While I think that it is really fun to work with digital images I'm not sure how I feel about Flickr. There are definitely a lot of good tools, like notes, tagging, and the map but I felt like it was a very confusing program to use. I had trouble uploading my pictures and then rotating them. It is hard to organize the photos and even rearrange them. I feel like there are a lot of limitations to this program. We also had trouble getting everyone into the groups and seeing everyones photos. In the group, the photos are not even organized. That means that if I wanted to see one person's pictures and see their story I would not be able to. I felt very constrained by this program.
I think WebQuests are really cool and I never knew about them before. I never did one when I was in school. I think they are extremely applicable to a Spanish classroom and I think it would be a good comprehesive project for students to work on. If you pick a good one, many skills can be practiced all in one project. Oftentimes, the WebQuests get students to think about Spanish outside of the classroom and lets them experience the language in different contexts. I think that is really important in helping students understand future goals and opportunities that they have with a languge skill.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Webquests in the Classroom
I think Webquest will be VERY helpful in the field. Coming up with lesson plans can sometimes be very difficult. It is great to have a way for teachers to share their ideas with others. I can see myself looking at other's Webquests and then modifying it for my own classroom. Many of the Webquests I have found are ways to use math in everyday life. I think this is especially excellent because many students do not understand the importance of math in their own world. There were lessons dealing with vacations, weather, sports, shopping, etc. Students will most likely be interested in one of these topics if not all of them. I have found that students are more motivated and willing to put in extra effort when they are interested in the project. With the thousands of Webquests out there I know I can find one that fits each individual class and I might even be motivated to create my own! It will be difficult to choose one that I think is the best, because there are so many that I like!
WebQuests and Flickr
I think WebQuest can be a very useful addition to a classroom. Today we were able to scan a couple of different WebQuests and figure out which are good and which don't really qualify as a WebQuest. I think they are beneficial because they can teach about a specific topic related to the class as well as involving higher order thinking. WebQuests are designed to make you think, not to just give you the answer. They help students learn while having fun. I really enjoyed the WebQuest about mathematicians. Students get the opportunity to learn about different mathematicians as well as being creative and picking which one they like the best. This WebQuest also includes a lot of other fun games and activities which are hyperlinked form the original page.
I am beginning to feel more comfortable with Flickr. I can see the benefits from it, however, for beginners, I feel it is somewhat difficult. There are a lot of different options to pick such as public or private. These desicions can make it difficult when trying to work with Flickr as a class. If the teacher is very fluent with Flickr and knows what they are doing and how to explain it, then I think it can be beneficial. The teacher really has to know what they are doing because I know a lot of people can become frustrated with Flickr. I mean, we had a lot of difficulties in our own classroom and we are all pretty compentent with technology. In other words, I feel one has to be careful when it comes to Flickr.
I am beginning to feel more comfortable with Flickr. I can see the benefits from it, however, for beginners, I feel it is somewhat difficult. There are a lot of different options to pick such as public or private. These desicions can make it difficult when trying to work with Flickr as a class. If the teacher is very fluent with Flickr and knows what they are doing and how to explain it, then I think it can be beneficial. The teacher really has to know what they are doing because I know a lot of people can become frustrated with Flickr. I mean, we had a lot of difficulties in our own classroom and we are all pretty compentent with technology. In other words, I feel one has to be careful when it comes to Flickr.
WebQuests
I really like the idea of WebQuests. I think that it's a great and useful technology and use of the web in class. There are so many great WebQuests out there already, so why not make use of them? I like that the purpose is plainly laid out and they are intended for higher thinking, so I feel that their standards would make it difficult to come across a bad WebQuest. I had no idea that this was out there, some of the projects that I read about while browsing the English WebQuests seemed reminiscent of projects I did during high school, but my teachers always presented them as their own ideas. I wonder if they got inspiration from similar WebQuests. I think the article, which talked about modifying WebQuests for students who have learning disabilities was very interesting as well. The modifications don't take that much time but they could do a world of good for students who need modifications. I also like that WebQuests teaches students to look at quality websites and it is more interactive than text books. Text books were not my friend in high school, I thought they were big and heavy and I never enjoyed reading assignments out of them, and I don't think I was alone in feeling that way. I think this technology definitely has a place in high school, and should be utilized.
