Module 3

Search Engines

My favorite search engine is www.google.com. This is my favorite search engine because of the way that the information is displayed to users. Google puts the websites in order by the amount of times they are visited, which most of the time places the best websites at the top. This enables me to get to the highest quality of information quickly. Also, Google is user friendly. Google sorts the item you are searching between webpages, images, etc. making the search easier. Google also displays very few ads compared to other search engines. This is convenient when using Google in the classroom. By learning to use search engines correctly, students will find and research accurate information about a topic in a timely fashion. 

Website Evaluation Video

This video would be relevant in my classroom because I could show it to my students to help them understand why you should evaluate websites. This video also shows the students the main ideas about how to evaluate websites and breaks it down into 5 parts that the students will be able to remember. Also, the video is short while still getting the main points across to the viewers.

Favorite Web Site #1

www.teacherspayteachers.com

Teachers pay teachers is a great resource for teachers to use while creating lesson plans. Teachers pay teachers offers great materials for thousands of topics covering all grade levels. This website helps teachers share ideas with one another, and think outside of the box to develop meaningful lessons. Teachers pay teachers features good structure and organization. At the top of the page, you will find a search bar. You can type in any topic you are looking for. Then, you can narrow your search by subject and grade level by using the tool bar on the side. This website would be good to share with other teachers because it will help them improve their lesson plans in a user friendly way.

Favorite Web Site #2

http://polenzani.wikispaces.com/

This wiki would be beneficial to students learning about the solar system, and teachers who are trying to make learning about solar system fun. Good structure and organization are two reasons why I think this wiki would be great to use with students. If a student is looking for a page in the wiki, they can use the navigation on the left side of the screen to find what they are looking for.

This wiki is like one I might use in my classroom because it is well organized and user friendly, while offering a fun way to educate students about a topic. By presenting information to students in a visually pleasing way, they are more likely to pay attention and stay focused on the lesson.

Module Two Blog Post

Commercial Hypermedia Product
http://www.storytimeforme.com/

Story time for me is a website designed for students of all ages to use. It provides an interactive way for students to strengthen their reading skills. When you go to the webpage, you are prompted to go to the library that is full of free online storybooks. Students can pick an interactive story series, then select their grade. Once the students select their grade, and the series they want to read, the first story will load. The story has a narrator that reads the story to the student. Interactive illustrations make the story come to life as the students read along with the words provided on the bottom of the screen. This product would be helpful in my classroom because it provides the students opportunities to develop their reading skills without me having to provide direct instruction. This will differentiate instruction, which will keep the students interested in reading, and developing.

Type 2: Audio and Video Production and Editing Systems
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml
This article discusses how virtual fieldtrips can impact the classroom positively.

I chose to use virtual field trips as a multimedia tool in my classroom because it is a way to get students excited about learning about a new topic in the classroom. Virtual fieldtrips allow students to see things that they would normally not be able to see. By having the experience of a virtual field trip, students are more likely to remember facts about the topic being studied. One way I might use this in my classroom is by showing a video during a social studies lesson. For example, if I were teaching a lesson about the Grand Canyon, I could show a virtual fieldtrip. By doing this, my students would be able to experience what the Grand Canyon is like with their own eyes which will enhance the lesson.


Video
This video discusses what virtual field trips are, it provides resources about virtual field trips, and discusses how virtual fieldtrips impact the classroom.

Module One: The Basic Three

Word Processing Software
Word processing software is a great tool for helping teachers organize their ideas into useable, instructional materials. Additionally, word processors allow educators to accomplish paperwork in a timely manner, which can free up time to be productive in other areas. Word processors can also improve the appearance of documents, making them user friendly.

Spreadsheet Software
Spreadsheets are a great tool for educators to use when creating gradebooks. Also, spreadsheets display data in an organized fashion that can be easily read and understood by others. Math teachers can also utilize spreadsheets to introduce and teach a variety of math topics to their students. One issue with using this tool is that there are educators who are not familiar with spreadsheets, therefore they would not be able to produce or perhaps understand a spreadsheet.

Presentation Software
Presentation software is a tool educators can use to organize their ideas about a topic. Educators can also encourage their students to use presentation software to organize their ideas, then allow them to present their ideas to the class. Presentation software can enhance the impact of spoken information, if it is used correctly. Educators can also use presentation software in their classroom and allow groups of students to collaborate together to create a presentation about a particular topic. By doing this students will improve their collaboration skills, and each student will bring different ideas about the topic to the table. One problem educators often encounter when using presentation software is that they don’t understand how to properly use it. Therefore, they create uninteresting presentations that are ineffective in their classroom.

Classroom Use
My favorite tool is presentation software. One way I would use the presentation software in my classroom is to create a visual aid for an introduction to a new book I am planning to read to the entire class. I would create slides that would grab the students’ attention, and include character descriptions and quotes from the book that will interest the students. By doing this, the students will not only hear what I am saying about the book, but they will see it as well. Meaning they are more likely to recall the information.