Title: "Rocks & Minerals: How We Use Them & How We Get To Them" Location: http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=146299 Author: Alyssa Manning Synopsis This is a webquest for grades 3-5 students focused on the topic of rocks and minerals and their uses. It provides the opportunity for students to discover how rocks and minerals are obtained as well information on how people use these resources. In addition, the webquest provides a real life problem on which students need to choose a stance, a great way to tie in persuasive writing. The WebQuest was designed to meet several New York educational standards for science, but it would also hit several of the MI GLCES for science and writing, as well as some of the Common Core standards for language arts. Pedagogy This webquest utilizes several effective teaching strategies. Students taking part in this webquest are engaging in active learning as well as critical thinking. They are presented with a problem and have to choose a side and create an argument to support their side based upon the information learned throughout the webquest. The students need to think critically about both sides so that their argument makes sense and achieves their goal. Technology Use The internet is the only real tool used in this webquest. Within the task list, there are 6 items for the students to complete. Four of the tasks are websites, one is a slideshow, and the final is a video. The websites could simply be printed and handed out, as could the slideshow, but having the variety of media really makes the technology an important and effective element in this project. There is also a document provided for the students to fill in, which is intended to be printed. I would probably upload as a Google doc, allowing my students to fill it in online. Some of the boxes are small, so keeping it online would allow students to write more than just a few words. Nuts and Bolts I felt the best way to learn about this WebQuest was to go through it as a student would. All of the links and images are functional and the site itself is visually pleasing. There is a placeholder for an image visible on the "Teacher Page", but it does not detract from the function of the page. Overall is clean and organized, making it very easy to navigate. Some of the process websites seem older, but the information on each is straightforward and valid. The slideshow included, however, was a little confusing. The questions from the student document don't align all that well with the information on the slideshow. For example, it asks for the first step in mining, but the slideshow doesn't specifically address the steps taken, there is more focus on the processing of the minerals. Suggestions I really enjoyed this webquest and look forward to using it in my class. I would suggest revising the questions about the slideshow, which I actually may do myself when I use this with my students. The resources and materials are very well suited for third grade students. It allows for discovery while still providing a structure to guide younger students. Instructor FeedbackWebQuest – Good job on the commentary for the Rocks webquest. I agree that this one could be fun for students. Were you put off by having the links after the sets of questions/directions? I found this distracting but I suppose it is because of the way the webquest site put things together. "Webquest Page"
Located at: http://webquest.org Merlot Database Entry Quality of Content: WebQuest.org provides teachers with access to webquests created by other people. It also provides basic, introductory information for teachers about how to create a webquest for use in your own classroom. The information provided seems to be valid and correct. With that being said, there isn't a lot of information that would be useful in my class without leaving the website. When you chose the "Find a Webquest" link, it brings you to a page that tells you about 4 different webpages that house webquests. The first one, a site through San Diego State University doesn't have a provided hyperlink. The next, QuestGarden, is a pay-for-use service. The most promising is the third, which is called the "Curriculum x Grade Level Matrix". It includes drop-down selections where you can select a subject area and age level. Unfortunately, however, there were no webquests for 3rd-5th grade, which was very disappointing. The final search method was a simple Google Search, which makes me wonder why one would need to visit WebQuest.org. Why not simply start at Google? On top of that, the most recent news was posted in 2008, which indicated to me that this website has not been maintained much since. For such high reviews on MERLOT, I was disaapointed to see the quality of the information provided. Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
Conclusion: While this website does provide some helpful information, namely explaining what a webquest is, it does not provide much more. For a resource that earned 5 stars through MERLOT, I had much higher expectations. I was hoping to find a database with usable resources that I could use in my classroom, but what I found instead was an outdated website that directs you to other websites for information. For other teachers hoping to use webquests in their classrooms, I would suggest that you skip this website and go straight to Google. Stand-Alone Instructional Resource |
eericksonidlessonplantemplate.doc_1.pdf | |
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On a whim, and with no expectation of being chosen, I decided I would apply for the DEN Summer Institute. After about 100 takes, I was finally satisfied with my video and sent it off. To my surprise, I was one of the first applicants chosen for the institute! What a shock!
