Course Review

This course proved to be very important for me. Learning about web quests and other ways to use the internet in the classroom will help me in the long run. Also, blogging has been very inspirational as it is my first blog but def. not my last. I love the idea of the blog this way it is an organized database for everyone to see and use. This course has left me with a whole new view on computers in the classroom, along with the many different uses of technology. In a changing world with improvements everyday we need to improve and change to stay up with the times. Thank You and good luck to everyone in the future!
John

Reviewing Web Sites

I found it very interesting going over the web sites in class and actually seeing how many distractions one web site may have. From advertisements to dead links there is a lot that may not be helpful to the students. For example there are pretty big differences in how a web site is constructed depending on if it is .com, .org, or .edu. The web site I chose was .edu and contained no advertisements. I think that teachers should put together a list of credible sources for the students rather then let them go astray. Advertisements placed on web sites that were .com or .org, were anything from bright blinking messages relating to the topic to inappropriate web sites such as dating, etc. As educators the more we use credible web sites, and give students the web sites to choose from, will lead to better results and understanding on their part. 

Teaching Technology in Schools

In the school that I currently work at, many web sites are blocked when accessing the internet. While I agree that what the students are doing should be monitored, I dont think this is the best way to go about it. I agree that facebook or myspace should not be allowed in school because everyone would be on it all day. However, a variety of other web sites like You Tube for example are blocked. As long as the settings are correct for the searches, there should be no issues allowing students to access these sites. You Tube provides video footage of anything you can probably think of, and is very helpful. After watching the video, I agree that we need to do more to keep up with the times and not be content with how class rooms are managed and instructed now. It is tough to keep up at times, as it seems that every year there is something new or potentially can be included in the class room. With good leadership within schools from the Principal down it would be a changing process for everyone. It takes the ability in the teachers though to want to change in order for progress to be successful. 

Interactive Teaching With Ipods

I read an article last week on how elementary and high school teachers in Perth Amboy were using the Ipod Touch in class rooms for educational activities. Apple has introduced a great tool for teachers and students a like. Itunes U was created as a free database where students and teachers could participate in different activities. They then can download the activities to the ipod and begin. Perth Amboy is only one of five school districts in New Jersey who have made the transition to the Ipod. For a student I could only imagine the different in wanting to learn when you throw the text book out the window and instead engage in a touch screen educational activitiy.
The article made now how the program has especially helped those students whose second language is English. Students can take short quizes on the ipod touch, recieving scores and feedback shortly after they are done. Teachers then submit the scores and they are put into a database where the students can track there progress throughout the year. One teacher discussed how it makes it much easier for them to create a database of work and projects they can save for each student on Itunes. While Itunes U is still developing they opportunites are endless with ipods in the classroom. Teachers now can incorporate different learning styles by including ipod use in their classes.

Educational Resources

As educational resources continue to improve, so do the opportunities for students to learn. Web based educational activities on sites such as Knowledgebox and Learn to Read reach students at early ages. I feel that it is very important for students at young ages to become aquainted with programs like these. Granting students access to programs likes these allows them to improve in certain learning styles which they may be lacking in. More importantly it takes them out of the everyday textbook/lecture classroom.

Interactive activities on the computer and internet like these, gives students a chance to work together in a variety ways they may not be used to. I have always found it easier to learn when you are engaged in more hands on activities, which education web based resources provide. I am very impressed with resources like Discovery streaming. Younger students are very impressionable and by providing them for example with video footage of different events from history; it may be easier for students to remember through the images. As resources like these continue to improve we will see a variety of new resources which teachers can use. 

My Access

My Access is a great tool to enhance writing skills for students in grades 4 through 12. The program allows students to use computers effectively in the classroom to complete writing exercises. Teachers are given a large pool of different writing options and situations from which they could assign to the students. It allows students to work on different types of writing such as narrative, persuasive, etc. I find My Access to be a great tool for students, especially those who really need help improving writing skills. Grades are not given a week from submission they are given within a few minutes of completing the assignment. The program also explains how to improve in areas where a student may be lacking. Instant feedback is essential for students to truly understand there mistakes. When students get a paper back a week or two weeks after submitting it, they are no longer thinking about it. Douglas Reeves believes in the Nintendo Effect in which students respond to electronical responses when immediate and accurate. The feedback will provide a positive effect on the quality of writing.
The program is very useful for a variety of reasons, one that stands out to me, is that it gets students writing more and writing creatively. J. Chircop states "Studies have shown that the amount of writing that students complete is positively related to tests of writing ability," as stated in his work Student Achievement Soars with Use of Quality Strategies. My Access offers easy to understand rubrics which are effective in providing feedback to students. Reports also show that more activity in writing programs like My Access, has lead to an increase in grades in Math, Science and Social Studies classes. In most cases students are expected to perform well on writing assessments. Giving students more opportunity to develop there writing skills will only lead to better end results.

Web Quest

Web Quests, in my opinion, are one of the best tools for including technology in the class room. Through Web Quests students can use different sources of technology to learn in a variety of subjects. It is easy for teachers to include aspects of Web Quests into different lesson plans and really are pretty quick to put together. Web Quests and education tools like them allow teachers to be more creative in the classrooms. Students remember the teachers who were not afraid to try different things. The society we live in now is very digital and on the go. Students enjoy being on computers, and exercises like these allow them to use the internet as a resource database.

Internet Safety

Internet safety has been a major issue in more recent years. Chat rooms, instant messaging, etc. is a great tool and source of communication for many people. Joining is so easy that even a 10 year old can do it, and thats where problems arise. I can remember using a computer in 4th grade for the first time. We were always taught about how to use the computer, but never about safety or restrictions. In recent years there has been major crack downs on internet safety in hopes to clean it up. It is almost like a war that will never end. Unfortunitly there is no way to keep predators and such away from these instant messaging services. The more we educate and monitor children about the dangers of the internet, the more we may see progress. We also have to look at Parents who let their children go on the computer and think everything is fine with that. Parents need to do a better job monitoring the web sites their children are allowed to access. In order for there to be significant change there must be more communication between parents, schools, internet services and of course the children.