Website Creation Project

http://erinsclassroom.weebly.com/

I found the weebly site to be very easy to follow. I have never created my own website before. I thought it would be a lot more complicated then it actually was. The hardest part of this assignment was deciding what to put on the slides. In the future when I have my own classroom I could definitely utilize the web development process. I could use it to create a page for my classroom or even teach my students how to create their own pages.

The entire process took a while. The first thing I did was pick a topic for my site. Once I had a topic I was able to decide what the focus of my pages were. It then added different text to each page. Next, I found pictures online and downloaded them to my computer. Then I uploaded each picture to my site. One obstacle that I encountered when making this site was when I had to set links to my pictures. I could not click on the picture to see if the link worked until I published my site. I had to un-publish and republish the site several times to get the links to work. It would have saved a lot of time if I could have checked the links without having to publish my site.

I will not be able to build on this site until I actually have my own classroom. Once I have my own classroom I will have a better idea of what needs to be included on that specific classroom website. I received an "ok" for 508 compliance. I need to make sure all color text can be seen in black and white as well. I also need to change the flicker rate of some of my images. This could be done by picking different images. It also suggests to create a 'skip link' on my page for students with assistive technology to navigate the site.

Week 4 Reading Responses

Students can learn a great deal of information using the Internet. November (2010) discusses the use of primary sources for the exploration of history (p. 67). This can be a great way to get students actively involved in their learning and at the same time the freedom to examine historical documents. Teachers must be aware that sites such as these are not created for specific grade levels. Teachers should create some type of guidelines to help students use appropriate grade level materials. Another great source to use in the classroom are online research catalogs (November, 2010, p. 68). Although research catalogs can be a great resource there can often be too much or not enough information on a specific topic. Teachers should structure their assignments based around information that students can easily find without being overwhelmed.

According to November (2010) "the role of the teacher is to provide structure and direction to a student's ability to make meaning" (p. 72). One major skill that students need to lean is to understand the perspective of the sources they read. Teachers need to talk about how different perspective change the meaning of text. Teachers also need to teach students how to efficiently search databases. Just like critically evaluating websites students need to learn how to critically evaluate primary sources (November, 2010, p. 75). Teachers can generate specific questions to help students evaluate different sources.

Teachers can use Podcasting and multimedia tools to promote collaborative learning by having students share their work. Richardson (2010) describes how students can teach other students through the use of podcasts (p. 116). Podcasts can be created and shared in classrooms among different schools around the world. Students can generate ideas and share their learning with others outside of the classroom. Other types of multimedia resources, such as social networking sites can be used in the classroom. Teachers can use programs like Facebook to create classroom pages (Richardson, 2010, p. 136). Most students are familiar with programs like Facebook and it can be a great way for teachers to actively engage their students.

Resources

November, Alan. (2010). Empowering students with technology (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

Richardson, Will. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

Internet Workshop Reflection

I received positive feedback from my group members. They all liked the lesson plan format that I used for the lesson portion my Internet Workshop. My group members like the Venn diagram comparison question on my handout. They all felt this would be a good way to differentiate instruction especially for visual learners. My group members also liked my idea of having students cross reference information from more than one site.

As a special education teacher I could use an Internet Workshop to teach about using the Internet safely. I think that critically evaluating a website might be difficult for some special education students. I think that I would have to take a more whole group instruction approach if I were to use an Internet Workshop in a special education classroom.

"Students will become victims of the expansive dark side of the Internet unless we teach the critical thinking necessary to make meaning out of the overwhelming and potentially manipulative amount of information that is now available and growing every day" (November, 2010, p.27).

We all agreed that students could have a negative experience with the Internet if they are not given the proper tools to manage it. Teachers should have honest and open conversations about the dangers associated with Internet use. We all felt that it is very important for teachers to teach their students about how to safely use the Internet. We talked about using the Internet Workshop as a scaffold. It would be good to begin with lessons on safety. Then the students could evaluate a site. Next, students could explore the Internet independently. The most important thing to remember is to always be available to monitor the students’ use of the Internet.

T2P Week 4

If we provide our students with tasks that elicit emotion then the students are more likely to become intrinsically motivated to learn.

If we provide students with tasks linked in the affective domain students will be intrinsically motivated to learn.

The affective domain consists of a person's interpersonal and intrapersonal feelings. Students learn through their interactions with others and develop an understanding for their emotions. According to Andrade's views on popular culture students are more eager to learn when they feel culturally connected to material. This coincides with Pink's three elements of intrinsic motivation. A student needs to have a sense of autonomy in their learning. Andrade suggest that teachers use cultural literacy as a teaching tool in the classroom. By using cultural literacy in the classroom the students have more control over what they are learning. If the students is able to provide material that they are emotionally connected to they will be intrinsically motivated in their learning.

