate. If you can immediately see that something is inappropriate there would be no reason to use the evaluation. In most instances though I think it is very beneficial.
The forms that I liked included the critical evaluation of a website on the elementary school level and the midlink magazine web page evaluation form. These two forms allowed more flexibility in evaluating the page. The critical evaluation page allowed you to write a whole paragraph assessing the pros/cons of the website. The midlink one allows you to use a scale rather than a yes or no type answering. The one that I did not really like was the regular website evaluation form from bv299. I felt that it was lacking in information about the site and didn't really help you evaluate the quality of the site. The www.cyberguide ratings was fair I wish that instead of a yes and no type question format it would be more on a scale but the questions helped you to see the quality of the website.
2. Were there any hidden secrets about a website you discovered by using an evaluation form?
One of the things I learned was about the www.altavista.com where you can find how websites link to others. This can give you more of an idea of what type of website you are looking at. The other thing I learned more about is just how to find how current the page is and who the author is.
3. What is the value of using a web site evaluation process?
By using the evalution process it helps you focus on things that you may not have considered before. It helps you really narrow in on the use and credibility of the information. Many things like how it links to other websites, if it has a way to get back to the main page, when it was created and updated, etc. It is always easier when you have something to follow rather than just trying to come up with something yourself. It can also help keep everyone on the same page, you could have many different people evaluate a site but the standard form would keep some consistency.
4. Are there times you would/would not use a formal evaluation?
As long as the form is effective in evaluating I feel that it is a very beneficial to use. I would use it in most instances especially if a principle asked me to check out certain sites. It is also useful for personal use to help me narrow in on what information I want to get out of a site. I probably would not use a formal evaluation if I was in a rush to get something done and didn't have a lot of time to sit down and fill out a form. Also there are times when you go to a website and from first impression you can tell if the content will be appropriate or not appropriate. If you can immediately see that something is inappropriate there would be no reason to use the evaluation. In most instances though I think it is very beneficial.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Weekly Reflection--Whitney Anderson
Today was an exciting day I really enjoyed learning about surveys because I think taking surveys is fun! Spreadsheets are very useful in doing grades or any kind of data that needs to be input, it is also so nice to have all of the different formulas provided because that allows you to calculate anything you need to in a quick and efficient way. I have used spreadsheets in many of the jobs I have held and can see the usefulness for teachers as they need a way to organize data especially the students grades.
Surveys are a valuable tool that I would not have readily thought of. They are a great way to involve parents in the class, get students input, get to know the students/parents, or even give a quiz to the students. Surveys don't take very long but if done right can provide a lot of valuable information. How wonderful to have feedback from parents and students about how they feel about the class and my teaching. I have been in many classes where I would have liked to take a survey on the class where I could give my input as to how I learn best and what type of teaching works best for me. Online quizzes are always nice for me because I can do it on my own time and typing is a faster way for me to communicate my ideas than just writing them out. It was easy to see the information of the people who took my survey and the results were immediate. So check out my survey here!
Surveys are a valuable tool that I would not have readily thought of. They are a great way to involve parents in the class, get students input, get to know the students/parents, or even give a quiz to the students. Surveys don't take very long but if done right can provide a lot of valuable information. How wonderful to have feedback from parents and students about how they feel about the class and my teaching. I have been in many classes where I would have liked to take a survey on the class where I could give my input as to how I learn best and what type of teaching works best for me. Online quizzes are always nice for me because I can do it on my own time and typing is a faster way for me to communicate my ideas than just writing them out. It was easy to see the information of the people who took my survey and the results were immediate. So check out my survey here!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Weekly Reflection--Whitney Anderson
Wow today I gained a lot of new knowledge and useful tools to use in creating documents. Word processing is a tool that I use all of the time, and I believe it will be an essential skill to teach my students. Our world requires the ability to process documents through the computer for almost any job or profession. The regular Microsoft Word was mostly just a review to me, except for learning more about the editing tools. The editing tools will be great to use with my students because I will be able to see exactly what they changed.
Google Docs was awesome and will be such a useful tool for me today as a college student and even more for the future with my students. Even today in college I like to have my mom read through and edit my papers, we usually transfer copy after copy of my assignment. Using Google Docs will leave it in a central place with one copy and save a lot of transferring and hassle. Our students will need these word processing skills especially in a work environment. It is a great way to have students collaborate on projects and will help make group work be more efficient. They could even edit stories with other schools from across the country or across the world which would be such a neat experience.
This just reaffirms to me that our students need access to computers not only at school but in their home environment, I don't want them to miss out on what is available to them. We are robbing our students of valuable things when we take technology out of their education. We as teachers are advocates for students and their families and helping them obtain access to technology is a worthy cause to fight for. I think about my practicum experience and how little those children were exposed to technology and I think about how much they could have benefited from learning things like Google Docs. They would hand write their stories and then type them up on a computer, yet they could have learned much more by actually composing it with Microsoft Word or Google Docs working with each other and editing as they composed.
Google Docs was awesome and will be such a useful tool for me today as a college student and even more for the future with my students. Even today in college I like to have my mom read through and edit my papers, we usually transfer copy after copy of my assignment. Using Google Docs will leave it in a central place with one copy and save a lot of transferring and hassle. Our students will need these word processing skills especially in a work environment. It is a great way to have students collaborate on projects and will help make group work be more efficient. They could even edit stories with other schools from across the country or across the world which would be such a neat experience.
