Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
What Would Socrates Say?
According to Mr. Cookson's article, Socrates "believed that we learn best by asking essential questions and testing tentative answers against reason and fact in a continual and virtuous circle of honest debate". It would seem that today's availability of information would make that task so much easier and faster. One minute we could be wondering why something in nature is the way it is, and the next minute, we could be finding on the internet that someone just figured it out! And that there are 150 responses with their own personal hypotheses.
I think that Socrates would find a webquest very useful in resesarching the "fact" part of his circle of debate. He might see it as a valuable tool to be used to further our understanding and knowledge. But he might also be perceptive of the enormous amount of disinformation, misuse of information, and lack of reason that is very prevalent online. I think he would approve of undertaking steps to ensure that students with impressionable minds, be permitted to use only those formats that provide an opportunity to "ask essential questions and test tentative answers against reason and fact".
Socrates would approve of the webquest "Enthusiastic About Edison" because of its design to engage students in thinking about why Edison was a great scientist and how his influence has been felt worldwide. It was designed as a "compilation task" in which students were required to gather factual information, analyze and organize it, draw a conclusion, and present their findings to the class. They were to gather information from different formats (websites, books, online photographs) and compile it into a presentation (a photostory). They were also required to make decisions about what information was to be included in the presentation.
In conclusion, Socrates would favor those webquests that invoke investigation of facts, and the use of logic/reason to ask important questions such as, "What does this mean for us?".
I think that Socrates would find a webquest very useful in resesarching the "fact" part of his circle of debate. He might see it as a valuable tool to be used to further our understanding and knowledge. But he might also be perceptive of the enormous amount of disinformation, misuse of information, and lack of reason that is very prevalent online. I think he would approve of undertaking steps to ensure that students with impressionable minds, be permitted to use only those formats that provide an opportunity to "ask essential questions and test tentative answers against reason and fact".
Socrates would approve of the webquest "Enthusiastic About Edison" because of its design to engage students in thinking about why Edison was a great scientist and how his influence has been felt worldwide. It was designed as a "compilation task" in which students were required to gather factual information, analyze and organize it, draw a conclusion, and present their findings to the class. They were to gather information from different formats (websites, books, online photographs) and compile it into a presentation (a photostory). They were also required to make decisions about what information was to be included in the presentation.
In conclusion, Socrates would favor those webquests that invoke investigation of facts, and the use of logic/reason to ask important questions such as, "What does this mean for us?".
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sherri Gallagher Webquest
Making my desired changes to this webquest was a little trickier than I expected. However, I think I was able to accomplish most if not all of the planned changes.
You may see the new webquest here.
SG
You may see the new webquest here.
SG
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
WebQuest Adaptations
Although I thought the "Enthusiastic About Edison" webquest was really interesting and engaging, there are a few changes that could be made. Because I was searching for something appropriate for younger students, I decided to scale back the site to a third grade level from a fourth - sixth grade level. The majority of changes would be made in the area of Overall Visual Appeal. From the Fine Points check list, I would adjust:
Fine Point 2.) Some paragraphs tended to be somewhat wordy for third graders. I hope to simplify those by shortening them.
Fine Point 5.) The reading level was a little above third graders in some places. I hope to simplify those instances so that students have a better understanding of the text.
Fine Point 10.) The black back ground and and colorful text provided too much of a contrast to be easily read. I hope to change the "look" to decrease that interference.
A second area of adjustment would involve the Cognitive Level of the Task. The given tasks were great for the stated age range, however, they seemed burdensome for younger students.
Rather than researching 15 important facts about Edison, I would like to decrease the number of facts required and simplify the questions requiring students to use critical thinking. For example: rather than asking students how Edison's inventions have impacted society, I would ask them which of his inventions have they used, and how? What would their lives be like without some of his inventions? What do they think is the most important of Edison's inventions?
These are the changes I hope to make for this webquest. See you in class!
Fine Point 2.) Some paragraphs tended to be somewhat wordy for third graders. I hope to simplify those by shortening them.
Fine Point 5.) The reading level was a little above third graders in some places. I hope to simplify those instances so that students have a better understanding of the text.
Fine Point 10.) The black back ground and and colorful text provided too much of a contrast to be easily read. I hope to change the "look" to decrease that interference.
A second area of adjustment would involve the Cognitive Level of the Task. The given tasks were great for the stated age range, however, they seemed burdensome for younger students.
Rather than researching 15 important facts about Edison, I would like to decrease the number of facts required and simplify the questions requiring students to use critical thinking. For example: rather than asking students how Edison's inventions have impacted society, I would ask them which of his inventions have they used, and how? What would their lives be like without some of his inventions? What do they think is the most important of Edison's inventions?
These are the changes I hope to make for this webquest. See you in class!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
WebQuest Choice
The webquest I chose to work on is: Enthusiastic About Edison.
http://questgarden.com/41/48/7/061112165309/process.htm
I liked the topic and hope to make it more appropriate for a third grade level.
http://questgarden.com/41/48/7/061112165309/process.htm
I liked the topic and hope to make it more appropriate for a third grade level.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Photo Story Reflection
In learning how to post my photo story, I nearly forgot this part of the assignment. For my photo story, I chose the following quote,
"Teachers who inspire, realize there will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how we use them."
