Web Evaluation Form

Pictures of Class Websites

Blog Post #6

               I found a website for the Stevenson School in California that contained many class webpages from teachers in all grade levels and subjects. The grades 7-8 history pages contained information about upcoming homework assignments due, information about a class trip to Washington, D.C. and New York City, a tab containing the current topic that is being discussed in class, and information on a big History Day project coming up. The webpage for a 5^th grade STEM math class included upcoming homework assignments, as well as numerous links to over 30 online math games and practice programs. For the same school, Stevenson, the webpage for Art classes were outstanding. They had different sections for the various art projects they did throughout the year, and the pages displayed the student’s artwork in dozens of different pictures. They had projects for things such as the Japan Relief Project and Dia de los Muertos. 

                The Word Office suite is a good productivity tool, according to the Podcast. Word, a word processor, is a tool that I envision myself using to create engaging worksheets and assignments for my students, and as a productivity tool by using it to create webpages, calendars, newsletters and personal letters to my students’ parents (Lever-Duffy 150). The podcast also talks about how I can use a word processor to write down notes, add hyperlinks to remind myself of places I want to return to later, and so on. I will also use presentation software to be a more effective teacher. Presentation software such as PowerPoint and online programs like Prezi would allow me to immerse my students into the material through audio, video, graphics, and interactive activities. I can also hyperlink other websites or tools to further enhance their knowledge and keep them engaged in the material (Lever-Duffy 159). This would be much more effective than just lecturing for the entire class period. I think that a technology that will help me be more efficient is classroom management software. This includes programs that provide for taking attendance, making seating charts, and inputting assessment results (Lever-Duffy 162). Technology like this will help me save time in the classroom by taking attendance quickly, and I will also be able to easily display a seating chart for my students to see and adhere to. Also, I will be able to efficiently keep track of my student’s grades through spreadsheets, as the podcast discusses, throughout the semester which will be beneficial when it comes time for final grades.

                During the last assignment, I learned how to use PBworks to create a webpage. I found it difficult to create the Evaluation Form on the website and I feel that it would have been easier if created on word and then transferred over. Learning a new website and program was interesting but difficult, so I understand why some teachers who did not grow up with technology would not be keen to using it in the classroom. However, it was good to learn something new that I can use with my students. I liked finding a website to evaluate using the form and think that it would be useful for students to create their own projects. I think that next time I can improve how complex and organized the evaluation form is since I will be more comfortable using the website.

Unfinished Concept Map

Blog Post #5

I think that YouTube, blogs, and educational social media are useful in the classroom. Youtube can be used by teachers to find educational videos that will be beneficial to the audio/visual learners in their classroom. The podcast talks about how twitter can be used to learn from people who tweet about the topic that is discussed in class or about the subject of the class such as science or history. Blogs, similar to how we use them in this class, are a great way for students to write about what they’ve learned, share their ideas, and learn from their fellow students. Social media and blogs also allow teachers to communicate with students over the web, which communication and interaction is part of Web 2.0. These improve teacher professional development because they allow teachers to reach a wider type of learners and be more efficient teachers through varying their lessons. Web 2.0 contains a huge amount of knowledge that helps teachers and students.

No specific software is required to access blog sites, YouTube, or social media sites, however, access to the internet and a computer, smartphone, or tablet is necessary. No peripherals are absolutely needed unless the computer, tablet, or cell phone does not contain enough storage on their hard disk to save data from blogs or social media (Lever-Duffy 97-100). If they do not, then external hard drives or use of online or cloud storage may be necessary to use these web programs. Data projectors are required if teachers would like to show the entire classroom a particular blog or video from Youtube (Lever-Duffy 124).

 

Scribd is a Web 2.0 tool that is a digital library. In a classroom, it can be used by teachers to easily assign reading assignments to students, and for students to easily access the reading assignment rather than having to buy a copy of the book or look for it in the library. Scribd allows each person to create their own personal library that holds all of the books they are reading or would like to read. There is an app so my students and I can use it on tablets and cell phones easily. Scribd can be incorporated for use in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Teachers can have students use technology to do silent reading time on Scribd during class, and can assign reading homework for outside of school hours.

Scribd has audiobooks, which would allow those students who are more auditory learners to comprehend the reading material better. Besides using Scribd directly to assign specific readings to my students, Scribd will also become a tool that students can use to do research for various papers, assignments, or for personal enjoyment. Students can find profiles on Scribd that have books on specific subjects, periods of time, or even study guides for different subjects. Introducing students to Scribd would expand their accessibility to books as well as encourage them to read more often since the books would be accessible on their phones, tablets, and computers.

https://www.scribd.com/

 

While doing the concept mapping assignment, I learned how to use Webspiration. This was my first time using this program, and so it took a while to figure out how to create my concept map. I learned how to create new shapes, arrange the shapes, connect shapes based on what they contained, and how to change the color fill of the shapes. I found that it was somewhat difficult to move around and arrange the shapes to exactly where you wanted them to go and that creating the concept map took patience. However, Webspiration was a great tool to create a map that would help other students, and its collaboration and chat feature allowed me to complete a group project without having to meet up with my partner face to face. This was something that was very beneficial due to our busy schedules. Students will also be busy and so using Webspiration would make group projects easier for them and allow them to get practice using technology for assignments. Next time I can improve my concept map by making the map as a whole easier to read. Since my concept map was in the shape of a circle, it may not flow as easily to the reader, so that could be improved on my next assignment.  