Porter Palmer's Blog Post: "Meet Edie from MI at #DENSI2013"
Cheryl Lykowski's Interview: "Congratulations to Michiganer Edie Erickson"
Porter Palmer's Blog Post: "Meet Edie from MI at #DENSI2013"
Cheryl Lykowski's Interview: "Congratulations to Michiganer Edie Erickson"
Pretty much as soon as I was selected, I started planning my trip. This will be taking the place of our normal summer trip, so my husband, Don, is going to be coming with me! He'll be camping along the shores of Lake Champlain while I get to hang out at #DENSI2013! Our current plan is to drive across Canada, with stops in Ottawa and Montreal before arriving in Burlington (we're hoping to make it by Saturday). The return trip will take us through NY, with a stop in Buffalo. We're then going to cross into Canada, possibly make a side trip to Toronto, and then head across to Detroit before heading north to get back home.
As the first class in my program, I came into CEP 810 not knowing what to expect. I am glad to say it was a great first impression of the MAET program. I was worried about being overwhelmed by taking a class in addition to teaching full time, but I am happy to say that wasn’t a problem! I have really enjoyed being able to find and use new technologies and strategies, such as Weebly and Flipped Teaching, both of which I plan to learn more about and use within my classroom. I have also revisited some that I already knew about, but wasn’t using effectively, such as Google Drive and Glogster.
Perhaps the most important lesson for me, was the there needs to be a set purpose for the technology being used. I like all the bells and whistles, but if the technology is not being used effectively and the content is getting lost, what have I accomplished? Integrating the internet has really got me thinking about the best uses of technology and how I can streamline what I am currently doing in regards to technology.
I loved the SIG project! We were able to make choices while still learning the content of the course. We were able to fully utilize all the internet has to offer to create a product that we could be proud of, while networking and learning at the same time. It got me using Google Docs, one of my initial goals, so much so, that I now house all of my teaching documents on my Google Drive.
My primary goal was to become more familiar with Google Docs and to use them in my classroom. While I haven’t used them with my third graders yet, I am working with my superintendent to start using Google Docs with other teachers in the diocese. The diocese wants to focus more attention on creating common assessments for each grade level, but it is difficult since some of our schools are six hours apart. We are currently working on getting the teachers set up on Google Docs so that they can share and create assessments with other teachers of the same grade.
Moving forward, I want to continue implementing new technologies into my class and my school’s PLN. I think this class has really given me a boost and inspired me to keep searching for more effective tools. As a professional, I would like to possibly teach online once I complete the MAET program, or maybe even work with an educational technology company, like Discovery (which if you notice my Twitter, I’m in love with). I still have a long way to go in the program, so I know my goals will change, but I think that CEP 810 has done a great job of preparing me for the MAET program and the educational technology world as a whole!
Perhaps the most important lesson for me, was the there needs to be a set purpose for the technology being used. I like all the bells and whistles, but if the technology is not being used effectively and the content is getting lost, what have I accomplished? Integrating the internet has really got me thinking about the best uses of technology and how I can streamline what I am currently doing in regards to technology.
I loved the SIG project! We were able to make choices while still learning the content of the course. We were able to fully utilize all the internet has to offer to create a product that we could be proud of, while networking and learning at the same time. It got me using Google Docs, one of my initial goals, so much so, that I now house all of my teaching documents on my Google Drive.
My primary goal was to become more familiar with Google Docs and to use them in my classroom. While I haven’t used them with my third graders yet, I am working with my superintendent to start using Google Docs with other teachers in the diocese. The diocese wants to focus more attention on creating common assessments for each grade level, but it is difficult since some of our schools are six hours apart. We are currently working on getting the teachers set up on Google Docs so that they can share and create assessments with other teachers of the same grade.
Moving forward, I want to continue implementing new technologies into my class and my school’s PLN. I think this class has really given me a boost and inspired me to keep searching for more effective tools. As a professional, I would like to possibly teach online once I complete the MAET program, or maybe even work with an educational technology company, like Discovery (which if you notice my Twitter, I’m in love with). I still have a long way to go in the program, so I know my goals will change, but I think that CEP 810 has done a great job of preparing me for the MAET program and the educational technology world as a whole!
