Use this worksheet to prepare your posting.
Website Title:
Website Address (http://
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
58 comments:
test
Part Four: Write up your findings at http://uniqueandcompellingwebsiteevaluation.blogspot.com/
Use this worksheet to prepare your posting.
Website Title: ASK SHAMU
Website Address (http://www.seaworld.org/ask-shamu/index.htm
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I found the “Ask Shamu” website ask-an-expert portion to be very useful in teaching beginner technology students how to integrate communication, learning, and marine science all at the very same time. The webpage was easy to browse and simple to input a question. It also had a Frequently Asked Questions portion in order for students to see if their question had already been asked in order to think of a new question.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I would incorporate this activity into a science class for elementary grade students. For ESE, I would incorporate it into a high school level EMH class.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
This website intrigued me because since I live in Miami and will be teaching here in South Florida, I think it is important to become familiar with marine and ocean life. The ask-an-expert application is an easy way to have my students interacting on a technological level, expressing their communication skills as well as gaining valuable information about an eco system we are surrounded by.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
In a technology deficient classroom where I only have 5 computers and 15 students I would have my students split into groups of 3 and brainstorm a couple questions each concerning the topic of marine life/sea animals. Then, I would begin a rotation where each student would have a chance to log onto a computer and send a minimum of one question to the expert at the “Ask Shamu” website. Every student would have the homework assignment to check their class e-mail and see if the expert responded. Once everyone received a valid response I would have them present their question and expert answer to the class. This process would allow for cooperation and public speaking to be practiced.
Website Title: CIESE Bucket Buddies
Website Address http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/bucketproj/teacherarea.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I found bucket buddies most useful. It is a fun, hands on activity. I feel that the students will enjoy it because it is an outdoors learning experience. The website also has “Ask an Expert” as a link, so if someone is stuck, they can just click on the link. I can incorporate this activity into my curriculum when I am teaching science.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I would use this in science for grades 3-5. It says grades 1-5, but I think it is too complex for first and second grade.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this course because it is found on the internet, which can allow the child to continue working on it at home. Also, it allows the students to go and actually find the organisms. The students will be communicating and sharing their knowledge with one another, which I think is great. At these ages, students listen to what their peers have to say.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
One way I can modify or adapt is by making the students take turns on the computer. Maybe give each one fifteen minutes. I can also establish roles for the students and allow the students with a certain role to be on the computer. Another option is having backup printouts just in case the internet goes down.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
It was very strong. The content was clear and the links were fast and free of errors. The only weaknesses were that there are no options available for handicapped and it is not very bright and colorful. It was kind of dull.
Website Title: Earthquake Hazards Program
Website Address (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
The Real Time Data was the most useful. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_big.php
This project allows the student to track real time earthquakes in different continents of the world. Also, incorporates geography into the lesson. The information given helps students track when and where the most fault activity is taking place in the world. This activity can be integrated into the curriculum containing a unit on plate tectonics and fault movement.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
Comprehensive Science 3, grade 8
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?) There is a combination of a science and geography lesson incorporated into one. This website is both unique and compelling.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.) I would add a world map that includes longitudinal and latitudinal points on the graph. Ask students to plot (color code system) and keep track of where the most earthquake activity occurs and the magnitude of each quake along with the location. This will help students understand where the most fault movement occurs resulting in earthquake activity.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.) The strengths of the website include having real world time of where the earthquake took place as well as the magnitude of each quake. The website also provides a global map of when and where the earthquakes took place with a color coded system. The weakness of the website would be that most of the lesson has to be created by the instructor and it doesn’t provide any formal lesson plans to be used with the data given.
Website Title: Shadow a Swan Project
Website Address http://www.uen.org/swan/
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
http://www.uen.org/swan/latlon.html
This site many different projects that can be used in math, science, or in a social studies class. The one project that stood out to amongst the rest deals with using longitude and longitude. The swans are monitored by satellite devices that were placed around their neck and they are traceable through the web site, in real time. The students will learn about where it is the swans travel to. They will track their findings on a map posted in the classroom and it will allow the students to post the coordinates that their assigned swan is presently at. This is a fun and interesting way that will motivate students to grasp the concept of longitude and latitude. Not only will they learn about longitude and latitude, but they will also be able to demonstrate their understanding of the concept. I would integrate this project into several subjects in my curriculum. For my social studies class, this project, as stated above, this project would teach longitude and latitude. For math, we could measure the distances that the swans have traveled in a given period of time. For science, we would study the different reasons why swans travel to certain parts of the world, how long they stay there, and for what reasons (why are they avoiding a particular area?)
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
The particular project I have chosen is recommended for students in grades 10-12.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this unique and compelling web site because the traditional way used to teach the concept of longitude and latitude can be boring. This assignment adds some excitement to learning the concept. The project also teaches many other concepts simultaneously.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I would implement this project in a social studies class with students in grades 10-12. I would break the students into groups of 2-3 students (depending how many computers are available) and I would assign a swan to each group. The group would use the web site to track the swan’s travels.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
I feel that this is a really great project. The goal is clearly stated. The site is user friendly and it is easy to navigate. There are many different projects listed, all of which involve tracking the swans via satellite. The project can be used in various subject areas and it teaches the students various concepts. All of the links provided are up to date and all work properly. The site contains dates, showing us findings from previous years. There is a link provided to contact the creator of the website, however, it is unclear who the teacher who put this project together is. There are also no options available for those who are handicapped and would prefer text only pages.
Use this worksheet to prepare your posting.
Website Title: 2 Learn.CA
Website Address (http://roject centre@2Learn.ca)
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
http://www.2learn.ca/tlcprojects/viewprojectRegister.asp?ID=1697
This is the address to a wonderful project in the subject area of Social Studies and is truly ‘near and dear” to my heart. The grade level is 10-12 and the project will require students to use all sorts of “Unique and Compelling” resources.
Knowledge Objectives include Recognizing and showing examples of changes in my/your community that have taken place, over time, in the past, taking place today and may occur in the future. Also people who have contributed or will contribute to the change. I can imagine live videos of buildings coming down and conversly going up (easy to capture on video in Miami). Tons of pictures from on- line archieves of building that used to exist and are now either different or gone altogether. Information on say the Miami Zoo, which used to be located in Key Biscayne, the huge dog track for racing down on 1st street in Miami Beach and the fishing pier located right next to it that housed a full blown casino in the 20’s and 30’s.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website) The site offers areas to assist in teaching everything from K-12. However, you can specify what grade level project you want. You can specify not only the grade level but also the subject. Considering this site is from Canada you can even pick projects in French or English
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?) It allows students/teachers to work in a real world learning experience, allows you to explore over 800 on going and finished projects. Contains a huge menu of resources to help teachers teach, allows you to make your own link pages, online activities and virtual bookmarks of favorite sites.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.) This website has so many resources at it’s disposal, a teacher could simply use a “Smartboard” to either display videos, display answers to questions asked by other students in other areas of the world, etc. If really “tech savvy” a teacher in Canada could answer/ask questions in say French and have the answer/question automatically translated into the native language. Better yet, have the students translate the answers on their own.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.) The only weakness I find in this website is that it’s so very interactive that it may take a while to find something that you maybe able to use in your class. Its as if you you need to first look at the site and then decide what specific project to work on. Maybe allow the students to choose something they think is interesting.
Website Title: Bucket Buddies
Website Address: http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/bucketproj/standards.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
The project that I found to be fun and useful is Bucket Buddies retrieved from http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/bucketproj/standards.html. I chose this project because children love animals and I think they will really enjoy getting out of the classroom. This will also be a great lesson in science and social studies. The students will communicate with other students around the world. Each student is asked to go to the closest pond and look at different animals that live in and around the pond. Then the students can share that information with their friends on the internet. From this activity the students will learn how to collect, organize, and describe data. As an extra activity, the teacher might want the students to measure the animals, so that the students can familiarize themselves with measurements and weight. Also, as far as getting the animals from the pond, that could be a homework assignment that the parents could help out with.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I could use this project for grades K through 4 for a science and social study lesson.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this website because it was the best one out of five websites that deal with grades K through 4. It was very simple and direct on what the students had to do.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
In Kindergarten we have a special time called Area Time. There are six stations in the classroom, block area, art area, house area, computer area, reading area, and toy area, and after fifteen minutes the tables rotate areas. Each table is assigned to an area and whichever table is in the computer area, will start the project first. If I was teaching a grade from 1st through 4th then I will do the project in the lab room.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The website overall was very informative. It got down to the point and I was never lost. However, I wish they had more useful websites for grades K through 4.
Website Title: Ladies, Contraband, and Spies: Women in the Civil War
Website Address: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/01/spies/teachers.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/01/spies/teachers.html
I chose the website from the Primary Source Resources and Projects section. I found the title to be very inviting. As I entered the website it contained an easy access, with no need of a log in. I would defiantly integrate this website when I plan a lesson on the Civil War. In this website students would understand the struggles/ consequences women went through during the war. In this website students will be able to develop skills in seeing and understanding visual and print sources, they will learn to analyze and draw conclusions from sources. Additionally students will develop a better understanding of how the Civil War affected the lives of women and they will be able to develop skills in online searching of the American Memory collections. Furthermore students will be able to become technology wiz by getting familiar with website usage, PowerPoint.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I would use this website in an History class. I would defiantly use this website in grades 10, 11.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I choose this website from personal experience. It consists of great, accurate information useful to students. It had a very easy way to access, no log in needed, no password needed.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I plan to modify my website by involving the students for example making them reenact a certain part in the Civil war. Make half of the class the Union and the other the Confederate. I would then make the students research a specific part from the Civil war. I would make them create costumes, props, for them to feel as if they were part of the Civil War experience.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The site overall contain a great source of information. The goal and the purpose of the website are clear and not distracting. Another strength is that it has great excellent organizations, free of errors, loads quickly and clearly, and all elements seem easy to read. The weaknesses of the website are that it does not offer any for handicapped. Also it is unclear who the teacher.
Website Title: Artifact Road Show: Constructing the Context
Website Address (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/99/road/intro.html
Description: The examination of artifacts from the Nashua River in New Hampshire was the most helpful project because it provided various forms of stimulation for the student. I required that the student evaluate artifacts, write about them, think about what has happened in the Nashua River and what might happen, creating critical thinking in each child. This project is provides versatility with regards to application in the classroom setting, I believe that integrating this project through cooperative learning would be the most effective manner to include in class.
