WebQuest

I viewed the Web Quest titled "Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall-You will find me in the mall. This activity was for a first grade audience, and they were looking at the different seasons and what is appropriate dress for each season. The task portion of the Web Quest was very well written and very exact for what the lesson will do for the children. The teacher also makes a mention of how important group work is and how important each person is of the group. The process section was also well organized and well written. This teacher made sure that she did not leave anything out. The teacher addressed each section of the task portion with easy and age appropriate words. (This was not the case with some of the other Web Quests I viewed). The resources that the teacher provided were fun and appropriate for the tasks that the children would be completing. The sources were also age appropriate and educational. It seems to me like the teacher put a lot of effort into finding good resources for her children to use. The grading rubric was clear and concise and specific to what the teacher was actually looking for from the students. The teacher made sure that there were specific things that she looking for in each section of the rubric. The conclusion for this activity is fun and allows the children to use this lesson in their own atmosphere with their own resources from home. The conclusion allows the children to make the activity personal to them. Overall, I feel like this We Quest was well written and well planned out. I would use this activity in my own classroom because it allows the children to use real life items to learn about each of the seasons. She made it fun, but made sure that the children were learning something in return.

Power Point Games

I enjoyed playing the different PowerPoint games in class today. They all had a very different subject and were fun to play. Many of the PowerPoint games were centered around books and literature, but there were others that were centered around history. As a teacher you can make you game personal to your lesson and to your class. I really like all the clip art that was used. It made the game fun to look at and fun to play. I think that some of the questions could have been a little more specific and not so general, and even a little more challenging. I feel like the technology really enhanced the learning experience instead of getting in the way. Most of the games were multiple choice which was fin, but maybe you could get a little more creative. I will definitely incorporate clip art into my power point. I will also incorporate different kinds of questions into the game. Not just multiple choice, but also some true/false. I really liked the board games. They were colorful and seemed very interesting. In my classroom, I would use PowerPoint games in every subject because I feel like they give another way for children to learn that is educational and creative. Students can have fun while they are learning, and that is important to me in my classroom!

Loti Levels

I think the Loti level concept is a great idea and it gives professionals a way to rate the technology usage for themselves. In my classroom, I would definitely create a blog for children and their parents to read. I would also post homework and projects on there so children know what is due and when and also so parents can stay up to date. We all know that handouts do not always make it home. I think it is great for children to start using technology and computers at a young age because they will be using them for the rest of their lives. The younger you start them the more comfortable they will be when they get older and have no other choice but to turn on the computer and use it.

Teaching Strategies

The teaching strategy that I chose was Experiential because I am a very hands on, visual learner. With the Experiential learning strategy children learn by field trips, story telling, and role-palying. All children enjoy hands on learning and being able to see things first hand instead of just reading about it in a textbook. I feel like it is important for children to explore every aspect of the subjects that are taught in school. As a teacher, you must be inventive in the learning strategies that you use. Everything you try is not going to work for every child and that is o.k. Get to know your children and learn what learning strategy suits them the best. No two children are the same.