Teacher Web Reflections

1. One of the ways I think the Teacher Web would be great in the classroom is for parents. The parents could check this often to see important announcements, what their children were working on, or the classroom wish list. It lets parents be a part of their child’s learning. They can use the website to make sure their children are completing homework and know when the important dates are. It is a way to communicate with the parents in a timelier manner then always having to spend time writing emails as well as save time for parents.
Another great way to enhance the classroom by using the Teacher Web would be through the calendar I provided with important dates for the students and parents. It would allow parents to always know what is going on in the classroom. It lets them be a part of their child’s learning and seeing what they do on a day to day basis. It is also great for the students because it posts reminders of important projects, field trips, or activities that are going on in the classroom. This allows students to be more prepared and if they forget when something is due they can turn to the calendar to get those answers. It provides another great communication tool to have with the students and parents outside of the classroom.
The grades section is a great feature that can be incorporated into my classroom which would benefit parents and students. This allows students and parents to constantly be on top of their grades and know how they are progressing. Students could check their grades often to ensure that they do not have missing work and that their grades are correct. This would help teachers to make sure the grades are correct for the students. Parents can also benefit off of this feature because they can stay on top of their children’s grades and make sure they are completing their work.

2. A feature that I think will be great for students to use is the web resources. By creating a wide range of different types of resources for students will create a great place for them to turn to and use. It will let them engage in the learning process on their own without always having to turn to the teacher for guidance. They can use these resources to help them continue to learn in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. It provides another great tool for teachers to constantly be engaging their learners in a creative way.
Another great way that students can use the teacher web to enhance their learning is providing assignments on the teacher web such as the graphs that students need to make from a science project. Teachers can put interactive projects from units they are doing in school and expand farther by posting assignments on the Teacher Web. This type of learning will enhance their knowledge and let them learn in a different way than usual. It is also fun that they are getting to do something on the computer versus always writing it down.

3. One of the best features I would use for my students would be the homework section. It would be great to post the homework for students to use as a reminder especially when they miss a day of school and need to be caught up. Children often forget when homework is due or to write down an assignment. Having a homework section in the Teacher Web would remind students of what is due so they can never use the excuse that they did not know what the assignment was. It will let them be accountable for their own learning process and taking initiative to get their assignments done. Parents can also use it to see what is due for their students and to make sure they are getting their homework done.
Another feature that I would definitely use in the classroom is the review quiz. It would be great for students to use to get extra practice on units I am teaching and they would be able to do it in an engaging way. Students love to use the computer so it would encourage them to study and use the practice questions to help learn the material. Before the students take the test I would let them know that I would be posting several practice questions they should try. It would also let me know which students are studying for the tests and who are not because I could see who is doing the practice questions out side of class. Therefore, it would be a great tool to give students extra practice in learning material I teach in class.

Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activities

• Concept mapping can be used to really engage students in important school subjects such as language arts, math, science, and social studies. One of the ways that concept mapping could be used in my classroom that would help explain and engage students is using it in math. I always struggled with math and I think it can be a very hard subject for students to grasp. In order to support their learning, concept mapping explains concepts visually in order to make them easier to comprehend. Concept mapping provides step by step visual instructions of what is happening. It would be great for learning fractions or factor trees because it would easily demonstrate what is going on. It breaks down problems and helps them see connections which would often be hard to imagine. It will help accommodate all learning types understand math problems in an interesting and intriguing way beyond just learning it from a text book. It will really enhance visual learners because it is creating a whole new way to visualize concepts and learn them.


• Language arts would be one of the best ways to integrate concept mapping into lessons. Concept mapping are great ways to formulate ideas when writing a paper and by using concept mapping programs students are getting to be active on the computer. If they are using it to write a paper it will help the students to organize their ideas. It will allow them to move ideas around in order to find the best and most specific way to write a paper. It can also be great for reading and analyzing books. Students can create character maps or maps about the progression of a story. Students get to be interactive and have fun examining books in a different way than usual. It will enhance the students learning and help them to better engage in their learning. Students get bored of just writing papers and reading books. Concept mapping will let them learn in a new exciting way and to do assignments differently.