The setting: Although this particular project is geared towards 4th grade, the same project is available for 5th & 6th grade with different artifacts to evaluate for each.
Rationale: This website requires that you work with a computer for the artifact evaluation portion of the project, which would require that a technologically handicapped classroom move to a lab.
Setting/Delivery: This U&C website was one of the most involved and appealing sites that I viewed, it provides different avenues for students to participate and draw upon different ideas without a definitive right or wrong which helps boost moral when working in ability groups.
Evaluation: There were no apparent weaknesses that this website had. The one thing that I can mention is that there was no way that a handicapped student may be able to participate in the same manner and other students.
Website Title:Solutions for the Tech Deficient classroom
Website Address (http://http://k12science.org/exploration/casestudies/
Description: (Which project do you find most useful?
I found the option of connecting a laptop to a projector, then projecting onto a large screen the most practical solution. If all else fails, I can always bring my personal PC into the classroom.
(Don’t forget to include the url.) Why?
American Rhetoric.com
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/
Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I can use it to study a particular American novel, such as To Kill A Mockingbird. We can project a scene from the movie for all to watch, then discuss it.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
Conversational English class to High School students in the Czech Republic.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
Although there is a computer lab in the school I will be teaching, there are no computers in the classroom. Technology is scarce, so I will need to be creative.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
As mentioned above, by using the videos & text of the American Rhetoric website to:
Read and listen to the passage. Also, incorporate some American History into the class, which foreign students love.
Evaluation:
Excellent resource, user friendly, nice design, easy navigation, does not show "authority", contains few dates, content is relevant, few links to other sites, no handicapped access
(What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
Website Title: Rutgers : COOL, Coastal Ocean Observation Lab
Website Address (http://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I founded the Real Time Data site useful, because of the topics that it had. With this website you can have the whole class do the project from it. The website gave numerous locals that were accessable for research and the teacher can grade the assignment in detail if he/she wanted too. I would make it a weekly assignment for a week. They would have to do the research during class time(computer lab). Save the data and place it in a project or power-point presentation that they would have to present to the class.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
Being that the website is to up graded, It would have to be for grade level 6-8 in the Science department.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I choose the website because of the data that it showed. I think that student would be intrigue with the weather in other states or countries in the world. It cover the marine biology.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)In a middle school grades 6-8 science class. The students would collect weather data of a different state or counrty, other then the one that they live in. After collecting the data, then they can get a feel of the weather in that location. Comparing the weathers with the past in our area. Would they like to visit it or move their.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The design was well developed, easy to use or go from one link to another. The website also gave you information if they had problems with its system. It apeared friendly once you read the first page and decided what you wanted to do in it.
Website Title: Telecollaborative Projects and Data CIESE Telecollaborative Projects
Website Address (http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/genproj/index.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/genproj/index.html is a website I would use for my class. This website the kids can compete with other schools. The project I find more useful is “Human Genetics”. This project is aligned with the Florida Sunshine States Standards. It will allow the students to complete their science project in class opposed to a home learning project. The students will be able to interact and explore their findings about their traits and why they look the way they do. They can also involve their mother, father, siblings, and extended family to complete their research which makes it more fun. I can implement a different project every nine weeks.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website) I would use this for my seventh and eighth graders.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?) I choose this Unique & Compelling website because it has current issues, current articles, they have shows on the topics for students to visit as field trips.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.) I would assigned lab days weekly to the lab room.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.) It was an EXCELLENT website because it was clear purpose and goal, user friendly, organization was good, content on target and provides good coverage.
Website Title: The Educators Network
Website Address (http://www.sites4teachers.com
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
The project is called “The flat Stanley”
I picked this project because I loved the idea of making the students to establish a communication visiting each other in a virtual way. They will have the oportunity of recording their experiences in a journal while spending time (about a week) with a “flat friend” and then sending the friend back with post cards, souveniers, etc.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
This project takes place in Second and Third grades
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose it because it has great communicative tools for the students. It is extremely informational because the students will be able to share real description of the different places of the world where they are at that moment. It is very interactive. It allows to share the information using techology such as pictures and videos and other resources.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I will implement a project in a technology deficient classroom using another kind of technology such as copies, print outs, videos so every studentd has acces to the activity. In case I want to modify this project what I’ll do is If I’m working with students from first to third grades, I’d make arrangements to do the activity in United States only not internationally.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The web site does not have a clear handiccaped options on all pages and links. However the site is clear, it is exciting,it has an excellent organization, the content provides coverage and meet students needs.
Website Title: Describe Yourself, Your Partner Student Will Draw You
Website Address: http://kidspace.kidlink.org/start.php?HoldNode=16518
Description: The project I have selected is from the Primary Source Resources and Project category. The Link is: List of Primary Sources. I found it in the left hand side of the webpage K – 12 Education which is also a unique and compelling internet lesson plan. The teacher would create a login name and password for every student. Next, students will answer four questions about themselves. The questions are: who am I, what would you like to be when you grow up, how do I want the world to be a better place when I grow up? Last, what can I do now to make this happen? The student does not tell their name nor country / state of where they are located. This allows other students an opportunity to interact with completely different types of children with a culturally diverse population. Students would have access to go into “virtual rooms” to post their description about themselves. Other students would then have the opportunity to ask questions by leaving a comment. The student who wrote the description to their questions would return and answer the questions from the other student who left comments.
The setting: This lesson plan is mostly used for children of the ages of 10 – 15 years old.
Rationale: I choose a unique and compelling website because I am a firm believer of students becoming familiar with the technology. This website allows all the students to familiarize themselves with the tools available through technology such as Microsoft Word.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.) The lesson plan clearly indicates how you can incorporate technology within your students. The teacher does not have to have the computers in their classroom daily. They are able to schedule a day to go into the “computer lab” at least once or twice during the week.
Evaluation: I found many strengths about this website. First, it allows children to become familiar with the computer. Second, students are introduced to different cultural students from all over the world. The website is translated in so many different languages to allow everyone to be able to communicate with each other. The website provides many answers on “how to” and “where do I” questions. A weakness I found in this website was its inability to accommodate the visually impaired students.
Use this worksheet to prepare your posting.
Website Title:Oceans Connecting a Nation
Website Address (http:// http://www.ciese2.org/curriculum/oceansproj/instructions.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I found the Oceans Connecting a Nation project under the CIESE Telecollaborative projects (http://www.ciese.org/collabprojs.html)the most useful because it had a variety of resources and information for students. It also gave students an opportunity to interact and share information with students all over the nation. I would make use of this project to show students the impact that humans have on the ocean, which also falls under the curriculum standards.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
In the Biology (Science) course for secondary.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I choose this site because students have the opportunity to find and share information with students in different places in the nation. This project meets the National Science Education Standards and Excellence in Environmental Education.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I would make copies of the pages that I would like my students to see, just in case there is not projector or computer at that time. Plan ahead of lab times/reservation or media rentals and try to collect the data and input it into the computer at once and share this with other students.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The site has clear goals, instruction, resources, information, and links. It is very friendly and welcoming, although sometimes the site may get confusing with the links. It provides the leaders contact information as well as help options. The weaknesses were the lack of update and creation dates and handicapped access.
Website Title: School Counselor From Wikipedia Encyclopedia
Website Address http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/school_counseling
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
It talks about school guidance and counseling the roles of the counselor, and education and training here and in other countries.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
Information is probably more appropriate for High School students or working with students who are considering going into counseling.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
As a school counselor part of my job is preparing the students for the future and that means using technology.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
As a counselor I could use the site working in small groups with the students. They could rotate while one group is on the computer another could be having a small group discussion
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The website is a wonderful resource. It provides good information and input/feedbak can be provided.
Website Title: VMathLive.com
Website Address (http:// www.vmathlive.com)
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
This is a comprehensive package that comprises both the traditional pedagogic material for K-12 Math along with an online drill and practice software that supports the offline teaching and learning strategy. But what I found the unique and compelling feature of this program is the game or fun part of it. The developer (Voyager Learning) uses the Internet in its most pervasive aspect to create a world-wide arena for mathematics competitions among youngsters of different levels of cognitive development. And the champions get to receive worldwide exposure again through the Internet. This boosts their self-esteem, and gives them unparallel recognition.
When I implement this program in my classroom, I will use it to complement the current material and use math competitions as a way of motivating my students.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
It will be used in sixth grade.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
This website creates the level of enthusiasm and excitement even in students who are generally openly indifferent to math.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
The math competitions between kids that are spread around the globe make this software unique. The possibility to record the scores instantaneously make this a compelling proposition. The math bouts only last a couple of minutes, which makes them very dynamic. The action is quick and there is no limit in the number of players that can compete at any one time.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The site offers a lot of advantages that have already been mentioned. On the down side, it is not free. There is a subscription fee for students to use it. I could not find out the price at this time since I could not get access to this information during the week end. But anybody who finds this site unique and compelling can discuss the issue with the developer.
Website Title: Down the Drain
Website Address http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/drainproj/information.html
Description: This project allows students to perform an collaborative “lab” on which will cover a certain topic of interest in the curriculum such as “water shortage” or “water as the solvent of life.”
The setting: 6th-8th Grade Classes as part of Integrated Science
Rationale: This activity will allow the student to integrate with the world on this topic and gather data which can be compared to other students around the world. It will demonstrate the student the importance of water as “the substance of life” and its misuse or waste. It will bring forth topics such as “do other parts of the world have water shortages or water at all,” and a real-encounter with global issues regarding water, in general.
Setting/Delivery: I would use a collaborative group project where students are separated into groups and perform the Telecollaborative lab but in groups. They can each have different data and compare among each other and then compare with data around the world. Students will have a specific role, research ideas, and perform the tasks individually and combine with their group to then present as a class in the U and C. Students can also as groups compare the data with other schools and then as class talk about the differences and inquire on these for future activities.
Evaluation: This website is “Above Average” based on the rubric. I noticed that some of the links were not active, but in general, the website was user-friendly. It was organized with easy-to-follow instructions and the directions were not confusing. The data was updated and seemed to be quite interesting to many, which means the students will have “updated” information.
Description:
This activity was created for elementary students to allow them to investigate the phenomena of weather. It allows them to track and evaluate different sites and make investigations of real-time data. The students will learn how to describe weather in measurable units such as temperature; wind and precipitation etc. The many activities and lessons within this module can be included into an elementary science curriculum.