Flickr and WebQuest
As with some of the other projects we've done this semester, I didn't really see the application of Flickr to mathematics at first. After some time, however, I saw how a math teach teach could be resourceful and find a use for a technology such as flickr, even if it is a stretch.
On the other hand, I can see clearly how WebQuests could be useful in teaching mathematics. I think that using WebQuests would be a great way of having students do projects or even just homework. WebQuests make students use the resources of the internet to accomplish the same tasks that they do in class. One advantage of WebQuests that we haven't really discussed yet is that they are environmentally friendly. I'm sure that any WebQuest project could be assigned using a paper format, but having the online format saves paper.
On the other hand, I can see clearly how WebQuests could be useful in teaching mathematics. I think that using WebQuests would be a great way of having students do projects or even just homework. WebQuests make students use the resources of the internet to accomplish the same tasks that they do in class. One advantage of WebQuests that we haven't really discussed yet is that they are environmentally friendly. I'm sure that any WebQuest project could be assigned using a paper format, but having the online format saves paper.
Flickr, LD Webquest
The introduction to both Flickr and Webquest this week has been so informative. Flickr is a really neat way to post, organize and share pictures. I feel like I have to investigate and learn more about the available tools for Flickr because right now I only am familiar with the basics. I think Flickr can be a really resourceful learning tool with the ability to label certain parts of pictures as well as using the notes application as a way to further explain the significance of the picture. Webquest is another new teaching tool to me that if it weren't for this class I am afaid I would have never learned about. I think the concept behind Webquest is very dynamic and can really be beneficial for all types of students. The process and direction that a Webquest provides a student increases the student's capacity to learn about the topic. The internet can sometimes be too vast and can become overwhelming and I think the Webquest does a great job of making the web a navigable and possible task for student's of all ages.
Flickr & Webquest
I like the Flickr tool because it is easy to use and upload photos. I liked the slideshow we were able to create, but I do not like that Flickr can only handle so many photos. We could use other websites or even powerpoint to create a slideshow with more photos. For classroom purposes, however, I think Flickr is an appropriate addition to lessons and projects that students will enjoy using. I especially like the note feature that allows you to add text to the photos. This is very handy for imagery analysis, ect. and could even be used on text if a text image was uploaded.
I LOVE webquests! I think they are so much fun and students enjoy doing them. They are similar to research projects, but much more entertaining. I was overjoyed at all the English related webquests there are out there. I think this is one of the most valuable resources we have found all semester. I would incoporate these webquests any chance I get in my classroom because they encompass so many resources.
I LOVE webquests! I think they are so much fun and students enjoy doing them. They are similar to research projects, but much more entertaining. I was overjoyed at all the English related webquests there are out there. I think this is one of the most valuable resources we have found all semester. I would incoporate these webquests any chance I get in my classroom because they encompass so many resources.
Webquests
I believe that webquests are a great tool to use in the classroom. It reminds me of many of the projects that I had to do as a student, but in digital form. For example, I found a webquest about "To Kill a Mockingbird" about looking at life through another character's perspective. I did a project like this in high school, but instead of using resources on the internet, we had to spend class time going to the library and research about the book, characters, time period. Though researching physically through books is a great way to do it, a webquest cuts out a lot of time in the process and enables you to work more on the project.
Webquests are a fun way to learn and engage students in technology. I noticed that good webquests do not just GIVE information but enforce the concepts of researching and critical thinking. I was also surprised while searching that I found many useful webquests that were of high standards. It is nice to have a layout of many webquests, because you can always modify them later to fit your classroom, students, and time period.
Webquests are a fun way to learn and engage students in technology. I noticed that good webquests do not just GIVE information but enforce the concepts of researching and critical thinking. I was also surprised while searching that I found many useful webquests that were of high standards. It is nice to have a layout of many webquests, because you can always modify them later to fit your classroom, students, and time period.
