WebQuest

Here's the address for my WebQuest:

http://ia.usu.edu/viewproject.php?project=ia:10023

Using ComicLife can be very useful in the classroom. Children would be much more interested at looking at a poster if it was made to look like a comic rather than just boring information. They would also enjoy making their own comics. When learning about insects, they could get in groups and go take pictures of insects. They could then organize their pictures into a comic. I think it would be cool to photograph a plant as it's going through it's life cycle, starting with it as a seed and going until it's full grown. Students would be able to photograph each stage the plant goes through and then create a comic book about it. They will be able to learn what the life cycle of a plant looks like, research what the stages are called, learn how the plant gets from stage to stage, etc. 

Educational Software

I really enjoyed looking at the educational software in class today. Many of these websites were helpful for teaching concepts and making them interesting. One of my favorite links was "Colonial Williamsburg for kids" (http://online.uen.org/webct/urw/lc129121021.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct). There are fun games with good graphics to teach about colonial life in America. It's easy to use and is appropriate for the grade level. Not only did these games teach about history, but they incorporating spelling, music, etc. into the games. I also liked the "Build a Prairie" link (http://www.bellmuseum.org/distancelearning/prairie/build) because it was very informative on what plants and animals grow in certain areas. It gives the reader an opportunity to explore the different options and create their own prairie. 

I felt like the sites that were the best used games to teach concepts. The best games allowed the player to make choices that didn't have a "wrong" answer. Some sites were strictly to read, and students would definitely be bored with that.

Webquest

The standard I want to use for my Webquest is "describe the life cycle of local plants and animals using diagrams and pictures". My target grade will be 2nd, and I want my webquest to teach them about the life cycle of plants, starting with what a seed needs to grow up until it's a full grown plant.

WebQuest

I have a few ideas for things I may want to set up a WebQuest for. I'll be doing it for 2nd grade, so those are the standards I'll be focusing on. One I think would be neat is for Social Studies Standard 2, Objective 3, indicator a: describe traditions, music, dances, artwork, poems, rhymes, and stories that distinguish cultures. Another one I'd like to do is for Science, Standard 3, Objective 1, indictor b: Describe the life cycle of local plants and animals using diagrams and pictures. Another I'm considering is also science, Objective 2: observe and describe weather. Objectives 3 and 4 under standard 3 would also be good. Objective 3: investigate the properties and uses of rocks. Objective 4, indicator c: locate continents and oceans on a map or globe.

The one I think I have the most interest in is either plant and animal cycles or observing and describing weather.

Web Site Evaluation

The web site evaluation form I liked the best was at http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/tutorial/WWW.eval.html. I liked that one because each area has a point system and the total points tells you whether the web site is credible enough or not. One thing I discovered about one web site using the evaluation was that the web site hasn't been updated in a while. The value of using a website evaluation form is that it's easier to decide whether the site is a credible source or not. It reminds you to check for things that you might otherwise forget about. I would use a formal evaluation if I was doing research for something or if I wanted my students to get information from a website.  

Spreadsheets

I want to teach 2nd grade and I think it would be fun to use spreadsheets. The surveys in class we did were fun and I think it would be helpful for the students to see the pie charts and line graphs once we complete a survey. If the students came up with a question they wanted to ask the other children in their class, they could record the numbers and we could make graphs as a class to better see which answers were most popular. 

Word Processing

I plan on using Word Processing in my classroom by making newsletters to send home to parents, as well as creating assignments for students. There are many things you can do on Word and Excel that I can use as tools in my classroom. I can easily make charts in Excel. One standard for 2nd grade says the students will, develop of sense of self. Teaching them some things they can do in word processing will help them to develop that sense of self by helping them feel comfortable with technology. Another standard is students develop an understanding of how printed language works. Obviously, with word processing knowledge they can develop their knowledge of printed language.

YETC and Lesson Plan

Here's the site for my lesson plan on Greater Than, Less Than, and Equal to: http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=22805

Going to the YETC was very interesting. There are so many resources there that I didn't know about. I enjoyed learning about all the programs to create movies. I also was interested in the movies and TV shows the lab has on file for us to use. There are so many lesson plans and materials for us to use too, which I'm sure is going to be helpful.

UEN

UEN.org can be a helpful tool in planning lessons and setting up rubrics. There are several lessons plans already created for grades K-6 for all subjects that you can use or just give you ideas. When you want to write out a lesson plan, it's easy to type in your Intended Learning Outcomes, the previous knowledge the students will have, and the materials needed for the lesson. This will be very helpful in my future classroom because it will be easier to organize lesson plans and rubrics as well as get ideas when one of my ideas isn't working. 

How to Use Blogging in the Classroom

When I'm a teacher, it would be neat to use blogging in the classroom. I want to teach 2nd grade and blogging would be an excellent way to encourage reading and writing. Classmates could comment on each other's writing and share ideas with each other. I would also like to use it so parents could access it and know what is going on in the classroom. It would be an easy way to set up an online newsletter. Parents could post their comments, offer suggestions, and give each other ideas for at-home activities.