The setting:
This module is recommended for grades 3-6 but can be used for higher grades.
Rationale:
This website/project is very functional and informative for early elementary. It helps students become more aware of their surrounding/weather changes. It also incorporates the usage of technology in the classroom.
Setting/Delivery:
The classroom setting for the delivery of this module is using internet access by a number of stationed computers within the classroom.
Evaluation:
Based on the academic web site evaluation rubric; this site scored above average in almost all dimensions. I was very satisfied in the layout and instructions given within the site to both teachers and students. One of weaknesses I found was it did not incorporate any handicapped options for students with disabilities.
Website Title: Ask the Dietitian
Website Address (http://www.dietitian.com/)
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
This website is geared toward general health. You are able to ask any question you’d like regarding diet health. This website also provides other questions and answers based categorized based on subject. This website seems extremely informative about the effects of different foods in the human body as well as the nutritional facts to most of these foods and drinks.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
Most likely High School (9-12). Preferably in a Health class, but also useful in a science class.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I liked the diversity and the option to ask questions and expect true and honest answers. This meets the general health education requirement that most, if not all, high schools have.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
With this particular website, I’d probably project the website from an LCD so the entire class can view the different subject areas and questions asked from them. (some areas include, Caffeine, Fast food, weight loss, underweight, bulimia, etc.)
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
I found this website to be very informative and accurate. The content is very appropriate for high school students. One of the strengths was the variety in content of the entire page, and how every subject had at least 5 question and answer segments where users can view others’ questions.
One of the weaknesses was its lack of activity. This website is geared more toward research and finding information. There aren’t any activities for students to participate in regarding the subject matter.
Website Title:
Website Address (http://www.grammarnow.com/
Description: This site is geared towards helping students that need answers with composition questions. This site helps the students enter the word or phrases and give them many outcomes. The are helped with writing skills, spelling , definitions and many more options . It is also geared towards many grammar questions that the students usually have. In order to have specific questions answered students would join a club and there is a fee involved . This question and answer club can specifically go to that targeted area that they have questions on.
The setting would be involving students that are in the middle school and high school level. One of the reasons being that they can get much use of this site when doing writing up their reflections, editing their papers , finding translations and so forth. This site might not be as friendly for the younger generation of preschoolers and early elementary. This site will also help them in editing their papers and academic reports and there is a fee involved for this type of help also.
Rationale: This website that I chose was mainly due to the name of the site itself. It caught my eye for grammar usage is usually an area where the students can always improve in.questioned by students. The site offers much information for them to be able to access and turn in some very impressive work to the teachers.site that will. I believe this site does meet the U and C website criteria for grammar is always questioned by students and here they can access a number of options to help them.
Setting/Delivery: A classroom that is not technology friendly cannot incorporate this website. The site would be looked at a class activity of how to use by the teacher’s personal computer . This site would be explained to the students of how to search. The students would then in turn need to use this site from another location other than school. This is not an activity that could be incorporated in the classroom without a computer. The usage of this site would have to be on an individual basis on their need
Evaluation: The site is very helpful for those students that need to look up definitions, and need help translating and other grammar issues. The site is user friendly. The site does offer a pay section where you have several options. You can get in a club of questions and answers and you can also join in on a editing section where they give you help there for a fee also.
Website Title: NGA (National Gallery of Art) Classroom: For Teachers and Students
Website Address: http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/results.mhtm?search1=17&imgSubmit.x=95&imgSubmit.y=8
Description: My favorite activity on the website was the Vincent van Gogh Teaching Program http://www.nga.gov/education/vgt_actintro.shtm This is a comprehensive set of activities broken down by difficulty and area covered,for instance beginning/geography, or advanced/art.
The setting: This website has activities for grades K-12.
Rationale: I choose this website because the National Gallery of Art is a great museum, and they have excellent resources for students and teachers on their website. They have many activities that teach everything from language arts to advanced drawing all with an artistic twist.
Setting/Delivery: One of the great things about this website, is that so many of the activities are already set up for different levels of classroom technology. For instance, some activities are available online or as a slide show that can be downloaded. Others are available as PDFs, so the lessons could be taught on projector, handed out in paper form, or completed on computers.
Evaluation: This is a good resource for teachers grades K-12. The site is well designed with easy to understand directions and content. All of the links worked well and navigation was well thought out. The site had many lessons available as PDFs which can easily be converted from text to voice. The one drawback to lessons, was the lack of names or dates associated with the assignments.
Down the Drain
Part One:
Describe how you will use and integrate the “Unique and Compelling” Activity in your Class.
Find a “Unique and Compelling” Activity (Telecollaborative, Ask-an-Expert, Real-Time Data, Primary Resources, and Publishing Student Work) project that you could use in your teaching. Which project do you find most useful? Why? How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I chose to evaluate Down the Drain for several reasons. This project is both unique and compelling. It is unique in the sense that the data will have to be inputted online to be analyzed with data gathered around the word and it is compelling in the sense that the children will have to do a lot of hands on personal research. I find it very useful because it exposes children to a few things:
1. Gather data
2. Analyze data
3. Input data in a computer
4. Assess records
5. Compare records
This is a very scientific way of doing things. So incorporating into a science class should not be very difficult. Find a situation, gather data, and track the data over a period of time and compare. To spice it up a bit I can have them have a constant and a variable to compare the situation from a different point of view.
Part Two:
Website Evaluation
(Attached)
Part Three:
Solutions for the Tech Deficient Classroom and Technology Implementation Plan
Please click on the following websites and explore. Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom
(refer to setting / delivery)
Website Title:
Down the Drain
Website Address
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/drainproj/
Description:
(Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the URL.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/drainproj/householdwaterusechart.html
This website is great because it supplies the students with different kinds of charts that they have to fill out to help them gather the information. This one in particular is set to estimate the amount of water used in the household. It asks to estimate the amount of water used daily and weekly. I think that this chart makes the child more proactive in the research. Integrating this activity into a classroom would be exciting. I do not think that I will have them do this particular project but the concepts on here are the basis of any good scientific research. I will have them do projects where they will have to come up with a scenario and I will help get them started and assist them gather data so they can record it and compare the outcomes…etc.
The setting:
(In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
This is a very simple project. It was based for fourth thru eighth graders.
Rationale:
(Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose Down the drain because I am fascinated by science projects. I love the scientific method. It works every time. It shows structure, discipline, patience, and builds character in a person (get the facts before jumping to conclusions). I stated earlier that the uniqueness comes from inputting information online and publishing it for the world to see and the compelling notion comes from personal hands on research.
Setting/Delivery:
(Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
If I was going to use this particular project in a technology deficient classroom it would not be a problem. We would just need the computers once a week. The first day go to the computer courtyard and print out the charts and once a week go back to input / publish the data gathered. Print out the results and store the hard copies for future usage.
Evaluation:
(What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
All in all, I think this website was fantastic. I found little no errors, it easy to navigate through it, the images were not distracting, it had background information, it gave hints and clues to how to estimate water usage, it explained the scientific method, the objective was clear to understand and the experiment is fascinating.
Yanirys Rios
Website Title: The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education
Website Address
http://www.ciese.org/realtimeproj.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/tsunami/index.shtml
This unique and compelling website offers various interesting projects. The one I found most useful is the Tsunami Surge. This project will contribute to improve the student’s learning experience using this application of instructional technology. After consulting all the resources offered by the project, the students will be able to describe what a Tsunami is and what causes it, determine where tsunamis are most likely to originate, identify how tsunamis are different from regular waves in the ocean etc. Because Tsunami Surge meets all the national standards for example: National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards and Florida Sunshine State Standards etc; it could be used and integrated into our curriculum. This project will be very useful for a science professor on middle and high school. It will be adjusted depending on the grade and the professor’s lesson plan.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
Tsunami Surge is a project that can be use on the Science class for students in grades 6-12 ages from 11 to 18. It uses real-time data sources from the Internet to help students answer all the questions.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this Unique and Compelling website because it offers an excellent opportunity for teachers to engage students in collaborative projects using different resources, also enhance their curriculum through compelling use of the Internet. On every project offered by this website students will use hands-on activities and real-time data investigations to study factors that affect weather and climate. They will be challenged to think critically and creatively in their efforts to understand, predict, and guard against different weather and climate issues. In addition, students will be involved on publishing their jobs on the web. This website meets as I mentioned before all the national standards.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I will implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom forming groups of students. For example, I will use the Tsunami Surge (I have mentioned before) on a class of 20 students and I only have 5 computers. Groups of 4 will be formed and they will share the computers to research the information needed. I will give them time to navigate on the project and all the corresponding links. Each group will be assigned with a question they need to answer. Each question will cover a different topic in the project. When the 5 groups finish their research they have to present their topic therefore the rest of the groups will learn from them. Due to the fact that we live in the peninsula of Florida that is mainly surrounded by water, the homework will be to express their opinion (using the facts previously acquired from the project) if we are in an area that could be hit by a tsunami and if so how can we prepare for it. This process will let practice the cooperation, investigation, and public discussion of the subjects and points of view.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The website has an excellent organization, loads quickly and its goal purpose is shown clearly. The navigation links are logical and work perfectly. The connection to a wide variety of interesting and useful sites is accurate. Also it design is colorful and fonts have a perfect size which is friendly to handicapped. I did not find any weakness relevant enough to be mentioned.
Ask-an-expert/Ask the crew (astronauts)
Website Title: Ask the expert
Website Address (http:// spaceflight.nasa.gov/feedback/expert/)
Description:
Of all the available types of “Unique & Compelling” activities I found that the “Ask-an-expert” section was the best and most helpful because it allowed students to actually go out and ask an expert a question that they’ve been wondering about. The site that I chose was titled: “Ask the crew” and it has to do with asking astronauts questions based on specific missions that they have been on. Not only does the site allow anyone to ask questions (like many other sites) but it actually displays questions that have been asked by others. I would use this site in my classroom if I where teaching science and began the chapter on space. I would instruct my students to visit this site where they can gain first hand knowledge/learn the answers to their questions about: “What does it feel like to take off into space?”, “Is it cold in space?” or even “Do astronauts ever get scared aboard spaceships?” .This is also an excellent form of research if I would create a project about space, kids will have bona fide sources to back their assignments.
