My contribution to the class WebQuest wiki

-The first addition I made to our class wiki site was to add an external link to a web page. The link takes the viewer to a web site that has many examples of science WebQuests. The page also has teacher web pages that they use in their class. This instructor has specific links for teachers, students, parents, and favorite links. Under each selected link, there are links to pages depending on whether the viewer is a teacher and needs some lesson guidelines, or a student and they would like to complete a web quest.
Animals

-My second addition to the class wiki site was a brief introduction of when and who developed Bloom's Taxonomy, and what the six levels of complexity are that make-up Bloom's Taxonomy. The external link I have provided will take viewers to a web page that describes each of the six levels of understanding that make Bloom's Taxonomy.

-For my third addition, I added an external link to the web page titled: Web-Integrated Lesson Plans. This web page discusses the importance of integrating the Internet in classroom activities. On this web page there are links to WebQuest examples, WebQuest tutorials, and a template to design WebQuests. I feel this website could be very useful for teachers, students, and especially helpful for people who are designing a WebQuest for the first time.

Chapter 10: Going Beyond the Classroom

"In ninth-grade science, two times a week we went out to clean up a park with a pond in it. We learned about fish and the environment." p. 176

-This chapter provide many great examples and idea of how to enrich the classroom experience by bring outside experts into the class, or by taking the class out into the real world. I chose this quote specifically because it is talking about an outside experience with a biology class. The experiences I have had on field trips and going outside for class lessons stimulated my motivation and interest to learn the content. I am excited to teach science, and to always bring the real world into play with my students. I believe that if students realize why they are learning new material and how it is useful to them, they will become more interested and engaged.

Chapter 9: When Things Go Wrong

"The main thing is confidence. We're like dogs, we can sense fear and sniff it out. A kid can tell when a teacher knows what he's doing, and believes in what he's doing." p. 168

"He mad himself human-talked about his accident, talked about his dreams of walking. Told us about his life in a way that made us understand him a little better." p.174

-This chapter describes different ways handle a class when thing go wrong. I chose these two quotes because I believe they are two characteristics all teachers should possess. Teachers should be confident in front of their students, and show that they care about what they are teaching. If a teacher doesn't care about the material they presenting, then why should any student care about learning it. I chose the second quote from the end of chapter nine because it showed how students reacted once they got to know their teacher. I feel it is important teachers develop a good relationship with students, and part of that is letting students know who you are as a person. If students get to know a teacher better, I believe students will be more comfortable in that learning environment and will prove to be more successful.

Chapter 8: Teaching Teenagers Who Are Still Learning English

"I want to learn their culture and their language. And they could learn my culture and my language." p. 149

-This quote from the chapter reminded me of my high school experiences in Spanish class. The high school I went to is private, and has a wide variety of nationalities each year that come on exchange. The students that were from Spain, there were three of them, were in my Spanish three class. Having them in our class gave us a great first hand perspective of what life is like in Spain, and they were very helpful in learning the Spanish language. When we would be doing class exercises to learning Spanish, they would be doing the same learning English. These students could speak some English, but they became much more fluent by being in our class. I learned more my junior year in Spanish then I did in any other year, and I believe it was because I had the opportunity to learn from the exchange students from Spain.

Chapter 7: Teaching Difficult Academic Material

"We're all different learners-some people are visual learners, some hands-on, and some more able to do book work." p. 129

-This chapter discusses the difficulty teachers face when they present rigorous material to students. Teachers are given a list of topics, or "standards" they must cover with their classes in a certain amount, but they also have to go at a pace which students are learning. I chose this quote from the chapter because it is so important to teach to all types of students. When teachers present content in a variety of ways, they are more likely to connect with a larger range of learning needs.

Chapter 6: Motivation and Boredom

"The mark of a good teacher is that no matter how weird or boring you might think their subject is, their love for it is what pushes you to learn something." p. 103

"If they have a passion for teaching kids, it's much easier for them to teach, period. I don't think most teachers have a passion, and you tell if they do." p. 104

-I looked forward to my high school science class each day because the teacher was always very enthusiastic and energetic. I remember her saying, "I'm sorry guys I know you may think I'm a little goofy, but I just love this stuff" after should would get all wound up about the lesson she was going to teach us. I was fortunate enough to get this teacher for three years in high school, and I really think it was the experiences I had in her class that pushed me to take the career path I have today. She always showed her passion for science and made it evident she truly cared about her students.

