Inquiry Based Lessons

During the last couple of weeks we have used and learned about inquiry based lessons.  This is a lesson in which students are given an assignment, on a worksheet or wiki website, that directs them to go to a website(s) and research a specific topic.  Then from their research they apply what they learned and answer the questions on the assignment.  Through this they are using technology and are learning how to research, all while learning about a specific topic that they need to learn about.

We were first introduced to inquiry based lessons last week when we worked in groups and completed an assignment given to us by our professor.  For our project we had to research a specific gemstone and answer a few questions after our research.  We then compiled our answers and put them into a classroom wiki so that we could share them with the rest of the class.  In this way we all learned about all of the gemstones because we could look at everyone's responses to their questions about their gemstones.

Our next task in working with inquiry based lessons was making one that we could use with students.  To do so we were required to research state grade level standards for a topic of our choice, look at a textbook that  showed what we were supposed to teach to students about that topic in a way that was on their level, and find a website that our students could use for their research that lined up well with the standards from the state and the textbook.  We then would make a worksheet that directed the students to go to this site and research their topic so that they could answer the questions on the assignment.

I chose to do my inquiry based lesson on the water cycle.  I really enjoyed making the lesson and looking through the standards and the textbook.  I had never had the chance to look at state standards so this was a new experience for me as well.  Luckily I picked a topic that was easily researched on the internet so finding a good website that worked well with the assignment was not a hard task.  For my assignment I had the students to use this one site and then answer five simple questions about the water cycle in complete sentences.  Although it was pretty simple, and would not take very much time, I feel it would be a great project for fourth graders.  They could learn about an important topic that happens around them everyday, all while learning to research using the internet.

In general, I really like the concept of the inquiry based lesson.  I feel it will be a valuable classroom tool when I get my own classroom.  It would be a really good way to introduce a topic to students before diving deeper into it.  I also feel as though the students would enjoy it more than just being taught about it on the board or reading about it in their textbook.

Using WebQuests in the Classroom

In class this week we learned about using WebQuests.  I had never heard of a WebQuest and knew nothing about them.  A WebQuest is an inquiry based activity in which students go to a specific WebQuest on the internet that guides them through a project in which they research information on the internet.  They then use this information to do some sort of a project.  Teachers can make their own WebQuest to be used by their students, or they can use one that has been created and shared here.

From the few WebQuests that I have had the chance to look at this week, I can already tell that they would be very useful in the classroom.  We spent some time this week critiquing WebQuests and finding ones that encouraged group work and higher-level thinking, used time wisely, and made good use of technology.  These are all very important criteria for a WebQuest because without any one of these a project can quickly turn into a waste of time.  I was assigned the task of looking over several WebQuests and checking to see how technology was used in them.  I was glad to see that most of them had the students to use multiple programs and activities on the internet to complete their projects.

Looking forward to my future classroom I hope I am able to incorporate WebQuests into my lessons.  They seem like a really good way for students to learn while taking advantage of all of the good information found on the internet.  With the amount of WebQuests already made and shared on the web there are endless possibilities of lessons across all of the subjects that can be incorporated into a classroom.  I really like the WebQuest format because it allows for the students to gather and use information on the internet, yet it still gives them specific guidelines and instructions for doing so.  I especially think I could use them as tools in Science and Social Studies to get students to dive in and learn about the world around them.

Evaluating a Website

As part of this weeks activities we were required to each choose a website that could be used for educational purposes, and then evaluate it.  We evaluated the site to see how useful it would be in the classroom.  We looked at different aspects of the sites including what types of plug ins were needed, how easy it was to contact the site, how credible the authors and publishers are, how easy it is to navigate, and how it can be used by students.

For my evaluation I chose www.nationalgeographic.com.  By evaluating it using the above criteria and other aspects I found it to be very educational and useful in the classroom.  It could easily by used by anyone wanting to learn about the natural world, with special sections dedicated to various topics including a section for kids and one for education.

The process of evaluating the site was something that I had never done before and included questions that I had never really considered when checking out a website.  I had never considered website accessibility or the fact that some sites have special features integrated that allow for people with disabilities to use them better.  I had also never thought of the importance of knowing what plugins a sight uses.  By doing this activity I am better equipped to find websites that are usable in the classroom because I better understand some of the requirements that websites need to meet to be good educational tools.

My Expectations for TPTE 486

Welcome to my blog for Theory/Practice in Teacher Education 486!

The last few weeks have been exciting, yet busy, as I have started back to school for another semester.  It seems as though I am having the hardest time getting back into the swing of getting up and coming to class everyday!  This semester I am starting to take my first education classes after being admitted into the Elementary Education program.  I am taking two of them: TPTE 486 and REED 430.  In both of these classes I will be blogging.  This is new for me as I have never done it before.  It already looks like it is going to be a technology filled semester as I have already had to make my own webpage, work in wikis, make two blogs, and begin to use twitter for one my History courses.  With my long reading lists for all of my classes it is sometimes hard to find time to get on the web and work on all of these new things, but it is a nice change and something that I enjoy.

I look forward to learning more and more about technology as the semester goes on.  I think I will really like blogging, and may even get into doing a blog for something that is not school related.  I cannot wait to learn about all of the different ways in which technology can be incorporated into my future classroom in the years to come.  As it is ever changing, I hope this class gives me an even better foundation for learning and using tools on the web.

As mentioned above one of my first projects was to create a website.  Take a look at it!