Blog Reflection Week Ten (Website)
13 years ago
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Website
My website was created to be able to allow students, parents, and community members easy current access to information about the class I am "teaching". I created it with the thought in mind that it would be something the parents can check daily for accurate information and resources and also get homework, classroom, and test information. Being a mother, I value current information about my children's learning and wanted that for my website. I hate going to my children’s school website, Active Parent, and not being able to see what their homework is for that week, let alone for that day. As a matter of fact, my daughter in high school is not even in the class anymore and that homework information (the same words have been there since the beginning of school) is the only homework information available. I wanted better for my website. I hope I accomplished that with it. I liked creating the website. I used a template, but rather use something that is not as stringent and something more easily manipulated. I found this one more difficult than ones I had previously worked with. It was more limiting. I thought there should also be a more personal part - the pictures of the class. I know that even high school students like to have their picture posted and this would be able to be used to showcase activities to their parents and friends. This would even be good recruiting for classes that are not required in high school. One class I know this would work well for is BCT, Business & Computer Technology Classes. Creating a class website could showcase the talent in the class, but also show potential students what the course is all about, what kinds of things you learn, and the types of jobs you could get with those skills. Any course could use this tool to showcase their students’ work, help stay in contact with parents, and help keep them informed of class activities, homework, and tests. I think the biggest challenge for teachers is keeping the website updated. Students could actually help with this activity. This could be a weekly job a student holds within the classroom. Students could take turns each week during the year and keep the website updated. The easiest way to begin this assignment would be to create a basic shell together by having discussions about what should be on the website, planning on the categories, and then deciding on their placement.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Rubric-Puzzle-Test-Website Evaluation-TrackStar
These websites made creating the RUBRIC, PUZZLE, and TEST very easy. I had used the rubric website, as well as other rubric websites, in previous courses. I think this one in particular makes a teacher's life much easier! Creating and saving rubrics can help with continuity in regards to assessment. The student knows what to expect with each assigment by looking at the rubric. The wording for the teacher and students can stay pretty consistent throughout the year and help in student understanding. The rubric literally took me less than 5 minutes to complete - that was easy! I also like the feature on the website that allows you to save your rubric. You can also search others' rubrics and use them or at least get some ideas.
The puzzle website really was not the greatest. I like that the students can do the puzzle online, but I rather one that can accommodate all the words I wanted to use and be larger. However, this gives the teacher a tool for the students to use technology and be more likely to have fun completing the puzzle online. This also eliminates the need to print the puzzle when the teacher can walk around the view the pop-up on the screen that tells the student he/she wins when they are done.
The test maker website was great! Registration was quick and easy and you could begin immediately. This would make like much easier since you can easily copy and paste your questions in the boxes. That helps just in case you lose your connection. This helps in randomizing your questions and answers – even for each class to help keep those mischievous ones from sharing the answers with the next class. The features were great also. There is the option to download to Word, which, depending on the cost, may be well worth it. That way you could keep them in your school data folders. You could also have more options, such as color, size, font, add more to the test, etc. You can create alternate versions of the test. You can change the font and font size. You are also able to copy questions from another test. How easy was that to click once and have the answer sheet also?
I completed all three of these is less than 30 minutes, so that ought to tell you that it can be a great tool for teachers. I can see myself using the rubric and test maker websites in the future. I probably would find my own website for creating puzzles though, even if that meant I just had to print them out.
Here is my TRACKSTAR. I liked working with TrackStar. This is another neat tool for students to use technology in the classroom. This is a great way to manage the website I want my students to see and gives me time to make sure with the school's IT Department that the sites will be able to be accessed by the students. It forces you to plan ahead and not just let the students find what they want.
The Website Evaluation wasn't too bad. It did make me think about whether the site would be age appropriate and would be beneficial for the students to access.
The puzzle website really was not the greatest. I like that the students can do the puzzle online, but I rather one that can accommodate all the words I wanted to use and be larger. However, this gives the teacher a tool for the students to use technology and be more likely to have fun completing the puzzle online. This also eliminates the need to print the puzzle when the teacher can walk around the view the pop-up on the screen that tells the student he/she wins when they are done.
The test maker website was great! Registration was quick and easy and you could begin immediately. This would make like much easier since you can easily copy and paste your questions in the boxes. That helps just in case you lose your connection. This helps in randomizing your questions and answers – even for each class to help keep those mischievous ones from sharing the answers with the next class. The features were great also. There is the option to download to Word, which, depending on the cost, may be well worth it. That way you could keep them in your school data folders. You could also have more options, such as color, size, font, add more to the test, etc. You can create alternate versions of the test. You can change the font and font size. You are also able to copy questions from another test. How easy was that to click once and have the answer sheet also?
