Double Entry Journal # 13

describe how and why you decided your WebQuest topic.  What makes your video on your Introduction page so interesting?  

I chose reading and researching short stories because I've always loved literature. I think it's important to urge students to write to spark their creativity. I read all four of the short stories in my WebQuest in high school and I loved them, so I just hope other high school students can appreciate them! My video is a rap by Flovabulary that lists the elements of a short story! Since my project is aimed towards high school juniors, I didn't want to spend a lot of time on the elements of a story, which they should have already learned, and the video is a great refresher! Also, it's so fun to listen to, it really gets you excited for the assignment. 

Best and Worst WebQuest.

1. Which two of example WebQuests listed below are the best ones? Why?
   I think Underground Railroad was the best WebQuest. It really incorporated some creative thinking. They had to really take on the role they were assigned and research it heavily. They even had to partake in a virtual Underground Railroad.
   I also liked Grow Schools Green. It's a great concept and students really have to analyze several different schools of thought in order to compose one of their own. Also, I liked how hands on it was. 
2. Which two are the worst? Why?
   Ice Cream wasn't as good as it could have been. They did learn the process of making ice cream and some advertising points, however, I think it was more of just fun thing to do.
   Where is my Hero is probably my other least favorite. It's very simple and I think it could have been more in-depth. Students really aren't taking too much information away from the project. 
3. What do best and worst mean to you?
   I think that best in this situation, means which projects students can go away from with more knowledge. Instead of just being able to recite off facts- which projects really helped the students learn and develop.
   Worst in this situation means, the ones that are very basic. No chance for higher learning is possible or at least not very probable. 

Analyze Webquests - Altitudinist

Google Forms

What's your favorite genre of music?

Review Web 2.0 Tools

1.   Choose a tool that could be used in the classroom. 
1. Schoology
2.   Describe the tool.
1. Schoology is a free web-based learning management system (LMS) built on a social network. Schoology leverages the familiarity of popular social media tools to improve communication and collaboration.
3.   What content area would you use the tool?
1. I would use Schoology to introduce technology into the classroom. You can create online quizzes, which may be a fun activity for the whole class to do, and you can participate in online discussions. You can also create an entire class online and have a virtual session.
4.   Briefly describe a lesson in which you would implement the tool.
1. I would create an online course and have everyone participate in the online course as if it were separate from the actual class. I think it would be fun to have students participate in a virtual course.
5.   What do you need to consider before using the tool in a classroom?
1. Privacy settings would be my biggest worry. I couldn't find too much information on if what you post can be marked as private or not. 

DEJ #11: Thinking Creatively

I completely agree with the fact that not everyone is cut out to be a teacher. Quality teaching is the transformation of content. Just because you are wonderful in a field of study, i.e. math, doesn't mean that you should teach it. Being able to teach someone something requires more than just being competent in that field. Also, the Plato quote really stood out to me. I hadn't really thought about it before, but it is so simple to just look up the information you need instead of memorizing it. I find myself doing it in certain areas of my own study. The challenge for a teacher would be to help the students remember the information they are teaching for the long term. Technology, I think, is both the cause and the solution in this case. On account of the information being so readily available via technology, students no longer have to memorize the information they are being taught. However, I think teachers can access technology and use it to their advantage to help students LEARN the material. Another good point that the video brought up is that technology is changing and expanding at such a rapid pace, it's hard to keep up. Teachers must keep up with the changing technology so that they can offer their students a broad education.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNoijjIrPT8

About Me! Scratch

Learn more about this project

DEJ #10: Sowing the Seeds for a more Creative Society

"For many students, the Web is primarily a place for browsing, clicking, and chatting. With Scratch, students shift from media consumers to media producers, creating their own interactive stories, games, and animations—then sharing their creations on the Web"

- I think it's fantastic that there are free programs such as Scratch that allow students to actually create their own multimedia. In my experience in middle school and high school the computer lab was only ever used for browsing! We'd research for papers or projects and that's about it. It was boring and usually I wouldn't learn that much. However, if we were able to create a project on the computer instead of just researching, I feel I would have gotten a lot more from it. So far, I've had a lot of fun with Scratch! It's so fun to look at all the projects and games that others have created; inspirational, too!

Resnick, M. (2007). Sowing the Seeds for a more Creative Society. In http://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/papers/Learning-Leading-final.pdf. Retrieved April 3, 2012

Exert From an article at  http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/3210-5-fun-internet-activities-for-the-classroom .

5 Fun Internet Activities for the Classroom

If you want to spice up your lessons and get your students motivated, using the internet is a great way to get started. There are many free sites that offer fun and games for students that teachers can use as educational tools. Some applications focus on reading and science, while other offer tools that you can apply to just about any subject. Don’t be intimidated- try using technology in your classroom.


Tenkely, K. (n.d.). 5 Fun Internet Activities for the Classroom. In http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/3210-5-fun-internet-activities-for-the-classroom. Retrieved April 3, 2012