WebQuest

1. Which two of example WebQuests listed below are the best ones? Why?
   The two best websites were the Unraveling the Underground Railroad and Grow School greens.
   I came to this conclusion because they were the two sites that had enough detail to get you interested and involved but weren't too busy or boring. Also, their tasks seemed interesting and fun for students as a group as well as individuals.
2. Which two are the worst? Why?
   The two worst sites were the Kings Park Elementary and We All Scream for Ice Cream.
   These sites were very short when it came to introductions and task instructions. I felt like it didn't give enough structure to the students. Also, their tasks were very boring.
3. What do best and worst mean to you
   To be the best, I feel like a site should have just enough information to give but not too much that it swamps the reader in useless information. I also believe that the assignments should be involving for the students on an individual level but also as a whole group. They should be able to play and have fun all the while learning what they need to learn.

Magazine Cover

Double Journal

Quote:
"Media literacy in the past tended to focus on alerting students to stereotypes, advertising, and propaganda and on protecting them from undesirable influences. Today's digital media literacy encompasses many additional topics, from using search engines, to creating Web sites and online profiles, to participating in social networking. One of the most basic strands of media literacy emphasizes the skills and knowledge students need to locate and critically assess online content."

My Reaction:
I was kind of shocked to read that the majority of the media literacy lessons focussed on the negative aspect of the internet, but after I thought about it, it's true. I remember going to the library in high school and hearing lecture after lecture about how nearly everything on the internet was a trick. It was mostly false information and scams. I understand that teachers wanted students to understand that there are some bad resources out there, but to basically scare students away from the internet is wrong. Instead of fuccusing on the negatives of the internet, they need to encourage students to use the internet and to understand how to identify a reliable source.

Resources:
David, Jane L. "Educational Leadership:Literacy 2.0:Teaching Media Literacy." Membership, Policy, and Professional Development for Educators – ASCD. 2011. Web. 07 Oct. 2011. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Teaching-Media-Literacy.aspx.

 

Rogers, Susan. "Welcome to the Web's Major Portal for Media Literacy Education." MediaLiteracy.com -- Gateway Site for Media Literacy Education. Web. 07 Oct. 2011. http://www.medialiteracy.com/index.htm.

 

Even more:
http://www.medialiteracy.com/index.htm
This is a really neat website with some cool facts about media literacy. I found it interesting.

Another Closer Look.

 

 

People	Objects	Activities
Obama	Trees	none
Still Obama	Books or papers	none
Just Obama	Half of Obama	Half of Obama deep in thought
Obama	Other half of Obama	Other half of Obama deep in thought

 

Based on what you have observed list three things you might infer from the photograph.

- He looks concerned.

- He is listening very hard to whatever he is being told.

- He also looks sad.

 

What questions do the caption and article title raise in your mind?

What exactily is he being told?

 

A Closer Look

People	Objects	Activities
1. Guy on guard tower	Tower, American flag	On lookout
2.  Other guy in tower	Tower	On lookout
3. Two guys walking	Machinery, road	Walking
4. Obama and some          other guys	Road	Walking

Based on what you have observed list three things you might infer from the photograph.

-This doesn't seem like a stressful situation because everyone looks relaxed and cheerful.

- It is a joint effort from all levels of government.

- He looks like he has it all under control but doesn't say how... what is he hiding?

 

What questions do the caption and article title raise in your mind?

The only question I have is how is he going to do this?

My Photo Story

My kind of learning!

Today I took a test on the kinds of ways I learn best. I took a similar test in an education class I had in high school, so I kind of knew what my answers would by. The old test told me that I learn a lot by doing, listening, and writing. This test told me the same. However, this website also told me the best wats for me to learn. Some ways include: field trips, trial and error, hands-on activities, recipies, writing, drawing, describing and explaining what I see in my own words, talking out loud, making lists, rewriting ideas, and rearranging notes. So here is a picture of the kind of learner I am! ENJOY!

This week...

This week in class we created a Poll Everywhere account to poll out peers to get to know them a little better. This was a really fun and interesting activity. After our classmates answered, we then made a Wordle to show responses they posted. Again, this was very fun and creative.

I think an interesting activity to do with students would be to ask them to write down their goals for the course and create a Wordle with those words. Then at the end of the class, you could ask students to create another Wordle of the things they learned throughout the year and see how the two compare.

The ISTE NETS-T is all about promoting students to customize, design, create, and develop their ideas using technology. Poll Everywhere and Wordle are two very neat ways to do this. They are simple to understand and fun to play with.

Using these tools in the classroom would be fun and interactive for the students and get them more involved and excited about learning.

Poll Answers

Poll Time!!

Hey everyone! GO TAKE MY POLL! Can't wait to see your answers!!

Quote:

"The new classroom should teach the huge array of complex skills that come under the heading of digital literacy. And it should make students accountable on the Web, where they should regularly be aiming, from grade-school on, to contribute to a wide range of wiki projects."

My Reaction:

While I agree with the statement that classrooms DO need to add more technology into the lessons and make students more comfortable with technology and teach them all of the possibilities that can arise from using the internet, I think it needs to also be said that classrooms shouldn't rely solely upon technology to teach children. Children still need to be able to socialize and express themselves in ways that don't involve technology. For example, in this class I am required to comment on my classmates blogs, and I will do that. However, I doubt that most of my classmates and I will ever have a real face-to-face conversation. I think that schools need to keep human interaction a priority in the classroom but also bring in the technological side as well.

Resources:

Heffernan, Virginia. (2011, August 7). Education needs a digital-age upgrade. Retrieved from http://http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/education-needs-a-digital-age-upgrade/?hp

A little bit about me...

Hey everyone! My name is Kyleigh Golden. I was born and raised in Bridgeport, WV but recently moved up here to Fairmont.  I'm currently studying English and library science, and planning to teach at the high school level. I believe English class has the potential to be extremely interesting for students but I rarely found classes interesting in high school so I plan to make it more fun and engaging for my future students. Instead of simply telling students to read the so-called-classics, my goal is to make them more relatable and more enjoyable to get kids more excited about reading and writing.