Instructor Feedback
I am glad to hear that you were not overwhelmed in the class, you were a great contributor in all of your discussions and assignments.
This is a fantastic lesson and reminder, how do the bells and whistles enhance the learning and engagement process and if they do not, do they really have a place?
Edie, you did a great job all semester and I wanted to thank you for sharing your assignments and reflections with me. In addition, it is great to see how you are using Twitter at your school. I wish you the best in the future and please do stay in touch.
For the past two years, my third graders have hosted a “Living Museum” for the classes in our school. The students researched a historical figure, then wrote a speech about their person in the first person perspective. On our museum day, the students dressed in costume and pretended to be statues until their “button” was pressed, at which time they came to life and told about themselves, much like an animatronic would come to life in a real museum. This lesson is a cross curricular lesson, focusing on history, reading, and writing and the students should walk away with improved research skills, a stronger understanding of biographies, and historical knowledge about their individual.
We began with our research, most of which was conducted online using our school’s computer lab. To help guide the students in their research, I used Pearltrees (my favorite bookmarking site). I provided links, videos, and images for each of the specific figures. They also had access to Google and Youtube. In addition, we read biographies online and in text during our reading time. The students used graphic organizers in their writing notebooks to organize their thoughts. I think next year, I will add more technology to this and have the students use Google Docs to organize their information.
After spending a fair amount of time learning about their subject, the students then wrote their speeches. Before we started, we watched several how-to videos on Youtube about how to give a great speech. This really helped some of the students get an idea of what their end results should look and sound like. The students wrote these in their notebooks, but this would be another great place to add Google Docs!
In addition to writing their speeches, the students were also responsible for creating an “above and beyond” project. This is where a lot of technology came into play. For this part, the students chose from a list of project ideas that I provided for them. Last year, this list included things like collages, posters, and models. This year, however, I added many more technology related choices and I was happy to see how many children chose technology! There were so many, in fact, that we had to borrow several laptops for the museum presentations! Some of the most popular choices included Prezi, Wordle, and Blabberize. I even had two students use the internet to plan vacations to places relevant to their historical figure’s life. The tech options were so well liked, I plan to have 100% of the project choices be computer based for next year. I plan to add Glogster, Weebly, TripIt, and Kodu, just a name a few.
This is a big project with a lot of elements, so I believe it hits all four of the ISTE NET-S categories:
We began with our research, most of which was conducted online using our school’s computer lab. To help guide the students in their research, I used Pearltrees (my favorite bookmarking site). I provided links, videos, and images for each of the specific figures. They also had access to Google and Youtube. In addition, we read biographies online and in text during our reading time. The students used graphic organizers in their writing notebooks to organize their thoughts. I think next year, I will add more technology to this and have the students use Google Docs to organize their information.
After spending a fair amount of time learning about their subject, the students then wrote their speeches. Before we started, we watched several how-to videos on Youtube about how to give a great speech. This really helped some of the students get an idea of what their end results should look and sound like. The students wrote these in their notebooks, but this would be another great place to add Google Docs!
In addition to writing their speeches, the students were also responsible for creating an “above and beyond” project. This is where a lot of technology came into play. For this part, the students chose from a list of project ideas that I provided for them. Last year, this list included things like collages, posters, and models. This year, however, I added many more technology related choices and I was happy to see how many children chose technology! There were so many, in fact, that we had to borrow several laptops for the museum presentations! Some of the most popular choices included Prezi, Wordle, and Blabberize. I even had two students use the internet to plan vacations to places relevant to their historical figure’s life. The tech options were so well liked, I plan to have 100% of the project choices be computer based for next year. I plan to add Glogster, Weebly, TripIt, and Kodu, just a name a few.
This is a big project with a lot of elements, so I believe it hits all four of the ISTE NET-S categories:
Instructor Feedback
I love this lesson idea.
How do you help to ensure the content is appropriate in content and reading level?
I like how it is labeled above and beyond, to really help the transform the learning beyond just relaying/conveying certain information.
Nice job of breaking and down how your lesson aligns to the standards.
About Me
I'm Edie - wife, mom, teacher, instructional designer, home renovator,
and lover of nature, travel, technology, and vintage campers!
and lover of nature, travel, technology, and vintage campers!
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