• Like any new program on a computer it will take time to learn how to do it. I have never done concept mapping through the internet, but I have hand written concept maps so I do understand the process of how to create them. I do not think it would take a long time to integrate them into the classroom and use them. I can take the written concept mapping ideas I have for students and begin to have them use it on the computer instead. Instead of writing step by step instructions on paper for how to complete a math problem, I can create a concept map that shows the same thing, but probably in a much easier way for students to understand. I also think it would be acceptable to try it out on the students and discover how to do them together. This will let them be a part of the learning process. It would be worth my time to learn how to use these programs because I have learned the importance of differentiated instruction. I do not want to teach the same way to my students because it does not allow them engage in learning. By providing an activity that is interactive and different will help them engage in the lessons, and that is the most important thing to provide students as a teacher.

Here is an example of a concept map

Blogs and Wikis in Education

1. One of the most interesting blogs I stumble across was a blog all about books. This blog discussed all types of books and their authors and illustrators. Incorporated in the blog is a huge list of authors and illustrator’s blogs or websites allowing children to explore more into the authors or illustrators of their favorite books. I thought this was a great idea for teachers to use for their students. Students can get on the blogs and learn more about the books that are being discussed in class. It provides a resource if they have forgotten the author of a book that they absolutely loved. Overall, the blog is a fun way to learn about books, authors, and illustrators. Another interesting and great way blogs can be used in the classroom is for high school students applying to universities. A blog that I found was made for students in countries outside of the United States that are applying to go to school here in the United States. The blog provided tips for students about applying here. I thought it would be a great tool for teachers to provide to students who are considering going to college in United States. They could show them this blog to help them get unanswered questions or any concerns they might have about applying here. The blog also provides other internet sites that might be important to them to get even further information about applying to college here. Blogs can also be used in classrooms by creating a thread of conversation that students can have with their teacher to learn more about their teacher and other classmates. I found a blog that was created by a teacher who used it to share about herself. She posted on the blog often about what she had done that weekend, where she was going, as well as asking reflective questions for her students. Students and parents could use blogs this way to learn more about their teacher. The teacher also used it as a lesson tool. She asked them questions on the blog for them to answer and bring to class. It would be a less formal way to have students do writing, but would prove to be very fun for the students because it is interactive. She also reminded students of homework that was due or to remember to bring supplies for the next class. I noticed that even during the summer the teacher posted on her blog to let her students know how her summer was going and what she was doing.

2. Aggregators are important and convenient because it allows people using the internet to see when a page is updated without having to check it manually. This can be used within the classroom for teachers who create projects such as WebQuests or blogs that students are doing online. If a teacher is updating part of a WebQuest or adding something in, then aggregators would be useful because it would allow the students to get the new information they needed to know without having to manually check for those updates. If the teacher is using a blog to post response questions for students to answer an aggregator is needed. Then students are able to see the updated questions and responses the teacher has, as well as being able to respond to other students’ recent post. Aggregators allow for these updates to show so students are able to easily respond to the posts and complete homework. Aggregators allow students to be interactive on the internet and have conversations through blogs without having to manually update it, making it much easier and efficient.

3.One of the pros I can see for using blogs or wikis in education is it provides a tool for students to use to learn and do homework, as well as getting to know their teacher. It allows them to become more familiar with the internet. Teachers can use blogs to have creative assignments for them to do instead of just learning from a book or doing worksheets. It allows them to be interactive with their homework which will help them really engage in what they are learning. It can also be used as a resource for students to continue to grow and learn outside of the classroom. The blog all about books is one that students can turn to even after they move up into another grade. It is a way to help them continue to learn about books. They can use it as a tool to create their own book list of their favorite books. There all also cons that blogs and wikis can have in education. One of the major flaws I can see in using blogs in education is dependent upon the age group they are used in. I noticed while searching blogs that it was easy to come to websites and blogs that were not appropriate for elementary students. While students are using this tool it would be very important to educate them on the internet in order to help them not run across websites they should not, as well as what to do if they accidentally do. If blogs were not used correctly and students were not taught the proper way to use it in their classroom it could create a major problem for students. Another bad thing that can arise from using blogs in education is if teachers are using other people’s blogs that have inaccurate information in their education lessons. If a teacher is going to use someone’s blog that deals with tips for writing they need to ensure the information provided on the blog is accurate. Anybody can use a blog and put information on there that is not true. Before using a blog teachers need to be aware of this and look over the blog thoroughly to make sure accurate information is on there.