EDCT 203 Assignment # 6: WebQuest Assignment

WebQuest Evaluations


An Insect's Perspective
The introduction does engage the learner immediately by giving an
attention getting statistic.  This will get the students interested
and excited to do more I think.  I do not necessarily think it does a
good job of clearly justifying the webquest, because all it does is
list questions versus explaining the reason or displaying the
significance of the questions. I think the task portion of this webquest is very clear and
appropriate.  It clearly states that there will be two tasks and then
also numbers those tasks for even more detail and clarification.  I
believe it is complete; however, I will know more after seeing the
process section. Yes, this process utilizes multiple ways of learning--decision
making, research, discussion, writing, and doing.  The lesson also
scaffolds the activities by breaking each one down into sections and
emphasizing words or phrases that are especially important. The
research and group discussion allow for discovery and collaboration.
I think that a small way for students to check their understanding is
the presence of examples throughout the process.  They can then see if
they are on target for the assignment.  I think this rubric is excellent.  I like that the lowest scale is
labeled "beginning" because this way, students should not get
discouraged.  The descriptions within the rubric are clear and
concise, allowing the students to know what is expected of them ahead
of time.  Overall this was a good webquest, but like my classmate Allison pointed out, there is some poor punctuation which should be fixed.
The Four Seasons
I think the introduction is a little vague.  She goes through the
introduction very quickly, and I think gives a little too much
information.  Maybe the detail about the groups and the assignment
should be saved for the task portion.  It does, however, engage the
learner by its beginning sentence.  Young children love to help out,
so that was a great choice of words.  And, like my classmate Sarah pointed out, this makes it very age appropriate.  The task is cut a little short.  She needed to go on to say how
they would apply that information to making their brochure.  This will
be challenging to students, but maybe too challenging for 2nd graders,
especially to process via webquest.  The task is not clearly defined
because she does not go on to say what they will do with the
questions.  The process page is complete.  Each step is outlined and
descriptive.  All of the information is there for them to find easily
and they are told what to then do with the information.  Many learning
styles are touched on due to the research, the sharing, the group
work, and the creative doing that the brochure requires.  Again, the
flaw I see in this activity is the difficulty level.  It is well put
together, I just am not sure if young students would comprehend the
assignment just by reading it off of this webquest. I like this rubric because it is easy to read and interpret. The students are clear as to what they are being asked and what is "good,"
"better," and "best."  I do think the teacher should go over this with
the students verbally, along with the rest of the assignment.
 Who Really Owns the Rosetta Stone?
This site is unlike the other webquests--but I don't think that makes
it bad.  It does not use the same pages or subsections as our webquest
or the template we were introduced to.  However, I do think this is a
very good resource to teach from.  I think it is accessible to the
sixth graders, but not too easy.  They are pushed to research and
think about things--but like my classmate Jill pointed out, there is also a lot of background information that students can look at too.  The webquest is sophisticated and very
technological with many hyperlinks and resources. The students are
forced to use multiple modes of thinking by doing research, presenting
to peers, and working together in groups.  Overall I think this is a
very good webquest even though it is unlike what we know.
Review of Algebra 1
The introduction is very clear and concise and justifies the purpose for the webquest.  I think it could use some help in engaging the learner right away--an attention getter maybe.  The task portion lack a little in direction.  She simply listed links to math lessons online.  She does not tell the students specifically what to do.  Are they supposed to do all of them? Only certain ones on certain days? It seems to be the right level of cognitive ability, but just lacks in clarity and direction.  The process is very clear and concise, but I feel like it almost needs to be switched with the task.  This is questionable.  This is great for students to get a break from the traditional ways of teaching math.  They can get more "hands-on" and really check their understanding by doing the quizzes and repeating them for mastery.  I am a little confused by this rubric.  I looked at it for several minutes and still don't honestly understand how it works.  I think the teacher should put an explanation as to how the rubric is structured and/or explain it to the class beforehand--so they know what is expected of them.  Overall, I agree with my classmate Sarah in that the webquest is pretty boring and probably not the best way for students to review math.

My WebQuest

Language Arts WebQuest

Assignment # 4 : Website Evaluation/ Diigo

Here is an overall evaluation of each site.  Included in the evaluation is reasons why or why not I would use the site in my classroom.  If I think I would use the site, I include how I envision utilizing it.

