WebQuests are a great tool for students. They follow a tour that teaches them new concepts. It might give an introduction, task, process, and references to help the students out. The intro is self explanatory, while the task will let students know what to expect. The process is the guided steps. Usually a conclusion will also be included which is a summary of understanding. Not only that, but the teachers get a spot to give all their input and their references. Virtual field trips are another great item to use. Google Earth can take students all over the globe while teaching important facts. Videoconferencing is another way for students to visit and meet people from all over the globe. Both of these tools are great and I believe some of the best teaching methods out there.
Online and virtual schools are schools done on the internet. They make it easier for students because there is no schedule. These schools are also helpful for students with disabilities as it is cheaper. The public schools might not be able to afford the special programs. I am personally against online schools. This takes away the experience of youth. It makes it harder to interact with peers and working in groups is not possible. How can one expect to learn for the future alone, when most jobs require some sort of human interaction. Not only that, but what about the child? How will the child learn to tolerate mean people or the opposite gender? Onine schools are a bad idea and only further isolates people from the real world.
Educational websites are a good thing, as they collect thousands of resources and make them into digital content. They are geared to grades K-12. There are a few types of these websites. Lesson plan websites are great as they give guided instruction and procedures. This is something I would want to use in my classroom. Student-to-expert communication is also effective as colleges, businesses, and other organizations can answer questions that students may have. A few more of these websites include real-time and recorded, archival and primary, skills practice, exploration, and discovery. All of these are beneficial and should be utilized in a modern classroom.
http://storybird.com/books/its-time-to-start-our-tour-of-google-earth-oh-is-t/?token=ycmcaywgqv
Credit to storybird
(I get message all school stories are private and it will not let me share directly with link)
References
Maloy, R. W. (2014). Transforming learning with new technologies (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Not sure what happened with the Storybird embed, but I did get to your created 'story' via the link. This is a great literacy creation tool and the illustrations are fabulous! :)
ReplyDeleteThere really are so many websites out there that can be helpful to our students and to us as teachers. The number is a bit scary which is why the use of Delicious or another online bookmarking service is important. Hopefully, that will help you to stay organized and provide you with ever-changing information, as needed.
Online schools can never be the same as face-to-face, but some of the negatives you mention might be easily dealt with in other situations via community centers or shopping center, etc. Sometimes they are the best solution, depending on the individual student as 'one way does not suit all' these days!