Delicious & Educational Websites

I though that using delicious to bookmark educational websites that we deemed to be "good" was a great exercise. When I started to look for websites through Google, I thought it would be relatively easy to find 15 acceptable educational websites. I naively assumed that it would only take me about five or ten minutes to find the websites. However, it took me well over forty-five minutes to find websites that really fit the standards that the evaluation links suggested they should have. It was not too difficult to evaluate the websites, but rather time consuming.

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I did run into a couple of websites that, at first glance, seem educational, but are really only trying to sell you a product. But I have noticed a good amount of websites like that when researching for past projects for this class and other classes. It is very frustrating to think you are finding an educational resource, while in reality a company is just trying to sell a product to you.

There were many websites that I found that I deemed to be not quite valuable of use in a classroom. For example, I found many websites with educational games, but little background information or referencing accompanied the games. This made me wonder whether the information on the games and websites was actually legitimate.

The Web 2.0 sites are a tool that I think I will have to get used to. I like the idea of the Web 2.0 websites and was actually asked to use them quite a few times during college. However, I would often get frustrated with learning to use a new website and wonder why we couldn't just complete the projects in a program that we already knew how to use, like Word or PowerPoint. I think that this is just me being stubborn about learning something new.

I actually did not choose many of the same websites as I have seen classmates choosing on Delicious, which kind of surprised me. I think it is good, though, that we have all been able to find different websites. It provides even more resources for us to share with each other!

I selected the fifteen sites that I did because they seemed relatively easy to use and navigate. I am obtaining my license in elementary education. I think that in order for younger children to be able to use these websites, the sites should not have a large learning curve.

Reflecting on What I Know - Chapter 6

Now that I have access to the Web, how can I use it effectively?
In order to use the Web effectively, I would have to first make sure that I had a good understanding of the features of different Web programs. Once I made sure I was knowledgeable of the features, I would connect my knowledge to what I was doing in the classroom. I could use the web to effectively search for information on a topic that I am teaching by using websites like Google. I could make sure that I was using e-mail and Skype to communicate via the Web with other teachers, parents, students and anyone else who would aid in my teaching. I would also use the Web to aid in managing all the content that I have to obtain and hold as a teacher, including grades and worksheets.

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How do I manage students' use of the Web in my class?
It is important that a teacher manages how his or her students use the Web during class time. One important aspect of this management is making sure that children are using specialized kid-safe search engines. These engines, such as Google's Safe Search and Ask Jeeves for Kids, filter out any inappropriate or unwanted information when children search the Web. Kid-safe e-mail accounts are also a good tool to help manage students' Web use. These include e-mail servers like ePals and Gaggle.net. Teachers can also make sure that they establish a clear set of rules and code of conduct for internet use. They can make sure that students know and adhere to these rules. It would also prove helpful to have the rules and code of conduct displayed near the computers in the classroom. Finally, I would make sure that students are aware of copyright issues and what works is available for them to use in their projects.

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Which features of the Web do I use?
In my classroom, I would use the Web for various processes and activities. I would use search engines and educational websites to help find resources and ideas for when I am lesson planning. I could use word processing programs for various reasons including writing letters to parents, class announcements, and fliers. E-mail would also be a wonderful tool to help ease correspondence with parents of my future students. I would most certainly create a classroom website to post on the school website to help keep students and parents up to date with what is going on in our classroom.

Reflecting on What I Know - Chapter 4

There are so many types of software; how do I know which ones to include in my lessons?
When selecting what types of software to use in a lesson, a teacher should first step back and take a look at the goals and objectives of the lesson. The teacher should then examine the function of different types of software and choose the type that best aligns with their lesson objectives. For example, if the teacher's objective is to have students create and present something, PowerPoint would be a great software to use. If the lesson involves researching a specific item, browsers and search engines would prove to be helpful. When a lesson involves problem-solving and group work, games and simulations could be effective software. And when a teacher simply wants students to practice a specific skill, drill and practice educational software would be most helpful. To know what kind of software to include in a lesson, a teacher must simply align the lesson goals and objectives with the function of the software.

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I understand why students should use educational software and the Internet, but why should my fourth-grade students learn to use spreadsheet, database, or video editing software?
All of the above mentioned software are very important tools for students of practically any age, even fourth graders. Spreadsheets, for example, are strongly connected to mathematics. One of their strongest attributes is that they are able to display information in a way that students can interpret and understand it. This is especially applicable in fourth grade when students are making graphs; spreadsheets simply require them to enter the data correctly and it will generate a graph for the student. Databases would be especially helpful when fourth grade students are conducting inquiries. Databases offer quick and easy retrieval of information and sorting, which appeals to the inquisitiveness of students. Video editing is also applicable to fourth grade classroom work for various reasons. Video editing can showcase different stages of student work, can help students report on things, can record reenactments, and can record student performance over a period of time.

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How can student use of different types of software help improve scores on state tests?
As the textbook notes, there have been numerous studies linking computer and software use to higher scores on tests. Using word processing software has helped to improve the writing skills of middle school students. It allows them to learn how to organize their thoughts in a more cohesive manner. Spreadsheets are a great way for students to examine data and graphs, which is certainly a skill needed to do well on state tests. Testing software is an obvious type of software that would help improve scores on state tests. Accelerated Reader is a testing software that prepares students and helps them practice for the types of questions they will be asked on state tests.