Post #4

Web-based resources, Student Research, and Inspiration

      There are many ways to use web-based resources to support student learning.  I would like to incorporate powerpoint by having game show reviews that are interactive for the students.  I have participted in games like this in the past and they were a lot of fun and are a good ways to learn the information in a different way.  I would also like to create a class webpage.  This would allow me to make announcements, post class photos, and communicate with parents.  It would allow students to connect more to the class and feel as though they are a part of something special.  I would also like to incorporate PowerPoint by having the students present projects to the class.  Public speaking is an important skill to have and this is a very good way to slowly introduce students to it.  Finally, I would like to have students complete a webquest.  This is a guided search of the Internet for specific information.  The ability to search the internet is an invaluable tool in today's tech savy society, and this is a fun way to teach this skill to students. 
        The Internet can be a great tool for research sometimes, but not such a great tool other times.  Sometimes it is not useful because the quality of the information on the internet is highly variable.  Sometimes people completely make up information and post it on the internet, and it can be taken as the truth.  Another reason it isn't a good tool is because the text can be directly copied and pasted into a student's work.  Copywrite infringement is a huge problem with students' essays- many will not take the time to rewrite the information into their own words.  Though there are some problems with using the internet for student research, it can also be very useful.  It is a great source for an enourmous amount of information for students, and it is very easy for them to access. 
      In school work in the past, I have used various Internet-based resources.  I have used PowerPoint more times than I can remember, and this is an invaluable tool that I will use for the rest of my life.  I have used it for many presentations, and it has improved my public speaking skill exponentially.  I have also used web searches for research papers.  These web searches are very useful, but it can often times be hard to determine if information on the internet is valid or not.  My methods are similar to those in the podcast.
     I acquired many skills from the Inspiration assignment.  I used Inspiration in elementary school but since I haven't used it in so long, I completely forgot how to use the program.  This assignment was a great refresher and now I feel completely comfortable with it.  It will be useful if I ever need to diagram things for my students or if I end up teaching an elementary school class.