African Wildlife

Opposites Scavenger Hunt

Smilebox and Storybird

I enjoyed learning about Smilebox and Storybird on Tuesday. I was not sure how all of the web2.0 tools that we are learning about could differ greatly. I thought that they might just be slightly different variations of one another, but Smilebox and Storybird serve nowhere close to the same purpose. I am a big fan of pictures so I liked learning about Smilebox. I want to make use of photos in my classroom to help bring it to life! I could use Smilebox for slideshows of classroom events to enhance the classroom community, or students could make slideshows demonstrating what they have learned. Storybird has a more specific function. I think it would be very useful in an English classroom. I was not particularly enthralled by the tool, but my classmate who sits beside me certainly enjoyed it. And it is good to have Storybird in my repertoire of tools because you never know when it could come in handy. I am going to have favorites out of the tools that we are learning about, but it is certainly useful to hear about and play around with all of them.

Picnik and Glogster

I was pleasantly surprised last week with both picnik and glogster.  I had no idea those kinds of tools existed at no cost to me.  Glogster seems like a fun and creative way to have students share about themselves or even create posters for projects.  The graphics seem like they might appeal to a very distinct younger age group.  I am more than obsessed with picnik!  I really enjoyed experimenting with this tool and discovering all of the uses.  I had never heard of it before, and I am thankful that I was exposed to it in class.  Picnik is something that is useful to know about in general, but it could be especially useful in the classroom.  Being able to edit photos and add text among tons of other features could come in handy for projects, a classroom website, or anything that involves a picture.  I am learning so many new things each class, and I cannot wait to learn even more.  I think I am becoming a technology person! 

Webquest

I had never heard of webquest before this week, but I had participated in a few throughout my college courses without knowing the name.  I really enjoyed the class activity because it exposed me to several different examples of webquests.  It was good to analyze the sites from different perspectives too.  I like that an assignment or project can be so engaging and fun through webquest.  I will without a doubt use webquests in my future classroom.  I want to take what I learned through the class activity in searching for or creating a webquest.  I will use webquests that involve collaborative work, give directions clearly and simply, and require that the students make good use of the internet. 

Reflection on Wikis

I first heard the word "wiki" last semester when my classmates who were also taking TPTE 486 at the time were discussing assignments.  I had no idea at that point what a wiki was;  I just thought it was a funny word.  I have come a long way with this web tool and am now quite fond of it.  After using wikis for multiple assignments, I realize the benefit.  I have had trouble in the past with emailing when collaborating with classmates on projects.  The multiple copies being constantly edited and sent back and forth becomes overwhelming.  The wiki is a nearly perfect solution to this problem.  The only aspect of the wiki that I do not like is the lock.  I found it a little frustrating when I wanted to edit something and had to wait on someone else to finish editing and save their work first.  Overall, my experiences with wikis have been positive.  I will definitely make use of wikis in my classroom.  I think they are extremely useful for group projects, and I could also use a wiki to share information and classroom happenings with parents.

Recommendation and Reflection on Evaluating Websites

I highly recommend the educational website starfall.com. The information included on the site is accurate and backed up by research.  The material is fun and useful.  The site includes an "about the authors" section that provides a descriptive background of the author and the design team.  Their credentials are valid, and the dates of creation and revision are provided.  The only hesitation I have in recommending this website is the reliability of the publishing body.  After reviewing and considering all of the above elements, I highly recommend this website for use in a classroom with younger students who are learning to read.

Through this activity I learned a lot on evaluating websites.  I learned the major elements that must be looked at to determine if a website is valid or not.  In the field of education and in this technological age, I am constantly finding myself searching for websites to use as references for educational assignments or for students to use in a classroom setting.  The web has so much to offer in terms of education, but it also includes a great deal of inaccurate and ineffective material.  I will now be able to find the best and most reputable websites to ensure that I am receiving accurate information and giving my students the best web experience possible.

Website Evaluation

I found this website evaluating guide from Duke University.

It appears to be a valid guide for evaluating websites.  Duke University is a reputable source, and the guide includes several topics with criteria and questions to consider as well as tips and ideas.

Expectations

I am both apprehensive and excited about this course.  I have very little experience with technology so I feel completely out of my element.  Because I know so little, I am expecting to learn a lot.  I know that the information that I acquire in this class will be extremely useful, in both my teaching and my personal life.  Students spend so much time with technology everyday, and it is incredibly important to me as a future teacher to know how to navigate that technology in order to engage, relate to, and teach them in their world.  I believe that technology can be very useful in special education, and I look forward to learning how to incorporate it into the classroom.  I think that this course will be challenging, but I want to take advantage of it and push myself to dive into the world of technology.

Introduction to the class

I was born and raised in Knoxville, and I attended Bearden High School.  I am currently an undergraduate student at the University of Tennessee where I am majoring in special education.  I grew up with a friend who has a disability, and I knew at the end of my sophomore year that I wanted to work with people with disabilities.  Through this friend and through working with other people with disabilities through various organizations I found that I wanted to teach and be an advocate for people with disabilities.  In my free time I like to spend time outdoors.  I also enjoying reading and taking naps.  I love playing and watching sports. I have little experience with computers and technology, but I look forward to learning a lot!