The setting:
I would probably use this site for any grade level K-12 and beyond because it is an open forum of questions to astronauts that simply want to help others understand what they do everyday whether it be researching/studying space, preparing for a launch or actually repairing satellites or studying space while actually in space.
Rationale:
I chose this unique and compelling website because I felt that it was important to allow student’s the opportunity to express themselves freely, individually and while learning those things they have always wondered about. The “ask the experts”/”ask the crew” site created by NASA allows students to ask any question they want, however deep or trivial it may be and get a sure answer from a trusted source: an astronaut, the person who lives and breathes this every single day. Student’s won’t be limited to the questions in an “FAQ” (Frequently Asked Question) section at the bottom of a webpage, nor will they become exhausted and eventually quit when trying to find the answer to a specific question that they have about the great beyond. This site meets the specific criteria of a traditional Unique & Compelling activity as it is certainly a site Unique to the internet as it may be nearly impossible to answer all of one’s questions day or night in person, in this way the internet serves as a facilitator and it is compelling as it provides real world experiences, being able to get your questions answered by a professional astronaut. It also satisfies at least one the major categories of a traditional U&C site, it is a communication tool as it allows students to communicate with experts in this (space, science) particular field. By using this site students will prepare to be global citizens by instilling both global and environmental awareness. Personally I believe that it meets the need that people have to find out more than what meets the eye. Space, astronomy, rocket ships, it’s not all about wind pressure and engine speed or planets orbiting, it is also about people and the people who make this their life, and I think that it’s important for people to know how they (the experts) feel while they do this and for us to understand how important what they do Is to how we live our everyday lives.
Setting/Delivery:
The “Ask-an-expert” site mainly relies on the fact that users have to have a working, internet connected computer in their possession in order to type and submit a question to an astronaut. Without a computer available to each student at all times it can become difficult for them to ask all of their questions. For example, if I had a about 25 students and I only had a small pod of maybe 5 computers installed in the classroom, I would probably divide the students up into 5 groups of 5 kid’s each and I would ask that they get together every week and brainstorm a question as a group, for the astronauts, then they would select one person from the group to type it in on the site for the whole group. Each week the person who typed in the question would be different, just as the question and at the end of a month or so, I would print out all of the responses and we would share them with the entire class. This is an efficicient way to manage a problematic situation in order to make good use of the computers.
Evaluation:
I found that this site was very helpful as well as useful to anyone looking to find the answers to the most personal questions as well as to the most specific scientific questions. The site is very user friendly as it’s all about you free-writing your questions. I think that anyone would enjoy this site as it will open their horizons to the wide world beyond earth and the sky and envelope them in the mysteries and excitement of space, the planets, the stars and the astronauts.
CIESE this site linked me to kids and fitness project
Website Address http://k12science.org/collaborativesites.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
http://exchange.co-nect.net/Teleprojects/project/?pid=16&session=drH3pxxw9ZG
Kids and fitness was a great project to implement P.E. and technology together. I could use this first by showing the project, have the student take notes, and proceed outside to actually do the physical activities
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website) The is good for 9k-12th grade
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?) I choose this site because it had a varied of different subject for all grade levels and meets the state standards of requirements.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.) I could have the student’s in groups view the project and work on it together each student working on a part and rotating internet access.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.) The strengths are it has a teacher curriculum to go with this project and the students are investigating and tracking their progress. It’s hands-on learning. I can’t find a weakness except that it may be too hard for low grades k-3.
Unique and Compelling Applications
Part One: Describe how you will use and integrate the “Unique and Compelling” Activity in your Class.
I find the “Ask an Expert” project most useful. I prefer this application over all the other ones because it is the only one that you could really ask a question in. I noticed that most of the times the answer to questions are posted by professionals or encyclopedias, making it reliable. I also like the fact that they answer questions on hundreds of topics of interest. In addition to this, Ask an Expert could be integrated into basically any grade level. As a teacher I would most likely integrate it into my curriculum by exposing students to a topic in a way that will intrigue them. Later on I will push them to ask me all the questions they want on the subject and once I do not know the answer to multiple questions I will give them spare class time to pose their questions onto Ask and Expert and a few days later ask them to share their answers.
Part Three: Solutions for the Tech Deficient Classroom and Technology Implementation Plan
I would implement a unique and compelling project in a classroom with no computers by doing the exact same thing this website does but instead of using the internet to answer the questions I will bring in a professional on a certain topic into the classroom and allow the students to ask as many questions as possible. For instance, if we are discussing health then I would find a parent who is in the health care field and invite him to an interview. I will ask him/ her to explain what his profession entails (using visuals to make it more exciting) and at the very end I will allow each student to ask him/ her one question.
Another way I would do it would be that instead of assigning each student a computer and asking them to work individually. Supposing that the classroom has one computer I will work as a class and allow input from each student.
Part Four: Write up your findings at http://uniqueandcompellingwebsiteevaluation.blogspot.com/
Use this worksheet to prepare your posting.
Website Title: Ask Shamu
Website Address (http://www.seaworld.org/ask-shamu/index.htm)
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I find the “Ask an Expert” project most useful. I prefer this application over all the other ones because it is the only one that you could really ask a question in. I noticed that most of the times the answers to questions are posted by professionals or encyclopedias, making it reliable. I also like the fact that they answer questions on hundreds of topics of interest. In addition to this, Ask an Expert could be integrated into basically any grade level. As a teacher I would most likely integrate it into my curriculum by exposing students to a topic in a way that will intrigue them. Later on I will push them to ask me all the questions they want on the subject and once I do not know the answer to multiple questions I will give them spare class time to pose their questions onto Ask and Expert and a few days later ask them to share their answers.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
This website make be used in grades K-6.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this website because it has a goal that if accomplished will greatly benefit this planet. Their goal is to preserve our current aquatic ecosystems. In addition to this, this website is interesting enough for an adult to view and basic enough for a child to learn with. This U and C has a clear purpose and goal, it is exciting and has good organization.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I would implement a unique and compelling project in a classroom with no computers by doing the exact same thing this website does but instead of using the internet to answer the questions I will bring in a professional on a certain topic into the classroom and allow the students to ask as many questions as possible. For instance, if we are discussing health then I would find a parent who is in the health care field and invite him to an interview. I will ask him/ her to explain what his profession entails (using visuals to make it more exciting) and at the very end I will allow each student to ask him/ her one question.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
This website has many strengths. For one, it is very user friendly, it includes a search engine and it has many active links. The sole two weaknesses I found within this website are that it doesn’t really say who created the website and it does not have any options for the handicapped.
Website Title: Kidlink – Time Machine
Website Address (http://www.kidlink.org/kidspace/start.php?HoldNode=15762)
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I found the Telecollaborative Projects and Data to be the most useful. The url is http://www.kidlink.org/kidspace/start.php?HoldNode=15762. The project enables students to take an imaginary trip in a Time Machine. They are to find out what happened on the date of their birth in some other time and place. They do research and write a report about this event, including interesting historical, geographical and cultural information. They exchange comments and ideas via email on the Internet and are also encouraged to post their work directly on their pages in KidSpace. Other kids can also view their pages and can post comments to those pages as well. Project participants will also be encouraged to post messages to the KidProj listserv (forum) inviting other Kidlinkers to come and see what they have accomplished. I find this type of project/website most useful because I think it rates very high on the rubric as being an excellent U & C site because it allows for students from all over the world to communicate with each other, they can do research about the day they were born and learn about history and about how the world and what was happening in different parts of the world that day, that is, can learn about other cultures and they can share their findings by posting their reports on forums so that others can learn and comment on the work that they have done. I would integrate this activity into my history curriculum for any grade from K-6 in elementary school. I think it provides students with the opportunity to learn about history, geography, and about other cultures and languages.
The setting: (In what course/grade will you use this U and C website)
I would like to use this activity in my history curriculum for any grade from K-6 in elementary school. I think it provides students with the opportunity to learn about history, geography, and about other cultures and languages.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this U & C website because it meets my requirement for making a project about history exciting and fun. This website/project will allow the students to use the internet technology as well as to learn about the real world and its history and to give the students a chance to learn and do research about events that occurred the day of their birthday in the past. It helps to prepare them to communicate and collaborate in teams consisting of students from all over the world. They learn more since these projects are fun to do. The use of technology makes them even more exciting and they learn quicker. Since they are dealing with other students from all over the world they also begin to see and experience things from other cultures and perspectives. It gives them a different way of looking at history.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
If I had to implement this U & C website in my technology deficient classroom, I would do it by assigning different roles to each member of the team. That team member would access the computer and use it to create and update the project. This role would be a rotating role, that way all the members would get to use the computer. As a backup, I would have made hard copies of any information that may be found in the internet that way the students could continue to work should the internet go down. I would also encourage the students to go and look into using encyclopedias, books, and visiting the library.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The strengths of the website are its goal, user friendliness, design, navigability, authority, content, and links. The goal and purpose is clear. The students are given specific directions as far as what it is that is expected for them to do to complete the project. They are to pretend to go back in time to any year but on the day of their birthday. They are to do research about that day in the past as far as what was happening in the world that day. They have to share what they find with other kids via emails and by posting on forums. The website is very friendly but is a bit plain. It does not offer many distractions, which I think is great but at the same time it seems to be a little dull for that reason I gave it a score of 4 when it came to being an exciting site. The site loads very quickly since it does not have many pictures and widgets which is very good. It also does not have any misspellings or broken links. The site navigates really well and the links take the students to various sites that are address historical dates and facts. The teacher directs whomever wants to use and/or participate in this project with clear directions as to what and how they are to do the project/activities. The content is that is displayed on the site is relevant and the links offer plenty of data that can be use to research the assignment.
The areas where the site seems a little weak is in dates and providing handicapped access. Since the activity is ongoing, when it comes time for asking for specific dates that is not as clear. This is not necessarily a bad thing since it allows for anyone to join this project at any time and begin participating immediately for that I rate this area a 4 out of 5. From a handicapped access perspective, I score this site the lowest, a 1 out of 5, since it offers no handicapped options in any of the web pages reference. Overall score is 39/45.
