Blog Post 5

I think the Internet is definitely a good source for student information! I'm guilty of having Google Books up on a particular book I'm trying to quote, but forgot the pages, and using ctrl-F to find the page number, and exact quote. I'm still using the source material, but just in a more creative way. I do think that the Internet can provide a whole host of misinformation, but assuming that students have some idea of which websites are credible most hazards can be avoided.

I would use web-based content in addition to books to add additional information to my teaching. For example, if I were to use the same lesson plan as in Blog Post 3, I'd encourage my students to look up information about their assigned President and use that in their Powerpoint presentations. I looked into this lesson plan (because I've also decided I'm going to use it when I am a third grade teacher (: ) and found a few websites that I think would be really useful and fun for a third grader!
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/uspresidentsdropdown.htm -- this website had links about each individual President
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/PeoplePlaces/Georgewashingtonicecream -- this website gave fun facts about U.S. Presidents!

I'm a little worried about the Internet in general. I think there is a lot of bad information out there, and most third graders do not know how to discriminate between useful resources. The Internet should be used for facts, but unfortunately there is a lot out there that isn't factual. I hope to teach my students to cross-check information before relying on it as fact-- hopefully that can help avoid getting the wrong information.

Blog Post 4

I think that outlines, maps and storyboards are really great tools for teachers to use in the classroom. They help to guide the lesson and they show how far a teacher has gotten during that particular class. Having blank outlines with topic titles always helped keep me focused during lessons, and when there were items to be filled in, it makes students pay closer attention. Maps and storyboards also help add a visual element to teaching, which will engage students far more than just talking at them. Inspiration was a really good program! I enjoyed creating my concept maps and it presents the information in a fun way!

I also think that I would definitely encourage my students to use outlines! Keeping their notes organized is a lesson every student should learn early on! Giving them the opportunity to follow along with my lessons using fill-in-the-blank outlines definitely keeps kids focused... and as long as the information isn't horribly boring, they usually enjoy seeing the class go by. Watching the outline get filled in, or the progress the maps are taking seems to make class go by faster.

Becoming acquainted with Inspiration is definitely a highlight of my past week, as well as learning all of the shortcuts for Google searching! Inspiration will help to make my classes more visually appealing, and it's also a great tool for students to use too! I loved learning about how to quickly and efficiently get information from Google as well-- I know I'll be spending a lot less time picking through everything on the Internet for the information I need!

Blog Post 3

As I've stated before, I'd really like to use technology to enhance my teaching, rather than to replace it altogether. I think that an age appropriate lesson I might use in a third grade class would involve PowerPoint. I think there are so many different ways to present information using PowerPoint, and it's a lot of fun for younger kids too! Rather than having all of my students clacking away at the computer at the same time, I'd prefer to split them up into small groups and work on their assignment that way. I loved learning about the US Presidents, so having my students work on a group PowerPoint presentation about an assigned president would be a lot of fun! I think they could gain self esteem in presenting what they've researched and created to the class, and I would also be able to introduce them to a pretty basic program that will come up again and again in their lives.


The website I'm critiquing is the one I'm on the most, besides Facebook... which is a little bit embarrassing. However, Perez Hilton definitely follows the graphic and interface design principles of Chapter 6. He uses only one font for the entire screen, besides the Hollywood-sign font of his title graphics. While the pink is definitely bright, the site keeps within the color family, accenting with a darker color-- the text is black on white, large, and easy to read. Perez most definitely accents the text with graphics, and sometimes they are downright crude... but I love it! Above all, Mr. Hilton knows his audience, and always keeps us coming back for more.
I'll emphasize MY text with my favorite picture -- ME AND PEREZ!

As for copyright, I was in the International Baccalaureate program in high school... and every day we were yelled at for potentially plagiarizing. It's definitely a very real threat to such a prestigious program, especially when all 200-plus IB students at my school were constantly writing papers that could easily be lifted from the Internet, or anywhere else. Our school required us to write an Extended Essay, which had to be between 3,000 and 4,000 words on a very specific topic (mine was: The Effects of British Propaganda Campaigns on United States Involvement in World War I... so yeah, really specific!). Before our essays could be submitted through the school and then sent off to wherever they were to be read (anything IB-official is sent all over the world!), we had to submit our papers through Turnitin.com. Unless we passed with less than 10% plagiarism, due to quotes and a very sensitive system, we couldn't submit the paper. I ended up with 2% plagiarism, but Turnitin.com told me that I plagiarized the phrase 'United States of America'. I feel very strongly that there is a lot of information out there, and people are bound to phrase something similarly to another source, even without realizing. I also believe that students should want to produce their own work, and I hope to never have a student directly copy-and-paste something. Of course, I plan on teaching elementary school-age students, and the concept of copying other's work isn't quite so highly developed in younger students.

Inspiration!

Blog Post 1

I think that computers are very useful tools for teachers and students alike. They expand the knowledge base of the instructors greatly, and they provide other arenas for learning to take place. That is not to say that computers should be the main focus of schools, but learning computer literacy early on is helpful for the students. In our society, where computers and technology are everywhere, knowing how to properly use a computer is going to be a vital skill in the very near future. Of course, this could raise certain concerns about hacking, and having students be too knowledgeable, but with good teaching and guidance such concerns can be forgotten. I believe that learning should focus on the teacher instructing the students, but computers make a great supplement. I found the topic of troubleshooting to be pretty interesting too-- as someone who gets really stressed when things go wrong beyond repair, I think learning out to keep your cool in the classroom during technical difficulties is exceptionally useful.

In my own classroom, however, I'd like to use the computers as a supplemental tool. I think learning how to use the Internet and computer basics is as important a skill as learning basic math, so having semi-regular access to computers is definitely important. When I was in elementary school, we used the classroom computers to type things for writing (on the huge reams of paper with with the holes and perforations, of course!) or to play educational games. The computers were a reward, and not an expectation. We had a computer lab special once a week where we'd go to the computer lab and use the internet, often to work on a project for class. I'd like to do something of the same. Using the computer as a supplement to help emphasize and enhance my teaching, rather than solely relying on technology to do my job for me.

My random paragraph has to do with Apple. I love Apple. I would go crazy if I had unlimited funds and could just buy every new thing they put out and if I could live in the Apple store on 5th Avenue (probably the most beautiful building in Manhattan, and I've seen a lot of beautiful buildings). I have a Macbook, and it is the only thing I never forget when I go home for the weekend, or anywhere, really. I love iTunes, I love my iPod Touch (and yes, I'm one of those people that do the little 'i' haha), and I honestly would marry Steve Jobs if the opportunity would arise. I have even been slighted before by Apple producing the 'new' version of my iPod or Macbook the second I unwrapped mine, but it still won't change my mind. I can't help it! Just because I have something of an Apple fetish, I know that not everyone agrees. Some people hate the entire brand, and some people are just jealous (hahaha), so I was just wondering... what do you guys think? If you had the opportunity, would you trade in your PC for a Mac?