Chapter 5: Teaching to the Individual, Working with the Group

"Students often develop strategies to fend off unwanted attention." p. 88
"A lot of times students don't answer because it's a question where you either get it right, or wrong." p. 91

-I chose these two quotes from the book because they relate to my experiences in school. It is a scary thing to be wrong in front of the entire class full of your peers. Teachers always say; "the only bad question is one you don't ask," or "if you have a question, it's a good chance others in the class do too," but who wants to be the one who breaks the ice. I believe it is extremely important not to embarrass students in front of their classmates. If a student doesn't feel comfortable answering a question, putting them on the spot is only going to make them feel more uncomfortable and possible hurt their self esteem.

Chapter 4: Creating a Culture of Success

"It's less like a grade and more like advice for next time. It makes you feel like she expects you to do well." p. 65

"You know they expect you to do well when you write some and they write comments on it." p.65

-This chapter discusses the importance of developing a comfortable learning atmosphere for all students to be successful in. Teachers must make sure they do not show favoritism to particular students, but strive to motivate all students to do well. Students must be given encouragement and support, but teachers must make sure to always push their students to improve. Providing feedback and constructive criticism to students is one way teachers can show they care about their students. It is important students know that teachers expect their best effort each day, and that teachers are always welling to help students with issues in and out of the classroom.

Chapter 3: Classroom Behavior

"Do you treat us with respect, in both personal and academic matter?" p. 37

"It's a teachers responsibility as a as a student's to speak and act in ways that show mutual respect." p. 39

This chapter discusses how to provide clear expectations for classroom behavior. The chapter describes various situations that may occur as behavior issues in the classroom, and also suggests ways to handle a problem when it occurs. My mentor teachers often talks about developing a good student-teacher relationship with all students. He emphasizes that kids act the way you treat them; if you treat them like children they will act like children, but if you treat them like adults they are more likely to act like adults. I agree with my mentor and the two quotes I chose from this chapter. I believe treating students with respect is the only way to receive respect in return. Creating relationships with students that have mutual respect for one another is also a way to prevent classroom behavior problems from occurring in the first place.

"Copyright and Fair Use LR"

15. A teacher makes a compilation of movie clips from various VHS tapes to use in his classroom as lesson starters. This is covered under fair use.


-I am having a hard time understanding why this is illegal. If a video is purchased, I believe that the owner has every right to view, and play the video as they want as long as they're not making a profit. This is a teacher taking clips from a movie to provide a more interesting and engaging lesson, not a teacher who is charging students five dollars a piece to watch a video during class. I really disagree with this particular guideline, but completely understand why there is a copyright and fair use policy for digital media.

"Copyright and Fair Use SR"

2. A technology coordinator installs the one copy of Photoshop the school owns on a central server so students are able to access it from their classroom workstations.

-This situation seems pretty straight forward. I understand why schools are able to provide this program on a server because students will only be able to use the program will on the school computers.

4. The state mandates technology proficiency for all high school students but adds no money to schools' software budgets. To ensure equity, public schools are allowed to buy what software they can afford and copy the rest.

-It seems a little contradictory doesn't it? State officials raise the bar for public education, but provide no support financially so that schools do not come across this issue.

5. A geography teacher has more students and computers than software. He uses a CD burner to make several copies of a copyright interactive CD-ROM so each student can use an individual copy in class.

-Not saying that I haven't ever burnt my friends music onto a disc for my own use, or taken music that they have bought and put it on my i pod. Making copies of a copyrighted CD-ROM is an obvious way to get into trouble with infringement regulations.

6. A middle school science class studying ocean ecosystems must gather material for multimedia projects. The teacher downloads pictures and information on marine life from various commercial and noncommercial sites to store in a folder for students to access.

-When I first read this question of the quiz I thought; wait this is taking other peoples material without permission, but teachers present material in this form for students all the time so it must be OK. It is clear that using other peoples work in educational settings is allowed more often then in other situations.

