Wikis- are "a collection of web pages located in a online community that encourage collaboration and communication of ideas by having users contribute or modify content." (Roblyer and Doering 223). One of my favorites that I found is called historyfacebook it is a already made wiki that has a list of different events, people, and places that can be clicked on to learn more information about it. This wiki would be ideal for teachers to use for their students. However if the teacher wanted a very specific wiki, there are plenty of websites that provide blank wikis that could be created. wikispaces is probably one of the best websites to create your own wiki. However pbworks is another example (Roblyer and Doering pg. 224) When I create my wiki I'd like it to be similar to historyfacebook, because I think it would really get students interested in history.
Widgets- many of us are familiar with widgets, all smartphones have widgets on them. Widgets are basically small apps that have only slight functions. Some examples of widgets could be your alarm clock, calendar, or calculator on your smartphone. I found several widgets that I thought would be useful for history teachers. One that I liked was a history channel widget that was a "today in history..." which I thought might peak my students interests a bit:
Another widget I liked was history quotes it shows a different history quote everyday, I also think this widget would make history exciting for my students:
Web-Based Lessons: There are many web-based lesson plans online, but picking the right one can be challenging. (Roblyer and Doering pg. 257). Many people are busy and do not have that much time to make one so using premade ones makes sense. One that I liked that, the book also mentions on page 257 is the National Geographic. Although I would use this site for history it could be used for other subjects as well. However, sometimes it is really hard to find just the right site. If that's the case then teachers can create their own web-based lesson. There is several examples of sites that teachers can go to, to create their own web-based lessons (Roblyer and Doering, pg. 258). One of may favorites, and most user friendly do-it-yourself web-based lessons can be found here at webquest:
M4 check out this website. http://t.co/qjKn5nNcHA very useful for educators. #ED527UMWikis, widgets, and web-based lessons can be quite time consuming to educators and to some students as well, however if used right they can really enhance the students learning experience. I can see myself using some of these things as an educator one day.
— Amanda Dison (@AmandaDison) October 17, 2013
I can tell we are on the same page. I like the today's history widgets. It's amazing what you can learn from them. I think it's a great tool for students to utilize.
ReplyDeleteThe National Geographic site seems really useful. So much information available! They have information as vast as encyclopedias to information about the new Common Core State Standards.
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting reading about the resources you shared. They of course lend themselves well for a history classroom but could also be integrated throughout other subjects. I also chose to discuss National Geographic for my web-based lesson. Just like Roblyer and Doering (2013) mention, it can be a challenge to pick the right web-based lesson plan. There are so many of them out there and not all are a great fit for your classroom. I also liked the WebQuest site that you shared. WebQuests are a great way to keep your students interactive and excited about learning in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that it can be challenging to find the right website for your class. I really believe that creating your own website for a class could be truly helpful(Roblyer and Doering pg. 257) As you teach the class over time I am sure your website could just get better and better. Being able to post your assignments, notes, test questions, interesting videos that relate to your course... A history course can really take advantage of some youtube videos. Especially as the content gets more and more modern.
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