WebQuest Reflection!

I was really excited to create a WebQuest. I think that this technology can be so useful in the classroom and can really engage students and let them explore and learn all on their own. I was sad that I was able to create this WebQuest, but that I would not be able to try it out and use it in the classroom. I hope I can remember it and use it later in my teaching career.

1. What works best about the WebQuest?

WebQuests I think are very engaging. It is a fun way for students to look at resources that are available to them to learn new information. It shows them that they can learn and research about unknown things and it can be fun.

2. What do I wish I could do to make this project even better?

Well if I could, I would apply this learning to the real world and let students experience learning through all their senses. Since my WebQuest has to do with Greek Mythology I would want to take my students to Greece or to a museum that could give them more background knowledge on the subject.

3. What value did the planning sheet and peer evaluation have for your project?

I think it was really beneficial to have a planning sheet. It really helped me to brainstorm and get started earlier on my WebQuest. The only negative part about it was that I felt like I had to have my WebQuest done before doing the planning sheet. Maybe if it just was not as intense. The peer evaluations were great because I could see what someone else thought about my WebQuest and I saw what I could improve on.

4. What have you learned about the instructional planning process based on the completion of this project?

I learned that instructional planning can take some time. I didn't realize how long this WebQuest would take to create. I think though that even though it may take some time to develop, you can reuse it in following years and it will save time in the long run in the classroom. It was a fun project to do.

Here is the link to my WebQuest if you would like to check it out!

www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=57187

Digital Photography!!

I think that it is such a great idea to take lots of pictures in the classroom throughout the school year! I have seen teachers who have taken pictures throughout the year and then made a scrapbook for each year they have taught. Living now in the technology age, we can easily take and post pictures online.

It would be important to inform parents and get permission to take pictures of their children. It will also be important that they are only used on a classroom blog, or something that is safe online. This will let parents see what is going on in the classroom. Children can also get excited and share what they are doing with their parents.

If you have resources to have cameras in the classroom, digital photography can also be used in lesson plans. This is a great way for students to discover how real world objects or things tie back into what they are learning in the classroom!

Here is the digital photo comicbook that we worked on in photoshop! This had to do with geometric shapes.

Web Application!!

Today in instructional technology, we learned about web applications. It was really fun to go searching for my own web applications that I could use in the classroom. It is really so surprising to me how many resources are available to teachers today! I love that I can look at the state core and go to different online resources and find interactive lesson ideas for any topic. It really helps make teaching more engaging for students.

The two web applications I found had to do with 6th grade math and science. I love working with the older grades and I found some really good websites. The first web application was:

http://mathforum.org/cgraph/cslope/

This web resource helps students learn and see about how you can create a graph from an equation by plugging in numbers into a function. Students can even try and make their own graph. I would incorporate this into a lesson after I had instructed students about graphs. Then I would let them explore this site and learn on their own. This covers standard 2 objective 1 in the math state core.

The next web application I found was:

http://www.amnh.org/ology/index.php?channel=astronomy#channel

I was really excited to find this website. This gives great activities and learning for anthropology, archeology, astronomy, and more. On this site, students can make their own observations and can learn about the phases of the moon. After students have learned about the moons phases from this website, they can complete a moon phase flipbook by observing the moon on their own. This covers Standard 1 Objective 1 in the science state core curriculum.