Web-quest Mini-lesson

After completing the lesson I felt that the student was able to meet the learning target. I showed her the entire process step by step and explained it as I went along. I felt that the example worked well because when the student completed the process she was successful and remembered how to do all of the steps. I think using an example to introduce the process was more effective than if I just walked them through verbally while they did all the actions. Letting the student observe was effective because she was able to pay more attention to the process instead of worrying about each individual step, which could cause them to fall behind or get easily confused.
If I were to teach the lesson again I would still use an example of the process to introduce the lesson. I would give the students more time to investigate the information needed to select the image instead of just telling them what to search for. I think if the student was in control of the investigation it would make the learning more meaningful than when I just gave them a characteristic to search for. Part of my mini-lesson was keeping track of the resources used. If I were to do this lesson in the classroom I would not only have students keep track of the websites they have used to access the images. I would also teach them how to properly cite each image as a part of their final assignment. For the WebQuest a list of resources is sufficient, but I think knowing proper citations is important.

Lifesaver Lesson

The Lifesaver lesson was a fun and simple way to introduce students to the basic steps of the inquiry process. We started with a question. We used our materials to come up with a procedure, we then conducted the procedure, analyzed our data, and came up with a conclusion based on the data. These are all the basic steps of the inquiry process. I think because this lesson would be so entertaining for younger students they would easily be able to recall the steps. This will be extremely helpful later on when they are using the inquiry process for much more difficult and scientifin questions. The inquiry process is not only important for science but across content areas. Once students grasp the concepts and the steps become concrete in their minds I am sure they will be more successful students. I think the earlier you can introduce this process to students the better prepared and efiicient they will be during their entire educational career. With the Lifesaver lesson we have taken invaluable information and made it accessible to young students.

Scaffolding Activities

The graphic organizers like the brainstorming chart and problem filter helped me to organize my thoughts into possible ideas in order to complete the assignment. I felt that the problem filter was extremely useful when trying to decide which idea was the most appropriate and important to focus on in an attempt to really help improve the school community. Although the lesson activities did not give us any answers they were a good starting point to help our group generate and discuss possible ideas. I think that many students would have difficulty or roadblocks without the lesson activities to stimulate their thinking.
The technology used was helpful because we were able to modify our original thinking and ideas to come up with a more complex and effective solution. We were able to cut and paste, as well as color code items in an attempt to organize our thoughts and ideas. I also felt the technology used made our presentation more cohesive and informative. We were able to create a hyperlink to an important news article that supported our case. We were also able to include our action plan without creating a new one inside our PowerPoint presentation. In this assignment I feel that the use of technology made our presentations more thorough and accurate. The use of technology also helped save us time by not having to recreate many of the tables and plans that we created during the brainstorming activities.

Discovery Learning in Teaching and Curriculum

I think Discovery Learning is very important to incorporate as much as possible in the learning process. I think it gives students the opportunity to be more involved and accountable for their learning. As part of the process I think students enjoy activities where they are able to explore and learn without rigid, boring requirements and guidelines. I personally remember what I learned from my own experiences with discovery learning than assignments and information that was just lectured or dictated to me.
I understand that as a teacher much of the curriculum is already set. I see it as my job to teach students the information that is required. It is also my job to assist students by developing and planning lessons and activities that benefit them the most. The curriculum can be the same but the method and path to learning doesn't have to be. As a teacher I will definitely consider using discovery learning as much as possible in my lesson plans. I believe that it will not only help my students retain their learning but will also help keep them motivated and hopefully they will be excited to participate during my class.

Beliefs about Technology and Learning

What are your beliefs about teaching and learning with technology? Describe how technology has supported learning in classrooms you have observed.
I believe that technology provides students with more opportunities and resources for learning than they have had in the past. With the click of a mouse students can ask any question that comes to mind and a wide variety of information and answers will pop up on their screen within a few seconds. I believe that technology, specifically the internet is creating a global community. People are now becoming citizens of the world not just a citizen of their small community. With technology we are exposed to other cultures, international studies, and beliefs. As we begin to rely on technology more and more people can no longer afford to ignore its value and uses in everyday life. Instead of a luxury, technology has now become a necessity.
Although technology has become an amazingly infinite resource for students in their studies it also has the potential to make certain tasks more difficult. We have all encountered a time when we have had an important assignment due and our computer has crashed, or our printer suddenly won’t work. Another difficulty I have encountered when trying to use the internet for research purposes is that there is simply too much information available and not enough time or skill to sift through it all.
In some classrooms I have observed, especially in the higher grades, technology has been an excellent resource. One important resource I have observed students taking advantage of are online databases that contain a wide array of peer-reviewed articles. In this way the students were able to decipher between legitimate information and random unsupported information that is available on the web. I have also seen technology such as an ELMO which allows teachers to display information and videos to all their students at the same time.
Although technology can sometimes be tricky and time consuming it is important to understand that it is constantly being updated and improved in an effort to make our lives easier. It is our jobs as teachers to stay current in an effort to bring better resources to our students and facilitate their learning.