7. An elementary school designs a password-protected Web site for families and faculty only. It's OK for teachers to post student work there, even when it uses copyright material without permission.

-After I first read this question I was sure that this would be an example of copy right infringement. Again, like question six, this is an educational setting where the number of viewers is controlled by a protected password which makes it an acceptable use.

10. A teacher gets clip art and music from popular file-sharing sites, then creates a lesson plan and posts it on the school Web site to share with other teachers.

-When I first read this scenario I thought it was a clear case of misuse, but I was wrong. The music and pictures came from a "file-sharing" site which makes it OK to be posted on a separate website.

14. On Back-to-School night, an elementary school offers child care for students' younger siblings. They put the kids in the library and show them Disney VHS tapes bought by the PTA.

-WOW! I definitely got this quiz question wrong, I mean how many times does this situation occur everyday. I see how this is copyright infringement, but it just seems like if someone has payed for the right to the movie, they should be able to show it to people as long as they aren't making money in return. The day care is making money for watching the kids, but not necessarily making money by showing the video.

16. At a local electronics show, a teacher buys a machine that defeats the copy protection on DVDs, CD-ROMs, and just about everything else. She lets her students use it so they can incorporate clips from rented DVDs into their film genre projects.

-I'm still confused about this one... students have the right to use a machine to defeat copyright protection, and use another persons creation to enhance their own. Doesn't make a lot of sense, thats why the DVD's are copyrighted to begin with, RIGHT?

"Creativity Exercises"

Wednesday began with beautifully falling snow flakes that eventually transformed into frozen rain drops. Precipitation started in the early hours of the morning causing slipper driving conditions, forcing the university to close for the day. I enjoy the winter months, especially the activities made available by snow accumulation. Wednesday’s storm was a complete mess; therefore, I spent most of my day-off inside relaxing.

Having four chapter summaries due on Thursday morning for Dr. Graces’s curriculum assessment class, I read two chapters in the book, Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Reading is a great way to exercise the left side of the brain. Logical thinking, reasoning, and writing are also all effective ways to use the left area of the brain. Reading is a successful way to expand vocabulary and stimulate thinking, both which lead to a more knowledgeable person.

One of the only times I left my house was to travel to the fitness center for my evening rugby practice. Throughout practice I constantly worked the right side of my brain. During our practice I combined the use of my hands, feet, eyes, and speech while we running through the drills. Kinesthetic movements come from signals from the left region of the brain; we ran so much I’m surprised I didn’t have a head ache at the end of practice.

Since the weather was pretty messy outside today, I ended up watching the movie “Knocked Up.” This movie, which stars Ben Rogen, was directed by the same man who directed the movie, “40 Year Old Virgin.” I enjoy all types of movies, but this one is full of humor. My roommates and I laughed hysterically many times while watching this movie, it was a great way to enjoy the day even though the weather was kind of depressing.

Over time I have found out the many things that inspire me. I always enjoy watching highlights of athletic achievement, it shows how people over come adverse circumstances and opponents to reach a goal. I also find that I am inspired by people who have a passion for something in life. It could be ones passion they show through their career, or a passion shown through speech. I searched online today, and read the inaugural address from President John F. Kennedy. This speech was full of inspiring words, but the one quote that truly touches me is: “ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy- January 20, 1961.

How to help someone use a computer

-"If it's not obvious to them, it's not obvious."

I feel as if I have been on both sides of this issue. My specific experiences have been when using technology. I remember speaking with a friend about a problem I was having with my laptop, and the terminology he used when explaining possible scenarios lost me thirty seconds into the conversation. I'm not exactly sure if he assumed his explanations were common knowledge, or whether he thought I was more familiar with computers at the time. I will have to continue to remind myself to start from the beginning, assuming nothing.

-"The best way to learn is through apprenticeship -- that is, by doing some real task together with someone who has a different set of skills."

This statement describes the most effective learning experience I have ever had. I consider myself a visual learner, and a student who grasps concepts more thoroughly in a kinesthetic environment. Many of the skills I have developed, both in and out of the classroom, have occurred while working with someone who is far my experienced.