Website Title: Wonderful World of Weather
Website Address (http:// www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj/index.html)
Description:
This project is meant for students in the elementary grades to investigate weather phenomena both locally and in other places around the world. By using hands-on activities and real-time data investigations, the students will develop a basic understanding of how weather can be described. This project is broken up into three sets of lessons and can be altered depending on grade level. Children are always being introduced to the weather, I would use this activity everyday with them to help them distinguish ate the different forms of weather. Every morning after the students are settled in their seats, I would have a “Weather Helper” to tell me what he/she thinks will happen today. For example, is it sunny/cloudy or do you think that it is going to rain? The student will then find the corresponding picture with its label and place it under “Today’s Weather”. Well according to the Florida Standards, students are to understand and make predictions from an orderly display using data. The students will also be able to understand natural events and their patterns.
The setting:
The course/grade in which I would use this website would be in a kindergarten classroom setting.
Rationale:
I chose this website because it would be a good learning experience for younger children to understand the many concepts to weather and to predict what may happen. This website also helps teachers to complete lesson plans, how to complete the project, and what materials are needed to complete it. The website also has the standards handy for any questions or concerns that the instructor may have. You can also display a student’s work, with privacy of course, as an example for many other students or teachers that are new to the site. A student can look outside from the classroom window, while trying to find what kind of cloud they have discovered using an internet website. This accomplishes the requirement of unique, which can not be done without the internet, and compelling, which is provided by real world experiences. This website also helps students prepare themselves for the future using unique and compelling internet applications. It will also help them to full fill real-time data, such as weather images, hourly air readings, and daily temperatures.
Setting/Delivery:
In many cases, there sometimes is only one computer in a classroom. If this were the case, I would have my students go outside and observe what types on clouds they see. When they are finished and have collected enough data, we would then as a class try to classify the clouds using the internet. I would pull up a website that had the appropriate data and ask my students which clouds they observed and what they are called. Sometimes class sizes may cause this activity to be crowded, if there are enough computers in the library. I would have a set of two students; work together giving them a time restrain on distinguishing their clouds.
Evaluation:
The strengths of the website I chose is that it is user friendly, can be used in the curriculum, and the lessons can be altered. The website starts off as being used beginning in grades 3-5, but because it can be altered early levels can complete the activities as well. There are even strategies of what can be used to modify the lessons. Also using images from the internet to complete the activities rather than out of a textbook will engage the students to want to learn more.
U&C
Website Title: Air Pollution: What's the Solution?
Website Address (http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/airproj/)
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
Real-time data projects great for integration in science classes because of the fact that the sciences are constantly evolving. The information used in these activities is usually being updated constantly and you won’t have an issue with outdated information and definitions. I found a project on air pollution that would serve as a great activity for introductory science class. Air Pollution: What's the Solution?( www.ciese.org/curriculum/airproj/); This project can easily be integrated in the curriculum for a 6th grade science class. The use of real time data to guide student discovery of the science behind the causes and effects of outdoor air pollution is a good way of both, teaching the student about air pollution as well as familiarizing him/her with the use of educational technologies.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I would plan on using this website in a 6th grade science class, because by this time the students should have some idea of what air pollutants are, when and how outdoor air pollution is formed, and what the health effects are from breathing polluted air. The activity provides a chart from the Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality Index (AQI), which is record of weather data, and the presence of air pollutants. The project includes a chart making tool that will allow the student to create graphs that will help visualize or recognize trends. Furthermore, the project will teach students to predict with some level of accuracy when ground level ozone may occur. Finally, the student will use knowledge gained to create awareness about air pollution and the associated health effects.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
The reason why I chose this U and C website was because of the fact that it was provided in the assignment description. I figured that it would be a good idea to choose a site that the professor was already familiar with, this way when the time comes for evaluating the assignment she will be able to do so more effectively. The site is very user friendly, and the content is right on target for the lesson that is being taught. The website also provides useful link that will help the student grasp abstract concepts in a more effective manner; the site doesn’t include a search engine but navigation is still rather easy.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
Where I the teacher of a secondary level science classroom, I would have great use for a U and C website of this sort. All this lesson requires is a desktop computer connected to a projector for easy interaction with the class. The navigation is so simple that any teacher, no matter his or her level of computer literacy is, can implement this site into any lesson that involves the Earth’s geography, weather, climate, and history.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The goal of the website is to teach to students by way of generating discussion, showing images, and presenting factual information, the causes and effects of modern day air pollution;This website meets this criteria beautifully. The website is extremely user friendly, and the navigation of the site is as simple as it gets. The design of the site is simple but it serves it purpose. The content and links provided on the site for activities is right on target. However, not much is available for handicapped children, who would have a header time navigating and grasping concepts from the site without direct collaboration with the proper individual.
Website Title: Scratch My Back (Children’s' Engineering Activity)
Website Address: http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/engineering/backscratcher.html
Description: Engineering projects are most appealing to me because they are mentally stimulating and helps develop children’s motor skills while allowing them to be creative. “Scratch My back” activity is designed for students P-2 and is based on the book “Big Smelly Bear” by Britta Teckentrup. This assignment is very instructional because it introduces young ones to what an engineer is and does to solve problems in our everyday life, while allowing them to be one for the day. First I will begin by reading them this book and introducing them to the problem which is that there is a big smelly bear who has an itch in the middle of his back and can’t scratch it. I will then ask them to brainstorm a backscratcher that they will then make, and predict which materials will work best and lastly compare the suitability of the different designs.
The setting: The grade in which I would use this website would be in a Pre-k thru 2nd grade classroom setting.
Rationale: I chose this website because it would be a good learning experience for younger children to learn problem solving skills and help them implement them in a classroom setting and their everyday life. It is mentally stimulating and allows students to come up with their own creative conclusions and allows them to interact with their peers by comparing and contrasting their creations. This website also clearly sets an outline that is easily followed by the instructor applying it to the lesson and it is a fun activity that will help build positive teacher to student as well as student to student relationships.
Setting/Delivery: What I like most about this project is that if I was to implement this Unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom given that this project is designed for younger children and it’s a hands on activity the computer isn’t needed to accomplish this project.
Evaluation: The strengths of the website I chose is that it is user friendly. Teachers are able to alter it to their grade level and It has a great description and objective for completing this project.
Website Title: Scratch My Back (Children’s' Engineering Activity)
Website Address: http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/engineering/backscratcher.html
Description: Engineering projects are most appealing to me because they are mentally stimulating and helps develop children’s motor skills while allowing them to be creative. “Scratch My back” activity is designed for students P-2 and is based on the book “Big Smelly Bear” by Britta Teckentrup. This assignment is very instructional because it introduces young ones to what an engineer is and does to solve problems in our everyday life, while allowing them to be one for the day. First I will begin by reading them this book and introducing them to the problem which is that there is a big smelly bear who has an itch in the middle of his back and can’t scratch it. I will then ask them to brainstorm a backscratcher that they will then make, and predict which materials will work best and lastly compare the suitability of the different designs.
The setting: The grade in which I would use this website would be in a Pre-k thru 2nd grade classroom setting.
Rationale: I chose this website because it would be a good learning experience for younger children to learn problem solving skills and help them implement them in a classroom setting and their everyday life. It is mentally stimulating and allows students to come up with their own creative conclusions and allows them to interact with their peers by comparing and contrasting their creations. This website also clearly sets an outline that is easily followed by the instructor applying it to the lesson and it is a fun activity that will help build positive teacher to student as well as student to student relationships.
Setting/Delivery: What I like most about this project is that if I was to implement this Unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom given that this project is designed for younger children and it’s a hands on activity the computer isn’t needed to accomplish this project.
Evaluation: The strengths of the website I chose is that it is user friendly. Teachers are able to alter it to their grade level and It has a great description and objective for completing this project.
Website Title: The Noon Day Project, Measuring the Circumference of the Earth
Website Address: http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/noonday/instructions.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I found this Noon Day project very useful and it sounds like it could be a good project to implement in a science class. (URL: http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/noonday/instructions.html) I found it interesting how simple the project is to manage, you get to view different results from other classes who are doing the same project you are and it is a easy website to navigate through. When entering the website, it has certain requirements it lets the viewers know that come with registering. For one part, if you subscribe to the site your class will need to write a letter of introduction and you will need a computer because you will enter all of your results into a forum on that very site. A teacher is also advised to provide lessons in the curriculum which are based with this project. If I taught 5th grade science, I would use this project because it seems like the students will enjoy it rather than see it as another lecture for science class. It would be hands on for them and would give them a good sense of math when it is time for calculations. I would probably use this for 2 grades, one for science and one for math. The materials needed are simple too, so it is user friendly.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
It is recommended for grades 5-12 and as a Science project.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this website because the title caught my eye. I believe it meets most requirements except for providing a handicapped capability.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I would use Learning Centers or Cooperative Learning group approaches. I would love to see this project being worked on in one of these styles of techniques but we will find out when I am in the classroom how much it will really work. If I would use this website as one of the projects in my curriculum and my classroom was technologically deficient I would make use of the teacher’s computer and use the approach of Teacher Presentation. I would encourage for all of my students to come up to the computer and input their information on the project and have it projected on the overhead so that the rest of the class is also participating.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
Strengths:
• All information provided on site is accurate and up to date
• Can be used with grades 5-12
• Part of science curriculum
• Teaches students about the earth in ratio to time
• Is easy to use and the project is easy to conduct
• Not many requirements other than what is really needed
Weaknesses:
• No handicapped capabilities
• Cannot view information unless registered on the site
• Cannot be used in grades K-4
By Jessica Caballero MW Class
Website Title: Center for Engineering and Science Education
Website Address: http://www.ciese.org/exploration/collabprojects
Description: I found this one the most useful because it allowed for students to join schools from around the world. There was a registration required and it was restricted to certain dates, but I mean how cool is this that a child can actually communicate with other kids in other regions of the world to not only learn a lesson, but to finish and complete the work assigned to it. I believe that this really does engage students and draws them into the any lesson presented.
The setting: Teachers can start to introduce this course website and also put it into effect somewhere around the middle school grades all throughout even maybe college courses. The setting however has to be in a classroom or school where computers are available and the internet is also available.
Rationale: I chose this website because I just think it’s fascinating for kids who don’t have the luxury to travel, but yet be able to communicate with a child learning the same subject hundreds of miles away.
Setting/Delivery: The way I, as a facilitator would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom would be by first planning a certain lesson out and then maybe once every other week or maybe once a month depending on what is allowed by the school, have parents authorize field trips to our local library or perhaps the nearest school with these technologies.