FAIR:  This site looked very professional and was set up nicely.  It was organized and labeled for easy navigation.  However, this site is an organization.  This means right away that there may be some biased present.  After reading through this site, it is clear that there is explicit bias.  This does affect the usefulness of the information, especially for students who are searching for accurate and clear information.  Also, as my classmate Michelle pointed out, this site is out of date.  I may use this site in my classroom, simply to go over what bias is.  I would have an unbiased site picked out, and then possibly this one.  My students would have to pick out parts they think highlight the bias.

Immigration Blog:  By being a blog, this site is naturally going to be filled with biased.  It is written by an individual who is voicing his "obsessed" opinions on immigration.  For this reason, I do not see this site as a good way for students to learn about immigration as a whole.  However, this site does provide links to credible sources such as CNN and The Washington Post, so students could possibly use those resources to gain more information they can trust.  Also, I agree with my classmate Brittany that this site is nice in the face that it is very current.   I may use this site in order teach about blogs and show what one looks like.  I may also let students pull resources from the articles and links the blogger provides in order to check the credibility of those resources.

America.gov:  I feel like this was the best site we had to evaluate, especially for the purposes of education.  As my classmate Caitlin said very well--it is important to know both sides of every story, but it is also important to know the story as a whole--which is why this site is great.  It gives an extended history, just as it promised in the title.  I would trust this site to be credible based on its ".gov" address.  I would use this site in my classroom simply for the great background information it gives.  I would have them explore this site before starting a unit on immigration or before writing an argumentative paper.  Students need that basic information in order to form any opinions of their own.

US Citizenship and Immigration Service:  Along with the site above, this site is also a ".gov" address--giving it a sense of immediate credibility of some kind.  This site is an excellent resource if a student is searching for something specific.  It is set up in sections and sub-sections, so it is very accessible.  Like my classmate, Jill, pointed out, the "how to" section on the far left is very helpful.  I could see a project being done where students are put in groups and assigned a certain section.  They could then be in charge of presenting that "how to" information to the rest of the class.

News from the Onions:  This site was a tricky one.  Its humor and set up makes me question the credibility and reliability of the authors and the information.  My classmate Nathan commented that he thought older high school students may be able to grasp and analyze the information and its humor.  At first, I agreed with him; however, after looking at the privacy section of the site and seeing the quote: "The Onion is not intended for readers under 18 years of age," I changed my mind.  I do not think a teacher should ignore a claim like this and a vast majority of high school students are under 18, so that part alone takes this site out of the running for me.  I would not use this site.

EDCT 203 Assignment # 3 : Power Point Reflection

This assignment to create a Power Point lesson and an interactive quiz was actually quite fun.  I enjoyed learning how to utilize all the things that Power Point has to offer because before, I only knew the basics. 

To create this presentation, I first decided on a topic that would be fun and straight forward.  I already had a lesson plan for Haiku Poetry designed for another class, so pulling facts and ideas was a breeze.  Next I decided what facts were necessary for a basic understanding, and how I should word the information in a clear and concise manner.  After I had my basic lesson slides, I went back and dressed them up by using clip art, fonts, and colors.  I also embedded an instructional YouTube video that will not only serve as interactive media, but it also is very informative and really helps out with the lesson.  After my instructional slides were completed, I started in on the quiz, keeping a consistent theme and style.  I chose questions based on fact and one that required the use of a skill.  I feel that tapping into different learning styles is important in assessing students.  Finally, once I created all of my quiz slides and my source slide, I hyperlinked all the slides to the correct and incorrect slides, and added transition effects.

I do feel like I will use this method of presentation and assessment occasionally in my classroom.  As for the interactive quiz, I think students would really enjoy it if it was used on special occasions.  For example, if they have just written a big paper or had to read a high volume of literature.  The process to create the quiz is quite time consuming, but I know I will get faster once I am more comfortable and familiar with this technology!

EDCT 203 Assignment # 2 : Wiki Journal

1. What uses to you see for developing a wiki?

I have never heard of a Wiki before today, and after learning about them and making one, I see many beneficial uses for a Wiki.  A Wiki would be perfect for a group project where multiple people need to have access to the same document, with the tools to add and take from it.  The Wiki is perfect for that use because it can be edited and saved at the touch of a button.  It is also great because if left open, anyone can see the information posted on your Wiki.