Webquest
Webquests are useful because they are an interactive project that allows students to think on a higher level than most regular classroom projects. Webquests separate the work in groups evenly, giving distinctions for each member and help students really focus in and out of the classroom. Most webquests are also fun and allow students to create an interactive project that can be shared and enjoyed amongst the classroom. Because they are so specific to a single topic, webquests are also incredibly informative and applicable to lessons. When I start teaching, I would definitely use webquests if I had the resources because they help focus students and show students that they can discover facts and information on a given topic all by themselves. All a teacher really has to do is provide a little bit of structure and instruction and students are able to explore multiple resources about their topics.
Intro to WebQuests
I really didnt care for the Flickr project because the topic was a little harder for me to write a story about the pictures I took after going on a campus tour. I think if the topic was a different one then I may have enjoyed it more, but overall I didnt necessarily care for it more than other similar projects we might do. I think it may be a topic that is a little too advanced for the age of children that I will be working with.
I had never even heard of WebQuests before we were assigned to read the article about them and then started to explore them in class today. First, I thought the article was very informative and could really help someone who would be working with children who have learning disabilities. I also think that something like a WebQuest could be good for them since the steps are broken down more and there is a lot of explanation involved with what they are to do. I dont know if I am personally going to be working with children who have learning disabilities but I could see me working or interacting with a child who will be slower in learning possibly after they have a large amount of treatments done or do through some extensive surgery that has altered their life.
After getting a brief look into some WebQuests, I think it is a really cool idea and something that I could see myself using in the future. The one that sticks out the most is the one that had to do with children making their own board game up and focusing on a part of the body and a system and ultimatly becoming a "doctor". I could see using this to have the child create a game that focuses on the part of the body they are having the treatment or operation done on. This would let them get to know their body better and how that system works. The more the child knows about their body and what is going on, the less likely they will be to be nervous about everything and unknowing of what is going on. I think these can be very helpful for young children to learn about a variety of topics through technology and not just me talking to them about different things. I look forward to finding more and more WebQuests that can be applicable for my job in the future.
I had never even heard of WebQuests before we were assigned to read the article about them and then started to explore them in class today. First, I thought the article was very informative and could really help someone who would be working with children who have learning disabilities. I also think that something like a WebQuest could be good for them since the steps are broken down more and there is a lot of explanation involved with what they are to do. I dont know if I am personally going to be working with children who have learning disabilities but I could see me working or interacting with a child who will be slower in learning possibly after they have a large amount of treatments done or do through some extensive surgery that has altered their life.
After getting a brief look into some WebQuests, I think it is a really cool idea and something that I could see myself using in the future. The one that sticks out the most is the one that had to do with children making their own board game up and focusing on a part of the body and a system and ultimatly becoming a "doctor". I could see using this to have the child create a game that focuses on the part of the body they are having the treatment or operation done on. This would let them get to know their body better and how that system works. The more the child knows about their body and what is going on, the less likely they will be to be nervous about everything and unknowing of what is going on. I think these can be very helpful for young children to learn about a variety of topics through technology and not just me talking to them about different things. I look forward to finding more and more WebQuests that can be applicable for my job in the future.
Just a little fun...
HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TEACHER?
by Jeff Foxworthy
1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.
3. You walk into a store and hear the words 'It's Ms/Mr. _________' and know you have been spotted.
4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.
5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.
6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and prep period.
7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.
8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.
9. You want to slap the next person who says 'Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off.'
10. You believe chocolate is a food group.
11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says 'Boy, the kids sure are mellow today.'
13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.
14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.
15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.
16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.
17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!
18. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he just made was a 'good choice or a bad choice.' 19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils.
20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer and finally,
21. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.
by Jeff Foxworthy
1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.
3. You walk into a store and hear the words 'It's Ms/Mr. _________' and know you have been spotted.
4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.
5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.
6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and prep period.
7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.
8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.
9. You want to slap the next person who says 'Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off.'
10. You believe chocolate is a food group.
11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says 'Boy, the kids sure are mellow today.'
13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.
14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.
15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.
16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.
17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!
18. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he just made was a 'good choice or a bad choice.' 19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils.
20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer and finally,
21. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)