Standard 1Technology today is used in a variety of settings including schools. It is important for teachers to fully understand technology so they are able to use it to help "facilitate experiences that advance student learning." There are many sources/activities on the Internet that you could use to help engage students to explore real-world issues, promote student reflection using collaborative tools, support innovative thinking, and to model collaborative knowledge construction. There are many great ways to engage students in exploring real-world issues. One great way of engaging your students with technology is creating a WebQuest on QuestGarden (1 item) or to use a template that has been created already on the website. This activity forces students to use the Internet to search for the correct answer and or retrieving the tools they need to support their answer. For a group project, I created a WebQuest for a middle school science class. The students were able to read the task and process they were given in order to create a presentation using a technological tool such as Google draw, PowToon, or Prezi. This assignment also allowed students to model collaborative knowledge construction, because it asked them to create a presentation demonstrating their knowledge to present to the class. A Blog (item 2) is another excellent tool to allow students to reflect. They are also able to use collaborative tools to reveal their understanding about a certain topic. I participated in creating my own blog and enjoyed being able to show off some of the projects I have. It also allowed for peer review before the final project was finished so I could make adjustments accordingly. Blogs are great tools for students. You don't always need a computer, so if you are in a low income school and not every student has access to a computer, let them use a journal instead. |
Item 1: Web questWeb Quest's are a fun way for students to learn using technology. You do not have to create one on their website, but you can if you chose to. There are tons of options on their site, and you can even use forms that other teachers have created and used in the past. As for me, I chose to create one using google docs for students to look at instead of using the website, because that site is so outdated. If you are interested in creating and or using a web quest for your class simply go to questgarden.com
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Item 2: BlogWordpress.com is a great site to blog online for free. You get to be creative and express what you have learned or in the process of learning. It is a great way to communicate with your classmates and teachers for feedback as well as giving feedback to your peers. Here is a blog that I have worked on to communicate with my peers heidireinholtzblog.wordpress.com.
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