- "Don't take the keyboard. Let them do all the typing, even if it's slower that way, and even if you have to point them to every key they need to type. That's the only way they're going to learn from the interaction."

The statement above pertains specifically to teaching when using a computer. I feel this statement applies to all lessons learned in life. If a person is told how to solve a problem, or if someone solves the problem for that person they are right back to where they began. It made me think of the old saying I remember hearing as a kid; "Give a person a fish and you will feed them for a day, teach them to fish and you feed them for a lifetime."

When demonstrating all geographic information Google Earth provides, I must remember to begin by explaining all options and features available which may improve a users experience.


Agre, Phil. "How to help someone use the computer." How-To Articles. 1996. 12 February 2008 .

Web 2.0 Educator

D’arcy Norman dot net is the user name of a technology developer at the University of Calgary. His job consists of playing with new technology to create different learning strategies by implementing technology software. D’arcy Norman has been an active blogger since May of 2001, and in 2005 won the best library/librarian award for blogging. After reading his four most recent posts, it is clear that his knowledge and skills with technology are far above mine. I could follow his terminology at times, but when he incorporated abbreviations describing software he lost me completely. His most recent blog describes the experiences he has had using the new ipod touch. He provided a list of recommended improvements for both the hardware and software of the new iPod Touch, but ended that blog by stating; “You’ll have to pry my iPod Touch from my cold, dead hands. And even then I’d probably give up a pretty good fight.” In another one of his blogs he discusses his dislike for the transparent menu bar developed by apple, an attempt to keep up with the new windows vista program. I think I am accurate when saying, D’arcy Norman is a fan of Mac/Apple software. The last post I read from this blog connected with me the most. He discusses the rising problem associated with the sharing of information via Facebook. I have actively used the program facebook as a social tool while in college. It allows me to share many of my interests, likes, pictures, and most importantly personal information. While using facebook I never think of the consequences that could arise if the wrong people got a hold of my personal information.

Type I and Type II Technology

The most obvious difference between Type I technology and Type II technology is the amount of free choice the student is given. When working with Type I technology, students are using learning tools that represent the exact same learning technique each student before them used. Type I technology is a more cut and dried learning style which many times is very effective, but it limits students. Type II technology which is not used as often, provides students the opportunity for more free thinking and decision making. Each student is able to choose a different way to go about solving problems, the technology is an aid to the student. When using Type I technology the student is more of an aid to the program being used. Each style can render successful learning, and should be included in all educators' teaching techniques at one time or another.
Type I:
Junior High; keyboard lessons where every student typed through the same program.

High school; Spanish class we would have to listen to a monotone recorded voice to practice understanding sentences instead of working on an open ended project that required sentence structure practice.

For example; The entire class in the computer lab had to successfully create the same animal with the same exact characteristics to become familiar with the program. This project would give the student no input on the outcome, it requires no thinking and problem solving just simply how to use that particular program.

Type II:
Fall 2004 at UMF; LIA class we were to create a 10 minute movie, topics had to be appropriate but were completely open ended.

Fall 2007 at UMF; Art 112 class was to create any illustration using just letters of the alphabet.

Fall 2006 at UMF; Geology course required us to use this online simulation program to create a bridge that could withstand the greatest earthquake magnitudes.


Maddux, Cleborne, and D. LaMont Johnson. "Type II Applications of Technology in Education: New and Better Ways of Teaching and Learning. " Computers in the Schools. Vol. 22, No. 1/2. (2005): pp.1-5.

My MEL experiences

• Student/Teacher relationship: The classes I most enjoyed in high school were the ones where I had a good relationship with the teacher. I expected my teachers to be fair, and give equal opportunity to all their students. Teachers who were enthusiastic about their subject always seemed to get more out of me. These were the teachers who gave examples of how the information to be covered in class relates to us, and how it could be used in real life situations. I had a great relationship with my physics science teacher in high school; she was always so "up beat" about material, designed lab experiments that were extremely fun, and she made it clear she was always willing to provide students help outside of class. I believe a teacher must be approachable, and display interest in their material if they want students to put forth the effort to learn it.
• Hands-On: Just as most of the interviewed students, I feel like I learn more with hands on activities. If the class is the same exact come in sit down and take notes the whole day period I lose concentration easily. Projects and group activities that required reading and researching gave me more motivation to actually learn the material versus just doing assigned reading. Experiential learning has by far become the most desirable, and most effective learning style for me. Then taking a moment to reflected on the activity, discussing what worked and what didn't. Each student is able to give his/her input, and successful problem solving ideas discovered can be taken and used in other situations. I really hope to make experiential learning a part of my teaching style.
  