I chose this quote because I thought it reflected the challenges that I, as a teacher, will face, and that my students will face as well. Whether it be learning disabilities or behavioral issues, or problems at home, teachers and students face challenges each day that interfere with learning. Sometimes the only way to overcome those "stumbling blocks" is to keep pressing forward. I think it is a responsibility upon the teacher to inspire students to keep trying, encourage them to do the best they can, and praise them for their successes. "The Power of One" video is a great example of how one person can be a good influence (or bad). I hope to be a teacher that is inspiring, encouraging and a good influence on my future students.
The process of learning to post the photo story was a bit of a challenge since I have had no experience with that. But I'm glad for the opportunity to become "digitally literate" - finally!!! It's kind of fun and I look forward to learning more.
"Teachers who inspire, realize there will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how we use them."
I chose this quote because I thought it reflected the challenges that I, as a teacher, will face, and that my students will face as well. Whether it be learning disabilities or behavioral issues, or problems at home, teachers and students face challenges each day that interfere with learning. Sometimes the only way to overcome those "stumbling blocks" is to keep pressing forward. I think it is a responsibility upon the teacher to inspire students to keep trying, encourage them to do the best they can, and praise them for their successes. "The Power of One" video is a great example of how one person can be a good influence (or bad). I hope to be a teacher that is inspiring, encouraging and a good influence on my future students.
The process of learning to post the photo story was a bit of a challenge since I have had no experience with that. But I'm glad for the opportunity to become "digitally literate" - finally!!! It's kind of fun and I look forward to learning more.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Media Collage vs. Text Centrism?
A few years ago, we called it 'learning to use computers'; now we call it 'digital literacy'. Either way, we are learning that digital media skills are imperative to our education and the ability to be competitive in the job market. And that applies to school students as well. I think students should gain experience in using technology in the learning process - just not exclusively. While students might disagree, writing is still a critical component of effective communication.
I agree with the assigned reading, that there should be a blend of traditional and emerging literacies. The more digital knowledge students acquire in the academic environment, the more comfortable they will be with it in the competitive work environment. This meets #3 of the NETS *T Technology Standards - Model Digital-Age Work and Learning.
I also think the video was a great example of:
1.)How creative students can be with assignments! It was evident that she did a lot of research to put together her proposition.
2.) How technology can be used to teach, inspire, and motivate people.
While writing is as important as ever, I agree with the teacher that thought students should be allowed to submit a video story in place of a written/research paper some of the time. As a teacher, I would assign written and digital projects so that my students could learn to communicate and write in various formats.
Webquest on Webquest
Collectively, as a group we decided that webquests are an intriguing and resourceful tool. The majority of or group thought that Creative Encounters was the best webquest. It was extremely descriptive and provided critical thinking. The group agreed that Creative Encounters was great because of the group collaboration involved in solving the problems. A close second would have to be the one on John Wilkes Booth. This webquest promoted creativity and was very task orientied.
The one that we decided was the worst webquest was the one for Ancient Egypt. The site contained links that weren't working properly and the domain had expired. This site provided a lot of information on more than one topic making it more difficult to stay on task.
The one that we decided was the worst webquest was the one for Ancient Egypt. The site contained links that weren't working properly and the domain had expired. This site provided a lot of information on more than one topic making it more difficult to stay on task.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Times Like These
It's times like these that make me tear my hair out! I'm having trouble getting my resume link onto my blog. My resume is in googledocs, the resume link has been added (as a gadget), and the url appears on my blog. But when I click on it, it tells me my document does not exist. I had to give up getting my resume to fit a template....I could not maneuver around in the template and feel like I just wasted a lot of time on that. Any suggestions will be appreciated! Thanks!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Hey...I might be catching on...!
Today's assignment was not as hard as I thought it sounded! It was kind of fun, actually. With a helpful push in the right direction, I was able to place a picture on my blog and in my gmail account. I've completed all of the assignment except for uploading my resume. I have one prepared but that part will have to wait until Monday. We will be attending a wedding out of town (my sister's, yeah!!) and I gave myself the weekend off. Hope you all have a great Labor Day Holiday!!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
What's In A Name?
Our Assignment
Our assignment for this post was to check out various examples of students participating in blogging. The blog that I found most interesting was titled, "What's In A Name". The students were to research facts about their school, such as how it got its name, what were the school colors, and what their city was noted for, etc. They were to then post their work on the blog. Not only were the histories interesting, but I liked the fact that the students incorporated local history into a writing project.
ISTE Standards
As a teacher, I would focus on meeting the following 2 standards:
2 a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
I believe the "What's In A Name" blog meets this standard.
3 c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
If you would like to check out the student blog, go to
http://technospudprojects.motime.com/
SG
Our assignment for this post was to check out various examples of students participating in blogging. The blog that I found most interesting was titled, "What's In A Name". The students were to research facts about their school, such as how it got its name, what were the school colors, and what their city was noted for, etc. They were to then post their work on the blog. Not only were the histories interesting, but I liked the fact that the students incorporated local history into a writing project.
ISTE Standards
As a teacher, I would focus on meeting the following 2 standards:
2 a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
I believe the "What's In A Name" blog meets this standard.
3 c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
If you would like to check out the student blog, go to
http://technospudprojects.motime.com/
SG
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