M3 http://t.co/yU2vrfJNEH great article on distant learning #ED527UM
— Amanda Dison (@AmandaDison) October 3, 2013
In order for educators to teach distance learning it is important for them to be well versed in using the computer and the internet as a tool for learning for their students.
Chapter 7 talks some about URLs Roblyer and Doering stress in the text how important it is to be able to read the text to determine exactly what type of website it is (pg. 216&217). The last three letters tell exactly what type of website it is. .com is by far the most common type of websites. However not all .com sites will be good sites for students to be on, therefore it's probably better to go with a .gov, .edu, or sometimes a .org. Although all sites should be proofed prior to students actually using them.
Search Engines are a highly useful tool for students to find a lot of information on a particular topic. Now again because the internet is full of all kinds of different sites both good and bad it can be easy for students to wander to bad sites. On page 219 Roblyer and Doering mention that SearchEngineWatch is a great website to find different types of search engines pertaining to specific needs (such as a filtered search engine) (pg. 219) One of my favorite search engines to use is google scholar. What's so great about google scholar is that you can put in a keyword and it'll search to find the user good scholarly content on a particular subject.
Internet Tools are also great to use for teachers. One that I found to be particularly interesting is the e-portfolios. It allows students to upload their projects and organize and edit their work. (pg. 124) As a future educator I could see myself using this as an alternative to traditional presentations by students in front of the class
Favorite Websites a couple websites that could be useful and easy to use for students. The first one is called free.ed.gov this website is a great website for students to find resources and primary sources on all different subjects. Especially for History topics this would be a great site. "Great online courses are defined by teaching, not technology." (pg. 277), this website really focuses more on learning and less on technology which I think is much better for students.
SmithsonianEducation is another great website. This website lets students take virtual tours, and opportunities to speak with experts about different topics. It also has many resources for teachers like lesson planning. This would be ideal for teaching students history through virtual field trips. Chapter 7 states that websites must be "purposefully and strategically engage the learner" (pg. 226). I think this website would truly engage students and get them interested in History.
Really enjoyed the part about search engines in your blog post. I had never heard of google scholar, and I think that would be a great website to tell my students about to use for projects or other classwork. Our text talks about search strategies (Roblyer, 2013, p. 219), and I think this would be a great way to organize your search and find content that is valuable.
ReplyDeleteGoogle scholar is a really great site. A person who knows how to use the site can really narrow the parameters and get a precise search. The only real problem with google.scholar is that many of the articles it links to require subscriptions that the average user doesn't have access to. I guess many high schools will have some thing like AVL that they use. One thing a teacher can do to increase the productivity of a student's search is to give them a quick introduction to key terms and commands that can narrow parameters. The texts talks about the importance of keywords. (Roblyer and Doerling 219)
ReplyDelete"Teachers and students agree that online courses are more motivating if they stimulate the learning community one finds in a good face-to-face course." (Roblyer and Doering 227) You mentioned making use of alternatives to traditional presentations, but keep in mind how easy it is for extensive computer use to become a solo activity.
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