• Helping Students Succeed: Probably the most difficult part of a teacher's job is to get students motivated, and wanting to learn the subject material. English and History were two subjects in school I liked the least. I really didn't like to read, and I wasn't a big fan of writing long papers. It wasn't that I didn't like the teacher, or that we had a bad relationship, but they were too nice. Writing was never a strength of mine, so I would hate it when teachers would give great remarks on a paper I wrote the morning before school. I mean I wasn't about to argue with the grade, but I knew it wasn't my best work, and compared to other students it was just average. I wish these teachers would have pushed me a little harder, expected a little more, if so I might be a better writer than I am now.
  
• Interest: It was a combination of material, and also the experience the teacher provided in her class why I am studying to become a science teacher. My sciences classes became a time I looked forward to in school, and it then became a subject I performed well in. She was the funny teacher who was always wound-up and excited about new material. Her interest and enthusiasm towards the material transferred on to me. I became fascinated with science, the explanation of how and why things work the way they do. All content areas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Geology excited my interest and motivated me to learn more. I give credit to Mrs. Brennen, she made my high school experience more enjoyable because of her interest in science, and wanting her students to be successful.
  
• Autonomy: It seemed to me that the teachers who were "power hungry," and gave no room for decision making were my least favorite. A class that offered no free thinking really took away the idea of "stepping out from the box," and didn't allow for open-ending thinking. In some instances it is good to have a set way of doing things with no lee-way, but at times it sparked my interest more when I was given choices. No student is the exact same; therefore, providing students with choices allows them to choose a way to learn that interests and motivates them the most.
  

Learning Style Inventory Results

Style Scores

Visual 8

Social 10

Physical 11

Aural 8

Verbal 5

Solitary 6

Logical 16

These are the results from a survey I completed to figure out my favorite learning styles. I ranked a series of questions on a scale of 0-2. With zero meaning nothing like myself, one meaning sometimes like myself, and two meaning myself most of the time. Each seven areas could receive a minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 20. Dr. Michael Muir created the Meaningful Engaged Learning Model (MEL).

Chapter 2: Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness

“If the teacher doesn’t like you, they won’t say, you can do it, or push you to your full potential” (P. 22). This section that discusses, “Must teachers like students,” brought me back to when I was in high school. Even if not on purpose, teachers many times show signs of favoritism towards students during class. Teachers display that they have a better relationship with certain students in their classes.

This stood out to me as an issue that could really affect the education a teacher provides to all of his/her students. Teenagers are dealing with a developmental period full of choices, change, and confusion. When teachers give the impression that one student is more important than another “the students can also tell, and it affects their learning” (P.22). Another student's story stated that his teacher referred to some students as “advanced,” this created learning barriers between himself and students in class. Displaying bias for one student over another could lead to a reputation, all students talk and share their thoughts about teachers outside of class. I feel it is extremely important to treat all students equally, and to also make each student feel important by recognizing their qualities.

Chapter 1: Knowing Students Well

“Even ten minutes of writing a week will help” (P. 7). In chapter one, the section which discussed understanding the importance of communication with students really caught my attention. A suggestion was to provide students time to reflect in a personal journal. This journal is to be read only by the teacher, providing another way for the instructor to get to know the students life outside of the classroom.

The idea of having students keep a weekly journal seems to be a great way to learn more about each student. Since each high school student is different, I believe this could become a very valuable communication tool between the teacher and student. The student has the opportunity to let the teachers know about any issue they feel comfortable enough to share. These issues could be either positive or negative issues, and may be occurring in or out of the classroom. Developing a good relationship, and creating a comfortable atmosphere to be taught in are both important for successful learning. I also like that the journals are not graded, this gives student a chance to turn in a piece of writing that doesn’t have the added pressure of receiving a grade.