Evaluation: This website had nothing but strengths it really had no weaknesses. It was a really well thought of website and also really well planned and organized. It executed every point very clear and precise without any confusion. The evaluations I gave it where the highest 5’s all across.
The site was very interactive.
Website Title: The Sun Times
Website Address (http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/tempproj3/en/index.shtml)
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I found the global sun temperature project to be the most useful. URL: http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/tempproj3/en/index.shtml. It was a fun activity that gave the students an opportunity to work hands on and get a closer look at the sun and how it works. In this activity the students must do the following:
• Measure the temperature and record the number of minutes of sunlight per day over a common week.
• Compare and contrast the results with classes from all over the world.
• Determine how proximity to the equator affects average daily temperature and hours of sunlight.
It would be quite simple integrating a project like this into my curriculum. First, I would make sure I get the materials and permission necessary to perform this assignment. Then, I would introduce the lesson in the beginning of the school year, then again in the middle, and finally at the end of the year so the student can see how the sun temperature changes with the seasons.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
The project is meant to be completed in a science class or during the science period. It is recommended for upper elementary, middle school and high school students (ages 11-18). So, I can introduce this assignment to student’s anywhere from 5th grade to 12th grade.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this unique and compelling web site because science isn’t one of my strongest subjects and I could use a lesson like this one, to get my students interested in science. Also, this web site meets all the acceptable use policy requirements and certain FEAP’s and ISTE’s are also met throughout the completion of this project.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
To implement a unique and compelling project into a technology deficient classroom would be quite a hassle. I would either use my technology at home to print out and put together the information my students need to complete the assignment or, I would take my class to the library or any other place in the school that has sufficient technology to have the kids work on. Lastly, I would definitely apply handicap options to this web site to make it complete.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
This web site has great strengths. The goals of the assignment were clearly stated and the directions are very easy to follow. It is also very user friendly and has a variety of helpful links for the students to use. Its weaknesses are the lack of handicap options and the organization of the web site could use some tweaking.
Use this worksheet to prepare your posting.
Website Title: National Gallery of Art
Website Address: http://www.nga.gov/collection/index.shtm
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I found the National Gallery of Art (NGA) website to be of a lot of ssistance to me because it is filled with lots of useful resources for anyone who might be seeking to become an art teacher.
I found that the activities dedicated on how to instruct students to become more aware and involved with museum related jobs is very informative. In all honesty, I never knew how anyone could be more informed in finding this kind of information.
http://www.nga.gov/education/hsprog.shtm
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
This information can be used for the benefit of teachers implementing this subject areas:
• English/ Language Arts
• Geography
• History
• Math
• Performing Arts
• Science
This information can be implemented in levels from early childhood to adulthood
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
It met my requirement to become more aware of reputable websites channeled in the direction of appropriate and educational information pertaining to art and art education.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I believe that the first thing that needs to be addressed is planning for the activity. If technological resources are not at first hand in the classroom, arrangements must be met to secure the success of the activity. If technology can only be provided during certain days, the teacher must plan carefully to take full advantage of the tools while they can be supplied to his/her classroom. For example, prior arrangements must be met if a computer lab needs to be put in reserve during the time the activity should take place. If the technology must be brought into the classroom, then this equipment must also be petitioned with enough time to secure the availability of it throughout a specified period of days (depending on the length of time dedicated to implementing the exercise).
Planning assignments ahead of time is key to conducting a smooth ride of the activity. Teachers must plan ahead and make decisions based on the availability of the resources. The teacher must target activities that require students to use their own computer, and review assignment and expectations with students prior to going to lab. In addition, the teacher must address issues much as computer lab policies and/or school Acceptable Use Policy with students beforehand. These simple activities will prevent from instances that can retract from learning to happen if kept from occurring.
In reference if I plan to use this website if the resources were not to be met in the classroom, would certainly implement my own resources into the classroom. For example I would bring along my portable computer, printouts, and make use of the projector in the classroom. In addition, I would also implement the information contained within the packets obtained from the museum as mayor resources used throughout the distribution of handouts in the classroom.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
In honesty, I only found strengths in my evaluation of the website. It was very informative, full of visuals and of valuable information. I strongly recommend this page to all who might want to experience implementing new material into the classroom.
Part Four
Use this worksheet to prepare your posting.
Website Title: CIESE
Website Address (http://k12science.org/askanexpert.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I found the Ask-a-Scientist the most useful project.(http://www.drscience.com/). It had various options available. You could complete the student questions of the day, or submit your own. Also, there are many radio stations in which one can listen in on Dr. Science and his program. I would make use of this website by asking the questions of the day to my students at the beginning of class as a journal entry. I would also encourage the class as a whole to ask Dr. Science a question.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website).
I would use this U and C website in a Science class or lab. I find this most appropriate for fourth or fifth graders.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this website because the idea of contacting a professional outside of class to answer questions and provide bran-storming ideas, is appealing to me. Professionals from particular fields have the most accurate answers since they live their experiences each and everyday. This U and C meets the requirement for seeking an answer our school books may neglect to offer. The website is also very user-friendly.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
In a technology deficient classroom, I would group the students and have them come up with a question related to the subject matter being studied. Then I would rally the group together and submit the questions together from a lab. If a school computer lab was not available, I would email the questions from home and present each group with their answers on a printout to be discussed and shared with the class.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The strengths of this website are its user-friendliness and its availability to listen to on the radio. I appreciate the question of the day, and the simple yet catchy graphics. I think students will find the answer to "Who is Dr. Science?" comical and entertaining. A weakness is that I find the site to be appropriate for a particular age group. I would like to see Dr. Science have topics specifically catered to the k-8 group.
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
The project that I funded most useful is the Impact of Earthquakes on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. I chose this project because I think that is the most interesting one. It was a “magnitude 7.9 earthquake in central Alaska created a scar across the landscape for more than 145 miles, according to surveys conducted the past two days by geologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Survey”. During the earthquake the Alaska Pipeline was damage severely. I would use it as an example of how mother nature can affect us and our surrounding. I would integrate it to my curriculum as a science activity.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I think that this assignment would be perfect for middle school graders.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I used this U and C website because I think that is a great source for students. This website meets most of the requirement for U and C.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I would implement this project to teach my students about the importance of technological use in a classroom. The only thing that I would make changes is in the handicapped area; I would definably add more information about people specials needs.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
I think that one of the strengths is that the site contains dates for creation and update, and information for all class activities.
The only weakness is that this web site does not offer clear options for handicapped.
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
The project that I found most useful is the Impact of Earthquakes on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. I chose this project because I found it to be the most interesting to my taste. “The Trans Alaska Pipeline was designed and constructed to move oil from the North Slope of Alaska (mile post 800) to Valdes, Alaska (mile post 0)”(Morales, 2008). The Alaska earthquake information center locates earthquakes and monitors stations network to provide us with the most accurate updates. Most definitely I would make use of this activity and integrated into my curriculum for the subject of Science.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I will use this assignment in the grades from middle school to high school.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
Although I found this U and C website very interesting, I chose it to help me with completing this assignment. I believe that this website meets all the requirements necessary to understand, follow, explore, and implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom to teach my students the importance of this assignment, and emphasizing the role that technology plays in our lives. I found this project to be very complete and useful. The only change I would make is for this site to include handicap options on all pages.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
Some of the strength found in this website is that the goal and purpose is clear. It is user friendly, exciting, and welcoming. The teacher provided all necessary information to the students. Sites contain dates for creation, update, and information for all class activities. The only weakness that I found in this website is that there no options available for the handicap.
Website Title: Impact of Earthquakes on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. f Earthquakes on the Trans Alaska Pipeline
Website Address (http://tapsearthquakes.blogspot.com/
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
The project that I found most useful is the Impact of Earthquakes on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. I chose this project because I found it to be the most interesting to my taste. “The Trans Alaska Pipeline was designed and constructed to move oil from the North Slope of Alaska (mile post 800) to Valdes, Alaska (mile post 0)”(Morales, 2008). The Alaska earthquake information center locates earthquakes and monitors stations network to provide us with the most accurate updates. Most definitely I would make use of this activity and integrated into my curriculum for the subject of Science.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I will use this assignment in the grades from middle school to high school.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
Although I found this U and C website very interesting, I chose it to help me with completing this assignment. I believe that this website meets all the requirements necessary to understand, follow, explore, and implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom to teach my students the importance of this assignment, and emphasizing the role that technology plays in our lives. I found this project to be very complete and useful. The only change I would make is for this site to include handicap options on all pages.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
Some of the strength found in this website is that the goal and purpose is clear. It is user friendly, exciting, and welcoming. The teacher provided all necessary information to the students. Sites contain dates for creation, update, and information for all class activities. The only weakness that I found in this website is that there no options available for the handicap.
Website Title: Impact of Earthquakes on the Trans Alaska Pipeline
Website Address (http://tapsearthquakes.blogspot.com/
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
The project that I funded most useful is the Impact of Earthquakes on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. I chose this project because I think that is the most interesting one. It was a “magnitude 7.9 earthquake in central Alaska created a scar across the landscape for more than 145 miles, according to surveys conducted the past two days by geologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Survey”. During the earthquake the Alaska Pipeline was damage severely. I would use it as an example of how mother nature can affect us and our surrounding. I would integrate it to my curriculum as a science activity.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I think that this assignment would be perfect for middle school graders.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I used this U and C website because I think that is a great source for students. This website meets most of the requirement for U and C.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I would implement this project to teach my students about the importance of technological use in a classroom. The only thing that I would make changes is in the handicapped area; I would definably add more information about people specials needs.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
I think that one of the strengths is that the site contains dates for creation and update, and information for all class activities.
The only weakness is that this web site does not offer clear options for handicapped.
Mariana (Tuesday and Thursday Class 6:30-10:00pm)
Website Title: TeachNet / Teachers networks
Website Address (http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnetnyc/pmaslow/macbeth.htm)
I choose the project of publishing students’ work on the web. The lesson plan which went very well with this project is Interpreting Shakespeare's Macbeth. A unit for high school students, emphasizing a close study of the text. http://www.teachnet-lab.org/FKLANE/pmaslow/macbeth/macbeth.htm. The lesson was very well planned and very thorough. I find publishing students work on the web very profitable for them because it motivates them to do their best work and to learn from each other.