This just reaffirms to me that our students need access to computers not only at school but in their home environment, I don't want them to miss out on what is available to them. We are robbing our students of valuable things when we take technology out of their education. We as teachers are advocates for students and their families and helping them obtain access to technology is a worthy cause to fight for. I think about my practicum experience and how little those children were exposed to technology and I think about how much they could have benefited from learning things like Google Docs. They would hand write their stories and then type them up on a computer, yet they could have learned much more by actually composing it with Microsoft Word or Google Docs working with each other and editing as they composed.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Weekly Reflection--Whitney Anderson
Webquest is an excellent resource for teachers that I had no idea exsisted! I really enjoy how it is based on the project approach and problem based learning. In my early childhood classes we have studied a lot about the project approach and how it is a really effective way to instruct children and help them learn. We want children to be able to explore things within their own interest and to give them hands on approaches. I am even more excited that the project approach can be used and enhanced by technology. WebQuest takes this project approach to a new level because it allows projects that may not have been feasible in real life to be created virtually. One of the most memorable learning experiences I had was when my biology teacher had us do a project/problem based learning for DNA, it was hands on, fun, and I learned a ton about DNA. Children and adults enjoy this type of learning and it is sad we don't use it more often in the classroom.
It is also incredible to me how many of these WebQuests we have available to use, free of charge as teachers. These can really help us when we want to give our children a technology experience that is very appropriate to their development. As I was reviewing the projects to do I could see a definite quality distinguishment. Some of the projects were put together very well and would be excellent to use, some were not as high of quality. As a teacher you would want to make sure you have looked it over and explored to make sure the quality met your standards.
I am excited to be able to contribute to this excellent database of WebQuest lessons. While it will definitely take some effort to create one of these lesson plans the benefits will be worth it for me. The layout is simple and very user friendly on both the teacher and child side. Unfortunately though in most circumstances all of your children won't have access to a computer all of the time. This could really restrict the valuable use of WebQuest. This makes me want to really advocate and search for grants to get access to computers all day long for my students. They need computers available to them to even begin to match their technology age and needs.
I am excited to now have WebQuest as another tool in my toolbelt of teaching!
It is also incredible to me how many of these WebQuests we have available to use, free of charge as teachers. These can really help us when we want to give our children a technology experience that is very appropriate to their development. As I was reviewing the projects to do I could see a definite quality distinguishment. Some of the projects were put together very well and would be excellent to use, some were not as high of quality. As a teacher you would want to make sure you have looked it over and explored to make sure the quality met your standards.
I am excited to be able to contribute to this excellent database of WebQuest lessons. While it will definitely take some effort to create one of these lesson plans the benefits will be worth it for me. The layout is simple and very user friendly on both the teacher and child side. Unfortunately though in most circumstances all of your children won't have access to a computer all of the time. This could really restrict the valuable use of WebQuest. This makes me want to really advocate and search for grants to get access to computers all day long for my students. They need computers available to them to even begin to match their technology age and needs.
I am excited to now have WebQuest as another tool in my toolbelt of teaching!
Weekly Reflection--Whitney Anderson
The YETC is incredible! I am amazed and a bit overwhelmed with all of the information that is at our fingertips. There is no reason why technology can't be used in classrooms with every subject we teach, these resources and programs are being underutilized. The programs that I loved the most from today were celestia, storyline online, cooliris, and podcasts. There were so many other things that I just want to go explore and use! I know that I still have a lot that I want to learn about technology so that I will be able to use it more effectively with my students. The possibilities that are being extended to us through technology are great, I can't imagine what this will all be like in 10 or 20 years. At the rate that everything is going pretty soon I will become somewhat of a digital immigrant to the new digital natives. I will be sitting in my parents shoes if I don't take an active part in staying up to date. I plan on tapping into all of the resources available to me at the YETC. It will take time and effort to really understand what is available to me in the YETC but I know it can help me in the classroom and especially help my students. I can't wait to share these resources with everyone one I know family, roomates, strangers I meet :)
Looking back to my days in elementary school I don't remember a lot of technology in the classrooms, we only used computers once a week doing an online program or playing games. From being in my practicum it really hasn't changed a lot at least at some schools. I never saw my teacher use technology with her class. The only time they received computer instruction was once a week and a lot of it was playing games. I hope to fix that and fight for technology to be available to my students more than just one day a week it needs to be that way to keep learning meaningful, which is one of my biggest goals. Nathan was great to show us around and to be so willing to help us with any questions. I think I have found a new favorite place!
Looking back to my days in elementary school I don't remember a lot of technology in the classrooms, we only used computers once a week doing an online program or playing games. From being in my practicum it really hasn't changed a lot at least at some schools. I never saw my teacher use technology with her class. The only time they received computer instruction was once a week and a lot of it was playing games. I hope to fix that and fight for technology to be available to my students more than just one day a week it needs to be that way to keep learning meaningful, which is one of my biggest goals. Nathan was great to show us around and to be so willing to help us with any questions. I think I have found a new favorite place!
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