2.  How do you see using this in your content area?

I see a Wiki as being a very cool thing to use in a high school English classroom.  Providing that all students have internet access either at home or in a library that they have the opportunity to visit, I would be able to assign group papers and projects that require a collaborative written work.  In this case, students could work on the writing at school during class, and at home or another public place.  I see this as something I would definitely like to utilize in my classroom.

3.  What ISTE  did you meet today as a teacher and student? How?
 
As a teacher:
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessmentsa.
Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. 

I met this standard as a "teacher" today during phase two of the lab when I made a Wiki page for literary terms and one for sonnet forms.  These two areas are in my concentration and would be great to use in my classroom someday.  These pages included a written purpose for the link, a link, and an image to represent the topic.



As a Student:

1. Creativity and Innovation:
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
a.
apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

I met this standard today during class when I used the general knowledge I had about technology and computers and used it to help me explore and figure out the new web tool, a Wiki.  I had to be creative with my ideas of a topic and how to lay out my Wiki.  It was a very beneficial process.

EDCT 203 Assignment # 1 : Internet Resources

Copyright Issues and Internet Use

1. Copyright and the Internet.  On this site, copyright is briefly explained and a short history is given.  This is beneficial to readers so that we have a background on the issue at hand.  Plagiarism is also covered and what an owner of a work can do.  For example, they may copy the work, rent the work, and sell the work, among other things.  Also, this site covers what is protected on the World Wide Web, such as video, audio, and original text.  Finally, what one can and cannot do when building a website is over-viewed. 
2. Copyright and Fair Use.  This site goes over copyright and fair use issues that happen in the classroom and on the internet.  Its goal is to help students and faculty be able to decipher when they need permission to use something off of the web, or when it is fair use.  For most educators, many of the materials they may be utilizing are fair use because they are being used for a nonprofit, educational purpose.  Finally, the site covers ways to obtain permission to use a copyrighted work if it is not fair use.

Equity Issues in Computer Use in Schools

1. Equity in Computer Classrooms.  This site focuses on technology based classrooms, and how the students inside those classrooms are treated based upon their race and gender.  The site concludes that, based on research, girls and minority students are far more "excluded" from computers and other technology.  The reasons for this conclusion are based off of social, environmental, and attitudinal reasons.  The site covers different societal myths that put women and minorities in this position and it also provides tips for teachers to start moving away from these negative ideas.
2. Technology in K-12 Public Schools.  This site asks questions about technology in the classrooms of public schools.  With grants and funding increasing for technology, they question whether the technology is being used properly, whether teachers are being trained correctly, whether under-served students are receiving the same opportunities as mainstream students, and they are questioning whether students can aid and supplement their learning by having access to technology at home and outside of the classroom.

Cultural Issues in the use of Computers in Schools

1. Cultural Difference and its Influence on Learning.  This site looks at how students with a culturally diverse background learn with computer based lessons, and how that diverse background may influence their learning.   Their background may cause them to look at technology based learning in different ways.  The struggles diverse students may encounter in the every day classroom can also carry into a computer-based learning environment, and the site covers those concerns as well.
2. Cross-Cultural Reactions.  This site focuses on a specific software called KIDWARE and how that software was used in a classroom of ESOL (English as a Second Language) elementary school students.  It explores how a students culture and background can be expressed through learning in a technological learning environment.

Health Problems Concerning the use of Computers

1. Computers.  This site explores the use of computers by very young children in this up and coming technological society.  It discusses all the possible benefits of this use including self-expression, and sense of accomplishment when mastering a task.  The site also discusses the possible health risks associated with computer use at such an early age including eye strain and repetitive motion injuries.  Finally the site gives suggestions of ways one can avoid these harms.
2. Computer Vision.  This site examines and explains the disorder called Computer Vision Syndrome.  It also gives research information stating that despite the possible syndrome, computer use among preschoolers has prepared them better for school.  It goes on to give tips on how parents and teachers can help to prevent the risks associated with computer use.  One of those tips is to monitor and limit the amount time spent on the machines.   Finally, the site urges parents to take their child to a comprehensive eye exam prior to starting their school education.

Northport, Michigan

This summer I went on vacation to a small town on the coast of Lake Michigan called Northport.  My family has been going there since I was a baby and it is a great place to get away and relax.