Pink also describes how learners need a sense of purpose in their learning. By using Andrade's ideas of cultural literacy the students will have sense of purpose in what they are learning. They will have a sense of connectedness to the curriculum that they might not otherwise have. The teacher can use cultural literacy as a scaffold for academic literacy showing students that their learning does have a purpose and can be applied to other areas.

Lastly, Pink touches on the idea of mastery. Learner's want to master something that has meaning to them. Students are masters of their culture. When the students feel knowledgeable about the topic they gain confidence in their learning. With this confidence comes the motivation to strive for excellence.

Week Three T2P

If we provide our students with tasks that elicit emotion then the students are more likely to become intrinsically motivated to learn.

Studies have show that when students are learning about a topic that elicits some type of emotion within them, positive or negative, that they become more connected to learning. This emotional tie to learning can lead to an intrinsic motivation to learn. There are three components to intrinsic motivation: autonomy, purpose, and mastery. In order for students to use their intrinsic motivation to fuel learning they must have a sense of purpose. This is the idea that students learn for the purpose of something greater than themselves. The students must also have a sense of autonomy in order to be intrinsically motivated. This is the belief that one is in charge of their own learning. Lastly, the student must want to become a master at something that has meaning to them. As teachers it is often easier to externally motivate our students through rewards or punishments. There has been evidence that external motivators decrease creativity in our students. Therefore, it is important for us as teachers to find ways to help our students become motivated. If we choose tasks that elicit emotion in our students the things that they are learning will become more meaningful to them. With this meaning can come a sense of purpose and mastery.

Week 3 ADHD and Motivation

It is important to consider my pedagogical practices in order to promote successful learning with a student who possesses Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) within my classroom. It is important for me as a special educator to become familiar with my student's disabilities and find ways to motivate my students.

Students with ADHD often struggle with focusing on a specific task. Reading one page of a simple text can take significantly longer for students with ADHD then those students who do not have ADHD. Students with ADHD's inability to focus often decreases their motivation on timed tasks. If a student who possess ADHD is told they will have a certain amount of time to complete a certain task they will often lose any previous motivation and in the end not complete the task. If we look at this problem as a lack of intrinsic motivation we as teachers can help our students. As a teacher we can give students with ADHD a sense of autonomy by letting them work on their own time table. If the student feels that they are in control of the time frame for completing their work they will be more motivated to complete the assignment.

Students with ADHD often struggle with their ability to control their excessive amounts of energy. Although this can present a problem for students in the classroom setting it often leads to enhanced creativity. As a special education teacher it will be important for me to take my students energy and direct it in positive ways. I need to find a way for my students to use this increased energy and creativity and apply it towards their learning. One way I could do this would be to allow my students to use reader's theatre in reading. Reader's theatre turns stories into scripts that students can act out. This will allow the students to get up and move around channeling their energy in a positive way. This concept also allows the student to take the written script and create their own play. By giving students with ADHD a sense of purpose in what they do and for their creativity will help them to become more motivated in their learning.

As a special educator I will be working with students with ADHD. It is important for me to have an understanding of their disability and how it affects their emotional well being and their motivation. By giving my students different channels for their creativity and energy I can help them to develop a sense of purpose and show them that I do in fact care about their success.

Screencast Reflection

• Our group worked very well together to create our screencast. Each of us were active participants in the entire process. It took us a long time to complete the assignment because we were not familiar with the program. We had to meet outside of class to complete our project. I think that more class time would have been useful.
• The feedback we received was very positive. Overall, everyone who provided feedback felt that they could utilize PowerPoint in their content area after viewing our screencast. I think that the section on how the PowerPoint can be used in the classroom provided the most useful feedback. Everyone who responded had multiple answers for this question. I think a section on how the presentation could be improved would have offered even more insight into how our presentation was received.
• I found the screencast on Microsoft Excel to be very useful. I am not very familiar with this program and its features. I like how the group set up a mach grade book for their demonstration. The concept of creating a grade book using this program is something that I can definitely use as a future teacher.
• I think that visual and auditory learners will benefit the most from the use of a screencast. For the visual learners there is the visual component of viewing how to use different programs on the computer. For the auditory learners there are step by step directions that they can listen to.
• I could use a screencast in my classroom as a special education teacher. This would be a good way to show students how to use different computer programs while at the same time incorporating multiple learning styles. I think that this program would be more beneficial for older students. I feel that younger students might learn from actually using a program rather than watching someone else use it.