Digital Blog Post #K - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I think it’s important to integrate learning online because our students already spend a lot of time on the Internet. According to the Pew Research Center, around ninety three percent of teenagers (age 12-17) use the Internet every day (2012). The Internet is something that captures our attention and keeps it. Using websites and apps in the classroom would be efficient because we can already comfortably manage them.

I like how the teacher in the “Voices from the classroom” section uses images in his lesson. Images from the antebellum period show drunks and this adds more emphasis to the importance of the lesson. The teacher made a good point when he said that published images like that would cost money. The Internet allows free access to these images and does not take out of our school budget.

WebQuests are very engaging and create a more interesting lesson. Teachers design these WebQuests and guide students from one website to the next using a map or set of instructions. In my hypothetical English classroom, I would create an Edgar Allen Poe WebQuest. I would begin by saying “Welcome to the dark world of Edgar Allen Poe…” in the introduction. I would have the students work in groups of two and select a poem to analyze.  The website links would have images, articles, and video clips to help the students break their poem down. I would have the students make a PowerPoint presentation for the evaluation process.

In my World Geography class, I will use virtual field trips to expand my students’ knowledge of the world. The lesson could be about third world countries and we could “travel” to countries in Africa. Google Earth would show students what the terrain and buildings in some of the developing countries. This lesson is hands-on, collaborative, and integrates technology. This project would also encourage more “traveling” as some students may use Google Earth or virtual tours at home.

The majority of our students use the Internet every day. We are comfortable using these technologies and it is obvious that the Internet captures our attentions. Using these websites and apps as a tool for learning is important because using them is like second nature to us. Using these websites and apps for learning will equip students with research skills and keep them engaged. 

Resources: 

Alaimo, Avery (16 November, 2015). Digital Blog Post #K. Made 

   with https://magic.piktochart.com/editor/piktochart/9381396#

Giordano, Robert (2015). Welcome to Poe Stories. Design215. 16 November, 2015. Retrieved 

   from http://poestories.com/index.php

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with                

    New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Pew Research Center (2015). Teen Facts Sheet. Pew Research Center. 16 November, 2015. 

   Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/teens-fact-sheet/