I completed all three of these is less than 30 minutes, so that ought to tell you that it can be a great tool for teachers. I can see myself using the rubric and test maker websites in the future. I probably would find my own website for creating puzzles though, even if that meant I just had to print them out.
Here is my TRACKSTAR. I liked working with TrackStar. This is another neat tool for students to use technology in the classroom. This is a great way to manage the website I want my students to see and gives me time to make sure with the school's IT Department that the sites will be able to be accessed by the students. It forces you to plan ahead and not just let the students find what they want.
The Website Evaluation wasn't too bad. It did make me think about whether the site would be age appropriate and would be beneficial for the students to access.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Week Seven Reflection Question
What is the Internet?
According to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, the Internet is networking at its largest. The Internet is like a network in that it connects multiple computers and allows them to share files and communicate. The Internet is a network of networks (http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/pctech/internet/internet.shtml). According to Wikipedia, the Internet “consists of millions of private and public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies.” The Internet uses an Internet Protocol Suite, TCP/IP. This is the way communication is transmitted (the rules), kind of like a radio dispatcher talking to the mobile station. The Internet carries information and services to you and me. One way is the inter-linked (joined together) hypertext (hypertexts are documents with hyperlinks so you can click on and it can take you to the source) documents of the World Wide Web.
What value does it hold for educators?
According to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, the Internet “makes it possible to seek, find, and communicate information that might otherwise been impossibly out of reach” and “makes it possible for teachers and learners to interact with each other globally to discover new perspectives and broaden personal horizons”. In other words, the Internet provides so many open doors for educators. Examples are as follows:
1. FREE reliable resources, such as, online dictionary, thesaurus, writing style resource, thousands of examples of papers, projects, and ideas
2. A way to communicate with other teachers from all over the world
3. A way to share ideas
4. A way to share common resources with others
5. A way to find interactive engaging new activities for students
6. A way to share lesson plans with others
7. A way to communicate with classrooms in another part of the country
8. A way for many people to attend classes
9. Interactive downloadable software
10. Educational games for students
11. Chat capabilities
12. Blogging capabilities
13. Wiki capabilities
14. Virtual field trips
15. A way for students to learn about cultures not in their books
16. Having students create their own web page
17. Training for teachers
18. Assessment tools
19. Tutorials
20. Faster access to information
21. Create a quiz
22. Easy way to “Go Green” by posting course information and documents to a course management system (ex. Blackboard)
The Internet has endless possibilities for teachers and students alike. There are so many ways a teacher can utilize the Internet with her students and for his/her students.
According to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, the Internet is networking at its largest. The Internet is like a network in that it connects multiple computers and allows them to share files and communicate. The Internet is a network of networks (http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/pctech/internet/internet.shtml). According to Wikipedia, the Internet “consists of millions of private and public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies.” The Internet uses an Internet Protocol Suite, TCP/IP. This is the way communication is transmitted (the rules), kind of like a radio dispatcher talking to the mobile station. The Internet carries information and services to you and me. One way is the inter-linked (joined together) hypertext (hypertexts are documents with hyperlinks so you can click on and it can take you to the source) documents of the World Wide Web.
What value does it hold for educators?
According to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, the Internet “makes it possible to seek, find, and communicate information that might otherwise been impossibly out of reach” and “makes it possible for teachers and learners to interact with each other globally to discover new perspectives and broaden personal horizons”. In other words, the Internet provides so many open doors for educators. Examples are as follows:
1. FREE reliable resources, such as, online dictionary, thesaurus, writing style resource, thousands of examples of papers, projects, and ideas
2. A way to communicate with other teachers from all over the world
3. A way to share ideas
4. A way to share common resources with others
5. A way to find interactive engaging new activities for students
6. A way to share lesson plans with others
7. A way to communicate with classrooms in another part of the country
8. A way for many people to attend classes
9. Interactive downloadable software
10. Educational games for students
11. Chat capabilities
12. Blogging capabilities
13. Wiki capabilities
14. Virtual field trips
15. A way for students to learn about cultures not in their books
16. Having students create their own web page
17. Training for teachers
18. Assessment tools
19. Tutorials
20. Faster access to information
21. Create a quiz
22. Easy way to “Go Green” by posting course information and documents to a course management system (ex. Blackboard)
The Internet has endless possibilities for teachers and students alike. There are so many ways a teacher can utilize the Internet with her students and for his/her students.
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