Web Resources...

My favorite web resource that we used in class was illuminations. It has many activities that a teacher can incorporate into the classroom. This website contains games that children can go to, in order to refresh on skills that they learned in class. The games are very educational, so I do not need to worry about my students playing games that are inappropriate. Many kids do not enjoy math and this site might make math more enjoyable for them. The website is organized by grade levels and standards; this makes it very easy to find the information that I might need very fast. As a teacher I could visit this website to find lesson plans that I can use in class for all grade levels and math content areas. Sometimes it is very difficult to come up with fun and exciting lesson plans. These lessons incorporate many different instructional tools, such as computers, manipulative and everyday objects to help teach the lessons.
When I am a teacher I believe I will use the either 4teacher.org or illuminations. As stated above illumination has many fun activities to make math fun and enjoyable for both the teacher and the student. It provides teachers with many ideas of how to shift away from the boring lessons of the math textbook and allow the children to experiment with other avenues. I would also use 4teachers.org. I think the rubistar tool on this page is excellent. It can help evaluate and grade the students during the many projects they will complete throughout the year. Also, if I have a student who does not speak English I can use casa notes application to print out certificates and field trip permission slips in their native language, this will help me communicate with the students parents. The classroom architecture program can let me do layouts of my room and do setting charts for my classroom. These two websites are going to be used frequently in my classroom.

Inspiration...

If you would have asked me if I would have invested in inspiration three days ago I would have said no. I never really understood how it worked and it seemed very complicated. After receiving instructions on how it actually works it would definitely be something I would use on a daily basis in my classroom so I would definitely invest in it. Inspiration is very cheap and something both the students and teachers can benefit from.
Children can use to help make outlines for stories they would write or even just to organize notes from class instruction. It would be something fun for the children to experiment with and it provides room for error. If they child forgot to write something or want to add something later they can always add it in. Students can add colors and pictures to make their outlines creative and easy to read.
This is also something I would also use to help plan out my lessons and organize my activities for the day. I would use it in all the subjects throughout the day. In language arts, students could create webs for stories that outline the beginning, middle, end and also explain the characters. This could be something they could refer back to when they actually sit down and write their story. Also, if the class is reading a book this could be a place where they can keep track of all the characters, settings and the plot of the story. In history it can help the children keep track of events by placing them in chorological order and having them write important descriptions about each event. In math you can create maps to teach children the order of how they should complete mathematical problems or to keep track of different concepts used on a daily basis. Lastly, in science children can create webs to keep track on the different cycles that occur in the world. If I was teaching about the water cycle, inspiration can be used to help explain the different phases that occur. These are just some ways I would use inspiration in my classroom.

Social Bookmarking...

I believe social bookmarking is an excellent tool to use in the classroom. As a teacher I would tag websites that I think would be significant for my classroom. Students can use this websites when they are curious about the different topics we are learning in class or if they just want to brush up or learn more information about the topics. Students can tag websites themselves if they stumble across a website that might be helpful to the teacher and/or other classmates. I would tag websites that I would use during classroom lectures to have easy access to the links when I need them.
Social Bookmarking could benefit my classroom because it would provide an easy way to organize imperative information on the web. If I found a website that I thought would enhance my teaching I could bookmark it, so I would never forget it. I can remember many times when I find great websites with lesson plans or activities that can be used in my classroom and the next week when I go to find them, I can’t locate them. Book marking sites can be organized into categories, this makes finding the specific information you need very easy. If my class was on the computers I would not have to recite the websites I wanted them to go to. I could tell them to look under the classroom category on my book marking site. This would allow the students to have more time to look over the site.
I think all teachers (no matter the grade level) should use social booking marking in their classrooms. As a current student I would be able to find websites, with a click of a button that my professors thought to be vital to the class. Professors could tag sites that students could refer to if they are having trouble understanding a particular topic, or sites that the teacher thought would be beneficial to the class. When I do research for a paper, sometimes I am in my dorm room and other times I go to the library. It doesn’t matter where I am I can always log into my account. Having a bookmarking site help to remember the sites you have visited. When it comes time to making a bibliography you can just visit you personal site.

Diigo site... http://www.diigo.com/dashboard/rmy131

Websites...

Teachers need to evaluate websites because the internet can be a scary place for people who do not know how to use it properly. Children are vulnerable when it comes to computer use and appropriate steps need to be taken to insure their safety. Teachers need to make sure the website is “kid friendly”, this means that the materials that are displayed on the websites need to be suitable for the age group in which you are teaching. Also teachers need to make sure the sites are useful for the assignment. There are also many websites that display fake or wrong information and teachers need to insure that data is correct.
I think that people do not take the time to truly evaluate websites. They take the internet for granted and believe that everything posted on the internet is true, when in most cases it is not. People believe what they see and do not investigate to make sure that the site is reliable and accurate. People do not check the copyrights dates on the bottom of websites to make sure the sites are up to date. I think people quickly eye the sites to make sure there is nothing disturbing and make sure the site contains information that can be useful in their search. Also, people tend to sign up for “free gifts” or join different sites and give out personal information, such as their home addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses when in reality they should not.
Before I allowed my students to use computer I would teach them about proper safety precautions must be taught to the student. I would review the rules of the computer and make sure they understand that personal information should never be given out. Also, I would make sure my students remained on task and were completing the assignment. I would watch over my students to make sure they remain on task. I would also remind my students to report anything that shows up on the internet that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Blogs In the Classroom...

Blogs can be used on a daily basis in the classroom to aid in learning and help grab student’s attention in new and fun ways. One way I would incorporate blogs, is to have students answer certain questions each night as a homework assignment. These blogs would act as a journal and also operate as a call of help if children are struggling with the lessons that took place during the day. Students can interact with each other and help other students if someone is struggling. As the teacher I can monitor the blogs and answer questions and be prepared to re-teach the lesson if I find it necessary. Students can also use the blog as an online journal, where they can record their thoughts for the day. The students can interact with other classmates and see what is going on in each other lives on a daily basis. Another way I would use blogs is to set up a sort of “pen pal” program with another school and allow the children to communicate with other kids their age from another state or country. This would allow the children to learn about another place, culture and person. Blogs minimize the use of paper and go along with the going green trend. Blogs is also a good way to stay connected with parents. Announcements can be posted to help keep parents informed of what is going on in the classroom.
Technology is our future and it needs to be incorporated into classrooms to help children broaden their horizons in order to succeed in their future endeavourers. Any type of student/ learner can benefit tremendously from the use of technology. With technology lessons become less lecture based and provide more hands on activities for the students. Using technology is just another way to learn and practice different types of information.
Disadvantages of technology are that some schools do not have the funds to buy pricey computers for each classroom. Children might not get the opportunity to use technology when needed. Technology is also changing everyday and it might be hard to keep up with the advancements. Lastly, using technology can affect a child’s verbal communication skills and ability to socialize with other human beings.

First Blog

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