Resource Wiki

 

 

I found the resource wiki to be extremely helpful. Doing this activity helped me learn how to better navigate and get more comfortable using wikis. Before the resource page I was still a little uncomfortable with how wikis worked and how to properly use the resource. Now I feel confident on how to opperate wikis and will definately be using them for my future classroom one day.

 

Not only did this activity make me more comfortable using wikis but it also provided me with a base resource for educational websites. I got to practice looking for websites in regards to classroom purposes and learned what kinds of sites to stay away from and which sites would be useful tools. I also learned how to work in a group while using a wiki. Everyone in the group must be cooperative in order to succeed. I plan on using group activities in my future classroom for teaching purposes. It not only gives students many different resources to learn from but it also teaches them how to cooperate in a group environment.

Wiki Reflection

The wiki I chose to evaluate was a second grade class in Southern California. The wiki is very warm and inviting on the home page. It was visually appealing and easy to navigate. One reason why I picked this wiki was because of how organized and detailed the information was that the wiki gave. Some of the pages were subject areas such as math, science, art, reading, and P.E. Each one of the pages gave a detailed account of what the students had learned or were in the middle of learning for that subject. It had projects, pictures, and assignments posted on the page. Therefore, students can see visually what they are learning and parents can easily keep up with the the current information their children are learning in the classroom.

I also liked how each page had the letters of the alphabet listed on the left hand side of the page. Beside the letters of the alphabet were words that started with that particular letter and had to do with the subject matter. I found this to be a very cute, pratical, and unique way to post key words for students to remember. Another element to the wiki that I found appealing was that each student had their own page telling about themselves. This gave students not only experience using technology, but also gave them more ownership over the wiki. Therefore, they were probably more involved and excited about partcipating in the wiki activity.

http://mrsibrahim.wikispaces.com/

Inquiry Based Activity

I really enjoyed the inquiry based activity. I found this to be a very useful and easy resource. The way the wiki is set up is so helpful and time efficient regarding putting together an activity for a classroom. I loved the idea of finding a couple of websites that went along with the curriculum we are learning in class then basing the worksheet off these websites. This makes the activity so much more interesting for students. They have a certain amount of independence to explore the websites you have chosen for this activity. This promotes independent learning but while at the same time as a teacher I guide the whole process. I have nothing negative to say about this activity. This has probably been one of my favorite topics we have learned about so far. I will incorporate activities like this often in my future classroom.

Webquest

My experience with webquest has several positive and negative aspects about it. I like that teachers can easily access teaching ideas and activities for their students to do. This can be easily modified to fit different teachers and different classrooms. Also I have the option of using webquest strictly as a source for ideas, I don't have to make the students use computers to access it. The negative aspect about webquest is alot of the projects involve students personally accessing the internet. I am probably going to work in inner city schools and alot of these schools barely have computers for students. So the idea of students getting online to complete a task or assignment is implausible. Also alot of webquest I found had links that were no longer in use, so it is kind of a pain to go through different webquests to make sure that links are still active. It is much easier to just modify the material and use webquests as starters for ideas in the classroom.

Website Evaluation

I had zero previous experience concerning evaluating a website until this assignment. Whenever I went on a website I rarely, if ever, thought about the different aspects that came together to make the website a valuable tool or enjoyable to be on. Now I know to be more conscience of different elements that make up the website. I know to pay attention to details to see if the website has too many graphics, if it is easy to navigate, and if it is browser specific. Something I should always do when checking into a website is look at the author. I need to ask myself how reliable is the author, when was this published, and is there a bias message being conveyed? I need to identify the main purpose of the website. The website needs to either benefit my students, parents, or myself directly or it is utterly useless. Knowing all this information and more can help me make good judgement calls concerning my future classroom. I will be able to pick out websites that have reliable educational games and interactives that my students can truly benefit from. I can research websites that will be beneficial to parents in regards to helping their children through school. I will also be able to identify reliable websites that have good resources, mini-books, lessons plans, and articles for myself to better my curriculum and to get new ideas.