This U and C website could be used for subject areas English, Arts, Technology for grades 9 thru 12.
I choose this website because Teachers network.org is very well known and respected. It has wonderful helping tools for teachers such as lesson plans, informative articles from experienced educators and most importantly for this class, how to integrate technology into the classroom articles and activities.
I would implement learning centers which would afford each student the ability to accomplish all tasks included the lesson. Centers would include: Centers 1: completing chapter questions and group discussions. Center 2: designing a newspaper. Center 3: writing an essay for to be published on the webpage. Center 4: creating the webpage. Supplying each child a class period to complete most of the work in the center would allow for enough time.
The greatest strength of this website is the organization and clarity in which the lesson has been planned. It is very easy for a future teacher to incorporate this lesson into her classroom because of how well the contents have been clearly written. The most deficient point is that Maslow did not take into account special needs students who might need more help being included in this project. Publishing students work is such a positive initiative that it should be included for all students.
PART FOUR
Website Title: Wonderful World of Weather
Website Address: http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj/student_gallery.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I found a “Unique and Compelling” activity called “Wonderful World of Weather” it uses the standards for a Real-Time Data. The link to the project is http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj/. I chose this project because I found it the most useful; it is useful and helpful for elementary students of all ages. The project is to allow the students to investigate weather phenomena in places around the world as well as locally. The students will develop an understanding of the way weather can be described in measurable quantities, for example wind, temperature, and precipitation. They will develop this because they are using activities that are real-time data investigations, and hands-on. The lesson plans have also been designed to allow teachers to select which ever fits into their curriculum.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
This project is appropriate for grades 3-6 but may be modified for lower or higher grades. Anyone at any grade level is welcome to use this project.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I can make great use of the activities and integrate them into my curriculum, when they are learning about weather there are great activities here that I can use to help the students understand. The best part is that if we are currently experiencing the weather we can use an activity that then we can go to our own backyard and experience more hands on weather. I think this is a great link to find some real- time data projects not only under weather, there are so many other projects types you can choose from, I just chose weather, and even under that topic there are a great amount of projects to choose from.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
How would I implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom? Well when working in a school we are lucky to have labs or libraries where majority of the time there are computers for the students to work on and I can maybe once a week take time from being in the classroom and incorporate some unique compelling projects into the classroom. Then when students are not at the computer in school, the rest can be assigned as homework and the students can use the computers at home, and in class the next day we would discuss what we found at home and help each other out until the next time that we go to the lab or library.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
Strengths and weaknesses of the website I evaluated are that well, the strengths is that it is really easy to understand and follow. It explains everything very well and is easy to understand no matter what grade. It is also easy to find anything. Weaknesses, it seems a little boring when you first open it, this might lose a lot of students because it doesn’t catch their attention very fast. But overall I think it’s a very good website and very helpful.
Website Title: Bucket Buddies
Website Address http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/bucketproj/index.html
“Description”
In this activity, students from around the country went to lakes or ponds near their schools and took samples. Students them returned to school and had to identify and describe the organisms that they found. After all the participants from around the country submitted their results and posted what they found, they would return and see if the same organisms were found in other parts of the country. This lesson could be integrated in the curriculum while the students are learning about ponds and organism within them.
“The setting”
This activity is aimed for students between the grade levels of 1st to 5th grade during their Science class. The younger students would obviously have more teacher interaction so that they may complete the assignment as a group. The older students could have a more individualist experience.
“Rationale”
I chose this website because I feel that it will be an interesting assignment that students will enjoy and most importantly, one in which they will learn. The requirements that need to be met so that this activity takes place depend on the school. If the school has a pond or lake on campus, it will be simpler for students to take samples. If the school does not have a pond or lake available on campus, then the students will be required to take a field trip to a safe lake or pond in the area. The students will also need to have microscopes or magnifying glasses to be able to identify the organisms.
“Setting/Delivery”
The students in schools with technology will be able to benefit from the websites provided on the websites that help them identify the organism. If this activity was done in a technology deficient classroom, the teacher can print some of the websites that have pictures of the different organisms to either pass out to the students or to place on the overhead projector. Submitting the result will also need to be done primarily by the teacher, but the teacher can input this information while the students are present and with their help.
“Evaluation”
The website is well organized and easily navigated by teachers and students. The information is clear and relevant to the activity. The only criticism that I have of the website is that there was no color, pictures, or animations that brought the website to life. It need a little more excitement to get the students involved and interested in the project.
Website Title: “Describe Yourself, Your Partner Students Will Draw You!”
Website Address (http://www.kidlink.org/kidspace/start.php?HoldNode=16518)
Description: I found one website from each category that contained Unique and Compelling activities. All the activities seemed very effective but the one that I found most useful was the Telecollaborative type activity. It can be used with all ages and the activity isn’t complicated at all. The activity was on this website called KidLink. This activity would get students to use technology in a fun and creative way! In this activity, students are to create a log-in and password at this KidLink site. After, they create a document on the site that describes themselves. Nothing personal, just what they look like (color eyes, hair texture, facial features, etc). After, they publish their description and someone else on the site will look at their description and hand draw what they think the other person looks like based on their written description. If the students would like to, they can send messages to the person they are drawing to ask about more details or specifics that they might want to know to make their drawing more accurate. Then they scan and post their drawings online for everyone to see! It works a students creativity, writing, technology and communication skills. This activity could be a nice activity to incorporate in a curriculum early on in the school year. It gets the students to get to know one another and gets them talking and having fun! I believe healthy communication between students and teacher is key in a successful classroom.
The setting: This project can be used in any grade and any class. It is probably most relevant to the subject of English though being that they will be writing descriptions and communicating through words to one another.
Rationale: I chose this site above all the others because it seemed to be the most entertaining which engaged the students in more than just reading what is on the Internet. It makes the students think and describe themselves with as much detail as possible. It also gives the students a chance to talk to their classmates to get more details on their features to draw a more accurate picture. Then it gives the students a chance to think critically and draw what they believe the person to look like.
Setting/Delivery: If I were in a technology deficient setting this projects could still be done. I could use either the Computer Lab or Learning Center techniques.
Computer Lab: I could set up a day to go into the lab and set up the accounts and upload their descriptions. Their descriptions could be hand written at home or class and then transferred onto the computer once it becomes available.
Learning Center: I could set up different Learning Centers in order to give each student a chance on a computer. While some are on the computer, others can be developing their descriptions or having discussions with one another to get to know each other better.
I would use this activity as a way for students to get to know one another so they can be comfortable in class with each other.
[continued above]
Evaluation: This site wasn’t too inviting and may have been a little dull looking but the activity idea was great. There were no outside links that were really needed for this activity. The strengths of this project is mainly the activity itself. It is a great assignment in my opinion that gets students excited and gets them learning about one another while engaging in some school related learning.
The weakness of this site was the points I mentioned above, very dull looking and not that inviting. The site itself doesn’t seem fun at all and may be a little confusing to navigate. Although the site does have a weakness, it doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be effective in a classroom environment. I would use this idea but maybe I would change it up a little. I could have the students set up an email account instead of registering to the KidLinks website and have them do the documents and scanning through email. I believe this email method would also be easier to keep track of.
Website Title: GUIDE Publishing Student Work on the Web
Website Address: (http://k12science.org/exploration/studentpub_hs/index.htm)
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
In researching unique and compelling websites I found the publishing student work on the web the most useful. I believe that this is a wonderful way to showcase student work while incorporating technology into the classroom. On the website there is a comparison made to when students display their work on the chalkboard and I believe this is a perfect comparison. When a child is asked to display his or her work on the chalkboard they are able to demonstrate mastery in the given subject area or problem they are asked to solve; furthermore, by allowing children to display what they know or what they have learned on the web they are able to build a great sense of pride in the work they produce while becoming more tech savvy. The website includes many examples of students that have published science fair projects on the web. The student basically creates a webpage with everything you would find on a science board. I found this very interesting and I felt it was something I would love to use in my own classroom. In my classroom, I would incorporate publishing student work for when my students write essays or do any kind of research experiments. The website specifically referred to two subject areas (math and science) but I feel that it could be accomplished with all subjects. Any piece of student work can be uploaded or scanned and displayed for others to see and learn from. Publishing student work is very helpful to both students and teachers.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I believe that this type of website could be used for children in third grade and above. As aforementioned, this type of site could be used in all subject areas. For instance, language arts can be published through writings that include essays or poems. Art can also be published by scanning drawing, sketches and paintings for others to see and appreciate. Work from all subject areas can be published on the web to help others learn and to receive constructive criticism from other peers and teachers.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this website because I really like the idea of allowing children to display their work. This site thoroughly explained the benefits of children publishing their work online and gave great examples of students that have published work and even have created websites of their work and findings in a specific subject area. This unique and compelling website truly pushes children to take pride in what they know and be confident about what they learn.
Setting/Delivery:
There are several ways that I could incorporate a unique and compelling website into a technology deficient classroom. I could allow my student to visit the school library or the computer lab in order to publish their work online. I could also make arrangements to have class in the library one day in order for all the students to have an opportunity to publish something online or to even create a website based on what they have done in class.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The website that I evaluated had a few weaknesses but none that hindered the goal of the website. For one, the website was not very visually attractive and did not cater to the handicapped. If these two things were modified it would be near perfect. Overall, this website was very informative and contained a lot of examples that allow the user to understand what publishing student work entails and the benefits of doing so.
Website Title: Human Genetics: Is the dominant trait most prevalent?
Website Address: http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/genproj_f2/index.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
This project is about identifying & pointing out the different genetic traits in the human species. If I was a science teacher I would use this project so that my students can see how even though we are all humans, some of us are different due to different genes that we inherent from our parents.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website) – this project can be used in a biology course in between the grades of 8-12
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?) - I chose this project because it seemed interesting to me, and I believe that this meets a need for students to learn about how humans have evolved & are continuing to evolve at a slow pace.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.) – This project can be done without using technology but it would be more difficult for the student because they will not be able to gather information from the given links to information to help with the project.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.) the strengths of this project is that it gives the student a lot of links & offered help to get them involved in the project. It gives them a set schedule so that they know when assignments are due. I believe the weakest point of the website is that it offers no help to a student with a disability.
