Teacher Web Critique

1. Describe at least 3 ways how you see the use of a class web site could be used to support your future teaching. Provide specific details for each example.
I think that a class website could be used in a variety of classrooms. In an elementary classroom, a class website could be used to communicate information to parents. Since children rarely remember to bring things home to their parents, this could be a very important communication tool. Children could also use this site with parental guidance.
In a middle or high school class, a class website could be geared more to the students. Teachers could require their students to check this daily to get their homework or class announcements. Middle or high school students need less parental direction on the computer so they could access this on their own. However, a teacher could still use the website to communicate information to parents.
In a special education classroom, a class website could be very useful. You could create a profile for each student that could be viewed by other teachers and parents. This could be helpful if you have students that leave the self contained special-education classroom. Their teachers would be able to access information on their special needs students. Students in the class as well as their parents would also be able to view the website to get class announcements.

2. Identify what you see as the top 2 ways students could use a class web site to enhance their learning and provide some justifications for your selections.
There are many ways that students could use a class website to enhance their learning. The top two ways I can see them used is to post grades and to post announcements and homework. By posting grades on the website, students are able to look up where they stand. If they are missing any assignments, they will be able to look for them before they go to the teacher. This will also eliminate the distraction of having students come up to their teacher every day to ask about their grades.
If the class website posts announcements and homework assignments, then students are able to access that information from home. This eliminates the excuse that they didn’t know it was due. It also allows students who were absent to access the homework assignment. This also allows parents access to their child’s class news, homework, and grades.

3. Think about the page types and features of the Teacher Web system. What do you feel where the 2 strongest features or page types within the Teacher Web system? Why do you see these as the strongest?
I especially liked the links pages on teacher web. These allowed you to post links to sites that students can use. They could also use these to navigate from the teacher web to the teacher blog etc. This is very convenient for students as these URLs are hard to remember.
I also liked the grade book page. Students are able to check their own grades by typing in their student ID. However, they are not able to see their classmates grades since they do not have each other’s IDs. This can also be accessed by their parents. This page is very nice for students to have because they do not have to ask the teacher about their grades because they are able to track them on their own.

Blogs and Wikis in Education

Blogs and Wikis are being used in numerous ways. Some teachers are having their students keep photo journals for one year similar to D’Arcy Norman’s 365 Photos. Others are integrating students from Shanghai American School and Zurich International School in an Economics Wiki. This Wiki brings together diverse students and provides Economics resources. One teacher refers to her class blog as a “home away from home” comparing each part of the blog to a room in the house. She invites her students to explore their new house. By relating a blog to something comfortable like a home, her students may be more likely to accept the technology.RSS readers and aggrigators may be used in the classroom to track a particualr blog that the class is following. The class may also make their own blog and place it online to be picked up by this software.Blogs and Wikis have both positive and negative sides. Both teach students how to use technology in a positive way. By starting early, students may become more comfortable on the computer. They also halp connect students to other children around the world. A student may share a blog or work on a Wiki with another student half way across the world. This may also be dangerous because you never know who is online. Students could possibly run into someone dangerous on the internet. They could also come across something innappropriate while online. It is important to teach students about technology and expose them to different types of learning but, if a teacher relies to heavily on the computer, students may loose out on developing interpersonal skills. If they sit behind a computer all day, they may not be able to communicate effectively face to face.

Engaging Students with Concept Mapping

1. Concept mapping software could provide a very positive addition to the classroom. This would help address every learning style and intelligence. While some students think in a very linear way (like me), others prefer a different way to organize ideas. By proving the option of concept mapping, those students would have an outlet for their ideas. This could help students brainstorm ideas for a paper, organize and review thoughts before a test, or plan how they will complete a large project.

2. This software may take some time to learn but it could be worth it if it could help reach a student that may not otherwise be engaged. This process depends on how computer savvy the teacher is. Before coming into T&L 445, I was very technologically illiterate but after this class I am more likely to integrate something like concept mapping software into my classroom. If the teacher is able to learn how to work and teach the software before (s)he introduces the class, the students will be able to grasp the concept and use the program to their advantage.



This is an example of a concept map.