Blog Post #4

SS.912.A.1.2 Utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify author, historical significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a historical period.

In order to teach this standard, I will send my students to Nettrekker.com (http://www.nettrekker.com/us/ ), where they can search for information on a specific topic they chose in American History. This lesson will allow them to see a variety of sources on Nettrekker including audio, visual, graphics, and written sources, both primary and secondary in order to meet the standard. Then, students will write down the information they find on their search of Nettrekker, identifying the author and who the audience is, as well as the historical information that the source contains. Nettrekker.com is a reference software tool (Levver-Duffy 183) and a database that is safe for students and aligns with the Common Core Standards. This digital reference software tool allows students to search any appropriate topic and find information through multimedia sources rather than just print.

When I have searched for and evaluated internet sources to decide whether to use them for research or an assignment, I always looked to see who the author was, when it was published, and whether the source was reliable or not. Usually, the sources had to be scholarly, meaning they were reviewed for accuracy and reliability. The website or book, journal, or other source that I got it from also had to be reliable and usually unbiased. This varies from what was said in the podcast about evaluating internet resources, as it discussed the design of the website. I do not recall giving the design or accessibility of the website or internet source much thought. I also did not check for whether the websites were stable or not, as mentioned in the podcast. However, the podcast did discuss evaluating a source for its author, whether it held biases, and if the content was accurate, which I do when evaluating internet sources.

I think that working on this assignment better helped me evaluate a website before selecting it to get information from. If the website looked questionable, I looked for a new website. I learned how to evaluate what the thing was that I would be doing in my classroom, and decide which standard best fit it. This was sometimes hard because for some, multiple standards would have worked. I also realized that technology can be integrated into most lessons, as the tools available online are increasing to reach math, science, social studies, and language arts. Through this exercise I think that I also became more efficient at finding information online.

Web Hunt Challenges:

1.       You want to find a video that will teach your students about NASA. Find a website that has an informational video you could show your class.

2.       You want to send reminders home to your students through the internet (computer, cell phone, etc.). Find a program that you could use to do this.

3.       You want to design name plates for your students using an online program. Find one that you could use to do this.

Newsletter Design

Blog Post #3

The ELA technology standard that I am very comfortable with is W/WHST.8 “Use Multiple Sources”. This involves using print and digital sources such as audio and video to gather information (“Consuming” Tech Standards). I have a lot of practice using online database sources such as JSTOR for research papers, and watching documentaries and videos and taking notes from them. Therefore, I think that I would be comfortable teaching these things to my future students.  I think that the ELA technology standard that I need more preparation with is using digital media in presentations (SL.5 “Use Digital Media”). I have not had proper training or have taken a class on digital media and technology, and therefore my only experience with it is what I have figured out on my own. I think that further knowledge of digital media will help me better present material to my students, and better help me teach my students how to do this themselves. The varying materials such as audio and visual will help students with different learning styles to comprehend material and use it as well.

I would like to use social networking sites such as Edmodo with my students in order for them to be more connected to what is going on in the classroom. I wish to teach at the high school level, and the generation of digital natives are always on social networking sites and their cell phones. Web tools, like Edmodo, allow students to access them from their cell phones or computers at home. With notifications turned on, I as a teacher will be able to post assignments, post updates about assignments or quizzes, and post online reading material at any point out of school hours and students will be able to see it immediately. This will remind those students who tend to forget about homework or quiz dates, and the information will be right in their hand on their phone rather than on a piece of paper crumbled at the bottom of their backpack. Most parents allow their high school age students to use at least some type of social networking site, and with Edmodo, they can be connected too in order to see all that is going on. Therefore, all students should be able to use it and access any information I post on the class page. When it comes to digital citizenship, I will need to address how students interact on Edmodo with each other and with myself, monitor that there are no inappropriate posts or private personal information being posted, that students cite everything they post on it that was taken from another source, and that students participate in the discussions an acceptable amount. These will make them good digital citizens and make their experience with Edmodo most efficient. As the teacher and author of the class webpage, I will make sure to keep the site up to date, post regularly, and always ensure that it is enhancing the class’s knowledge and comprehension of what is going on in class.

 During the Newsletter Design assignment, I learned how to use the formatting tools such as “clear all formatting”. When using the word art, I had to figure out how to switch back to normal text which led me to figuring out how to clear the formatting in order to then change the font and text color. I also learned how to add graphics and move them easily around the document by putting it behind the text rather than in front of the text. I really enjoyed creating the newsletter because it was fun to make it colorful and add graphics to it. I also enjoyed pretending to be a teacher with my own students and make up things like a history fair, the names of the winners, and a field trip that we would go on in the future. I didn’t like having to use textboxes, columns, different types of print formatting, and other things that were difficult and sometimes took a long time to get just right on the page. I believe that I could improve my newsletter by making the articles more in-depth and interesting, as well as adding photos of actual students or projects that the class completed. I will use the Word formatting skills I learned in this assignment when creating letters to give to parents, when making colorful newsletters like this one, when creating lesson plans and handouts for students, and when creating graphics for presentations and projects.