Website Title: Ask the Dietitian
Website Address (http://www.dietitian.com/) Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum? This website is about general health. This website offers questions based on different types of subjects regarding health. In this website, you can find information about the different effects of different types of food and drinks in your body as well as there nutritional facts.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I would incorporate this activity in a High School health or science class. '
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I liked this website because it seemed extremely accurate. In this website, you can ask questions and expect an honest answer to them.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
I would incorporate this into a technology deficient classroom by projecting it to a screen so the whole class can see or by having the students split up into an equal amount and share a computer.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website
What was really good about this website was how you can see the answers to the questions that were asked. What i also liked is how health is a big issue that many people face today, and they are able to incorporate it. What I didn't like is that there isn't much activities for the students to participate in.
Website Title:Musical Plates: A Study of Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
Website Address http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/musicalplates3/en/
Description:I found the project was very useful and can be used in science or mathematics.(URL: http://www.k12science.org/curriculum musicalplates3/en/ It was interesting the 1st page you are found with the question:How seismically active is each of the 50 states?We are able to compare earthquake activity in all the states.This website was easy to navigate.Students use Real-Time earthquake and volcano data from Internet to explore the relationship between earthquakes, tectonics,and volcanoes.Is an Internet-based project which will enrich a student's learning experience through "Unique and Compelling" applications of instructional technology.It taps into some of the exciting applications of the Internet in education by having students access real time earthquake data, interact with experts online,and publish their own work to the project web site.It has 4Core Activities that will teach students how to access and interpret Real-Time earthquake and volcano data and to how use the information to solve a real world problem.If I were to teach science I would make use and integrate the activity into my curriculum.I think students would enjoy venturing out by researching, instead of hearing lectures in the classroom.I can also incorporate mathematics by getting measurements and evaluating the amount of years it took for volcanic or earthquake activities to occur.
The setting:It is recommended for upper elementary, middle school and high school students (ages 11-18).I found the project was a useful project that can be used in science/mathematics.
Rationale:I chose this website because the title caught my eye.I wanted to see how music and science played a role, but it turned out to be that music had nothing to do with it. I would use this project to do epal classroom exchanges with other schools where earthquakes are occurring.This project meets most requirements except for handicapped options.
Setting/Delivery:LIMITED COMPUTER ACCESS
Here are several strategies you can use to implement this project even if you have a limited access to computers in your classroom:
Periodic Data Collection
Each day a different student can take turns gathering Real-Time earthquake data from the Internet and report back to the class. Students may need hatwritten instructions on how to gather the data so that they can work independently.If they need to go outside the classroom to access the Internet you may need to make special arrangements.
Using Handouts
Students can access the earthquake data from home computers OR by giving them a handout each day with the latest earthquakes.
Teacher Presentations
Teachers with 1 computer connected to a projection device can use the Internet to introduce or enrich a unit, prepare students in the use of a web site before a session in the computer lab, or even take their students on a virtual field trip.
Learning Centers
Students can rotate through different activities during the course of one class or over a longer period of time.Each student or group of students takes a turn working at a different activity or learning center.One group of students can access the Internet while another can research earthquakes and volcanoes using books, etc.
Evaluation:Strengths:
-The goal and purpose were clear
-user friendly
-excellent organization and all the elements were easy to read
-navigational logical and clear site map and search engines were available.
-teacher provided all necessary information
-Content on target
-links were included
Weakness:
-Site did not include handicapped options.
-Project cannot be used for K-5
By:Erica Samedy
Website Title: Rolling Thunder- A Real-Time Data Project
Website Address (http://www.bhs.bboed.org/public/thunder/rollingthunder/index.html
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the URL.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
-I found the Rolling Thunder project most useful. The Rolling Thunder Real-Time Data Project is a project based on severe weather systems. Students will access some resources available to them in order to learn about weather concepts and vocabulary. Additionally, students will not only access, but also utilize some of the unbelievable real time weather data available on the internet. Using the data, students will predict the path of a severe storm. They will act as consultants and advise the town in the path of the storm. I would use this activity around raining season, or hurricane season, so students can track rainstorms, or other severe weathers while their actually happening.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
-I would use this “Unique and Compelling” activity in a Science class for grades 9-12.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
-I chose this “Unique and Compelling” website because it caught my attention immediately. I really find this project interesting. I would have loved to do a project resembling this one when I was in school. Students would answer their questions about predicting weather that they’ve probably had for a long period. I also chose this website because even though it’s uncomplicated to complete, it’s very detailed and I believe students would really enjoy it.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
-I would implement this “Unique and Compelling” project in a technology classroom by having appointment sessions in the school’s library so all the students can have access to the internet, and other resources such as books, electronic books, magazines, etc. I would also try to develop a field trip to the local weather station to speak to a couple of meteorologists so children can get their questions answered directly from a live, reliable source.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
-The strengths in this website are the content is meeting the students’ needs, the user friendliness, easy navigation through the site, clear and understandable goals for students to understand, and the authority of the website. The weakness of the website is that it’s not handicap-ready, it has some old links that aren’t working anymore, and it doesn’t display when the site was created or when they updated the site last.
Website Title: GUIDE Publishing Student Work on the Web
Website Address: (http://k12science.org/exploration/studentpub_hs/index.htm)
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
In researching unique and compelling websites I found the publishing student work on the web the most useful. I believe that it is very useful and good for students to publish their work on the website because this allows the other students to evaluate what you have done and also to get some ideas and learn new things because everybody has a different opinions, also it’s very helpful if another student is having difficulty doing the assignment because then they can get an idea of what they have to do.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I believe that this type of website could be used for older elementary school children like from fourth grade and above.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I chose this website because I liked the fact that children were allowed to show and post their ideas online.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
There are several ways that I could incorporate a unique and compelling website into a technology classroom. I would try to convince the school to let me go to the library with my students to visit and do online activities and post it online.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The website that I evaluated had a few weaknesses but not any that didn’t make the website interesting and appealing enough to evaluate it.
Website Title: Square of Life
Website Address (http://k12science.org/curriculum/squareproj/
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
Description: (Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I would incorporate this project in a third grade, general education class.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I selected this project because it is one that all students can take a part in and they will be able to go out into the school yard and identify living and non-living things. This U and C website meets science standards.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
This project requires that the findings be emailed to other participating schools in order to share the information. In a technology deficient classroom, I would mail the finding to those schools and ask them to mail us their findings. This way we can still participate in the project.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The strengths of this project are the Goal and purpose of site clear with no distracting elements, the site contains creation, update, and dates on all key information and class activities, and the content is on target and provides excellent coverage to meet student needs.
The weakness of this project is that the site is does not show who the teacher is and what class the site relates to.
Website Title: Square of Life
Website Address (http://k12science.org/curriculum/squareproj/
(Which project do you find most useful? (Don’t forget to include the url.) Why? Please provide a description. How might you make use of the activity and integrate it into your curriculum?
I liked the Square of Life project. This is an Internet-based collaborative project in which students investigate their local environment and share that information with other students from around the country and the world. I would integrate this project to the earth science curriculum and identify the insects, plants, and layers of soil.
The setting: (In what course/grade will use this U and C website)
I would incorporate this project in a third grade, general education class.
Rationale: (Why did you choose this U and C website? What need or requirement does this U and C website meet?)
I selected this project because it is one that all students can take a part in and they will be able to go out into the school yard and identify living and non-living things. This U and C website meets science standards.
Setting/Delivery: (Describe how you would implement a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom. If you plan to modify or adapt this U and C website, please include your ideas.)
This project requires that the findings be emailed to other participating schools in order to share the information. In a technology deficient classroom, I would mail the finding to those schools and ask them to mail us their findings. This way we can still participate in the project.
Evaluation: (What are the strengths and weakness of the website you evaluated? Use the rubric from Part Two to guide your discussion.)
The strengths of this project are the Goal and purpose of site clear with no distracting elements, the site contains creation, update, and dates on all key information and class activities, and the content is on target and provides excellent coverage to meet student needs.
The weakness of this project is that the site is does not show who the teacher is and what class the site relates to.
Website Title: Case Studies of Tech Deficient Classrooms Guided Exploration
Website Address http://k12science.org/exploration/casestudies/2_2.htm
Description:
Of all the projects available I found Case study #2: Internet access using mobile computer and projector because I find myself with the same scenario in the school I am in right now. Although there is a wireless internet connection available for all the school, the computers to actually connect into that wireless network is limited. Moreover, there is only one projector in the school to be used by any given teacher at once. Therefore, proper planning for the use of this resource must be done with enough anticipation to be incorporated into the lesson taught. This Case study has given me an insight as to how to go about retrieving real-time data so that all the students see and participate in the activity. Also, be it that there is only one computer in the classroom, breaking up the class into groups further allows to distribute the lesson into different segments so as to allow all students to participate in a different role each week. I find that using the limited resources I have in this manner allows me to plan in a more efficient way while still taking advantage of the technology.
The setting:
I will use this U and C website in a 5th grade science class that meets 4 days a week for 40 minutes.
Rationale:
I chose this U and C website because of the limited resources I had at the school I worked at previously. Since it is very difficult to incorporate this technology in a school with such few equipment, I find that this is the perfect compromise. Also, I feel that this teaching method allows for a better implementation of the Real-time data activity, writing activity, research activity and the hands-on activity. This U and C website meets the FEAPS #12: Technology where the teacher uses the technology available at the school site and as appropriate to the learner. She/he provides the students with opportunities to actively use technology and facilitates access to the use of electronic resources. The teacher also uses technology in teaching and learning processes.
Setting/Delivery:
Implementing a unique and compelling project in a technology deficient classroom may not be simple and may be expensive, however, with a good cost-effective plan and teacher/school cooperation, it can be done. Using one computer can be given to the educator along with a projector to be able to visually show the students any given information on the internet. In the interim, while another teacher is using that equipment, the teacher may be able to pull information from the internet pertinent to the material being taught and use the overhead projector to continue on with the lesson as she/he waits for the equipment to be available. Also, this implementation allows for the incorporation of traditional methods of research alongside more technologically advanced methods.
Evaluation:
While this website’s strengths are: availability to the teacher to incorporate new lessons with limited resources, using traditional learning methods and technology side by side, gives various scenarios of which to incorporate in the classroom by real teachers, it also has weaknesses. These include: It may be that not all students are web-savvy, not all students might work well together, some students may end up doing more work while others “coast” through the lesson. Lastly, on my rubric evaluation I find that the authority aspect and the Handicap access have the most weakness.
Post a Comment