Week 3- Blogging
I found an article at "http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/blogging.mspx"
When I saw the topic of blogging for our weekly discussion, I was a little skeptical because I myself was not exactly sure what a "blog" really is. I had heard of them and seen them on myspace, but I wasn't entirely sure I was clear on what else they were used for.
After reading the informational article that I found, I could practically consider myself a "blogger". It is a simple answer as to what a blog is. It is like an online journal or diary used by all types of people around the world. A blog can be a way of keeping in touch and up to date with friends and family, a political forum, or even a gossip website. It is a compilation of words, thoughts, or facts that is available to others for viewing and even commenting. It has rapidly spread as one of the most popular ways to communicate via the Internet.
I think that blogs within classroom, just like how we are doing it in this class, is very important. It could even replace the old school journal. There have been many classes in which I was required to keep a book of entries and have it completed by the end of the semester. How neat is it that it could all be done electronically, and kept forever.
The traditional pencil and paper method is somewhat outdated. I would think that the only time a student should be using paper and pencil is to captivate their artistic areas, otherwise the Internet is the best way to go.
I would have to try out a few blogs of my own to determine further research, cause I'm sure that whatever I would think for further the efficiency of blogs has already been done and I just haven't experienced it yet. It would be awesome for students to be able to use their creativity to create colorful, and picture filled blogs to illustrate their stories.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Article- Virtual Field Trips
The actual article that I found regarding Virtual Field Trips was found at "http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml". This is an article published by Education World about the effectiveness and positive outcomes of virtual field trips.
Something I found insightful in this article was that the article suggested teachers and students together creating their own virtual field trips. I think it is a great idea as an educator to experience and go on a few virtual field trips with your students, and then encouraging them to help make our own field trip for other students to enjoy. Even if it is just a trip around the school. Many students in another state or region may not have access to the plants, agriculture, trees, or habitats that we have in our own backyards. As simple as it sounds, it could be a great learning experience for both sets of students.
This article also included testimonials from students in Maine, that state that they prefer virtual field trips as opposed to real field trips. I think a combination of virtual and real, hands on trips, would definitely benefit and keep student interested in learning about various topics such as environmental issues across the world, geography, outer space, and many many other mediums.
Something I found insightful in this article was that the article suggested teachers and students together creating their own virtual field trips. I think it is a great idea as an educator to experience and go on a few virtual field trips with your students, and then encouraging them to help make our own field trip for other students to enjoy. Even if it is just a trip around the school. Many students in another state or region may not have access to the plants, agriculture, trees, or habitats that we have in our own backyards. As simple as it sounds, it could be a great learning experience for both sets of students.
This article also included testimonials from students in Maine, that state that they prefer virtual field trips as opposed to real field trips. I think a combination of virtual and real, hands on trips, would definitely benefit and keep student interested in learning about various topics such as environmental issues across the world, geography, outer space, and many many other mediums.
Virtual Field Trips
For Week 2, our assignment was to research a website about "Virtual Field Trips". The website that I visited was very user friendly and perked my interest immediately. It is "http://www.thinkport.org/Classroom/trips.tp". This website is a online tutorial and learning forum that was created for distant students to learn about Maryland. The graphics are amazing; my first virtual field trip was to the Chesapeake Bay. I am 23 years old, and can honestly say, I do not know much if anything about the Chesapeake Bay. Virtual Field Trips were not accessible or even in existence when I was learning about Geography.
My Virtual Field Trip to the Chesapeake Bay was wonderful, easy, and insightful. I was able to learn about what is killing the bay grasses of the Chesapeake Bay by reading the facts, exploring the Bay myself, and working in a virtual lab! The website walked me through the scientific method of gathering information before entering the lab, and after my experiments, I was encouraged to write down my findings in my lab journal.
I found this virtual field trip to be a really neat and creative idea to learn about the Chesapeake Bay, without physically going there, or reading about it the traditional way, in a text book. As a younger learner, and still today, I am a visual learner. Reading a text book or listening to a lecture was not the optimal way for me to learn. These virtual field trips would have been exciting and beneficial to me as an elementary learner.
The more I learn and look into virtual field trips will be good for my teaching methods, and I feel that students as young as preschool and elementary school would greatly benefit and enjoy a virtual field trip!
Link to website: http://www.thinkport.org/Classroom/trips.tp
My Virtual Field Trip to the Chesapeake Bay was wonderful, easy, and insightful. I was able to learn about what is killing the bay grasses of the Chesapeake Bay by reading the facts, exploring the Bay myself, and working in a virtual lab! The website walked me through the scientific method of gathering information before entering the lab, and after my experiments, I was encouraged to write down my findings in my lab journal.
I found this virtual field trip to be a really neat and creative idea to learn about the Chesapeake Bay, without physically going there, or reading about it the traditional way, in a text book. As a younger learner, and still today, I am a visual learner. Reading a text book or listening to a lecture was not the optimal way for me to learn. These virtual field trips would have been exciting and beneficial to me as an elementary learner.
The more I learn and look into virtual field trips will be good for my teaching methods, and I feel that students as young as preschool and elementary school would greatly benefit and enjoy a virtual field trip!
Link to website: http://www.thinkport.org/Classroom/trips.tp
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