I looked at freerice.com. We actually have used this website in another class and it was really fun and interesting. The pros are that it definitely engages students in the vocabulary through making it a competition. It also allows you to change subjects and you can quiz on art, chemistry, english, geography, LA, and math. I also like how it works as a charity and its free to the user. A con is that it is limited to just the vocabulary competition. Overall, I think this would be a great classroom tool.
Advantages: Offers a wide range of ideas and support for elementary school teachers Gives them personal stories/tips from real teachers (teacher's blogs) Provides links to other resources for more information FREE! :) Shows most popular links, kind of like a FAQ section "Chat" section where you can talk to real teachers
Disadvantages: A lot of information all at once Not well organized Lots of ads on the side of the screen-might not be especially helpful
I chose to look at Diggo. Advantages: Diggo allows you to create bookmarks, highlight, and add sticky notes from various websites in order to organize research. The bookmarks that you set are easily accessible from any computer. These bookmarks can also be published and shared with others. It is a great collaborative tool for students and teachers. disadvantages: It requires you to join and provide an email account. Some students might not have access to an email account. Also, setting up the account can be a bit overwhelming because you have to install a toolbar. This could be too complicated for younger students. - nadia khosrowdad
KidsClick! Advantages: broken into categories based on subject matter to make searching more relevant, Good for upper elementary, Created by librarians so includes good resources for quality searching
Disadvantages: guides to good but doesn’t block bad sites, Many pop-up ads, Reading level above many lower elementary levels
Ask for Kids Advantages: can narrow search by subject, Images and videos available, Free, Many ways to search (video, images, weather, etc)
Disadvantages: very cartoon-y, Draw and sticker feature: is fun, but distracting and not very educational
Clusty Advantages: groups search results in clusters to make it less overwhelming
Disadvantages: no real filters on search
Complete Planet Advantages: can search by category/topic,Tried to block inappropriate sites, Searches databases, Searchable sites are listed in many locations so you don’t miss anything
Disadvantages: sometimes encounter “false positives” in your search result
Advantages: connects students with other students as well as the teacher; can be used from any web browser; it’s a fun and interactive tool that can be used for various in-class projects and assignments – it’s versatile and appeals to a wide-range of students
Disadvantages: have to sign up/create an account to use it; could be distracting for students because it involves instant messaging – teacher will have to constantly be monitoring and on the lookout for off-topic conversations; may not be useful for students younger than 3rd grade because of the amount of technology utilized
Google Calendar: Looked Great! Very Effective advantages: inform parents of meetings, class dates, projects dues, other imp. dates, send reminders on the day or before the event, can be adjusted at all times
disadvantages: anyone that you allow can change something on the calendar so you just want to be sure those you invite are responsible and will not us the tool as a toy
Ask for Kids: Very appealing
advantages: this toold is set up very simply for studnets its not too many buttons or other complications, the back ground is festive and youthful which is appealing, school house tools, movies, games. very child centered. the site also offers other search options, and a tutoring school help component
disadvantages: the site does not block material so studnets are still able to search whatever they please.
Adavantages: Interesting processes described Covers a lot of information Useful for educational purposes - may aid in instruction (ex: "How the Respiratory System works")
Disadvantages: May be inappropriate for younger students (Ex: "What the brain looks like during an orgasm") Hard to navigate unless you're looking for something specific and can search
I looked at the K-5 lesson plans at school.discoveryeducation.com.
Advantages: Provides resources and suggested lesson plans for many content areas that apply to Virginia SOL’s (Ancient Egypt, Math, Geography, and many others.) Provides links to many useful resources within the lesson plans. Provides audio clips for difficult words, for ELL’s and struggling readers.
Disadvantages: Many lessons mention worksheets and similar documents that don’t seem to be available online. Teachers could be tempted to simply copy and paste the plan, not paying attention to what they need to be doing during the lesson, nor modifying it for their particular students.
I looked at BUBL- a search engine that focused on finding academic sites by subject.
Advantages- this site was very well organized. When you looked up a subject, the headlines of the results of your search would be on the left hand side and links and a description of the site would be on your right. It seemed like a good tool to use if you wanted to quickly find some academic resources that your students could use for webquests or other research.
Disadvantages- There is no way to search by grade-level appropriateness so you may end up finding sites that are at too high of a reading level for elementary students.
We had explored FreeRice.com in our Language Bloc class this semester. I really like this site and think it's a great teaching tool. Not only does it test students' vocabulary in a variety of subjects, but it allows students to participate in a charity as well. However, it is limited to only vocabulary testing. It might be more beneficial to all students if it tested a wide range of subjects. The vocabulary is also quite challenging; this certainly wouldn't be appropriate for younger students!
I chose to look at the Electronic Field Trips site. One cool thing about this site is that it allows you to view all of the different "field trips" in a way that best fits your need. For example, you can view the information by subject, big idea, or by the teacher who created each field trip. One obvious advantage to this website is that although field trips are fun, they are not often incorporated due to time/money constraints, and this website allows students to enjoy a change of pace without ever leaving the school. There is a lot of information on this website with many links, which I think can be both a positive and negative aspect; although a lot of time and thought has been put into these lessons, it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate around the site. Teachers (especially of younger students) would likely need to closely assist students in order for students to explore the site in a time efficient manner. This website actually reminded me quite a bit of several WebQuests put together; one disadvantage in using this is that you, as the teacher, cannot be in control of the links. Because of this, some of the links could easily be broken/non-functioning (as I experienced). Overall, though, I think this is a good resource to remember. With careful planning, it could definitely enrich a lesson.
I decided to look at Flickr, because I have used that site a lot this semester and so I know first hand the advantages and disadvantages. I used Flickr whenever I needed images for any project, especially after that fair use video because it is easy to give credit to the photographer as each person who submits images has a profile and account. The only negative thing about that is that some do not include their real names so all your left with is a user name like "beachlady61" or something like that. Also, all the images I've seen are photographs so there aren't really any "clip art" like images or animated images that would be useful in a classroom. But I think overall it is a good resource because there's a wide variety of images and credit is easy to give where credit is due.
I looked at the Cybersleuth Kids search engine and I thought it was a great tool for elementary school student. This website provides a safe place online for students to search for information that has been narrowed down to be more appropriate for children. Cybersleuth kids can help keep students safe on the internet in the classroom. There are many great websites linked under each subject area that helps sort the information in an accessible way for the students. I didn't see too many disadvantages with this site but one problem with it is that some material is more geared toward high school students. Overall I think this is a useful search engine for an elementary classroom. Sarah Will
I looked at the Google Posters site. I'm familiar with a lot of Google's tools already, but I hadn't heard of this resource so I thought I should check it out. After browsing through it, I think that it provides some good resources for classroom use.
Advantages: Even I learned new tricks for searching! The posters have the clean, straightforward layout that Google is known for, and they explain the search concepts in ways that students can relate to. For instance, the poster Google Search Tips for Kids is based on searches related to a new puppy - something most kids can get excited about.
Disadvantages: The posters provide tools, but it's still up to the teacher to teach students how to use them effectively.
Given the growing role internet research plays in our personal and professional lives, it is important that students know how to create effective searches. The Google posters, combined with regular practice and classroom instruction, should help students learn to do this.
I looked at proteacher and I found that the advantages were that the site broke up each subject well, however you have to search a bit to find what you are looking for. It is a great website if you have time to search for specific things. It is extremely helpful when it came to lesson plans because it helps you organize your thoughts. It was also great because it pertained to what I wanted to do and focus on.
I looked at freerice.com. We actually have used this website in another class and it was really fun and interesting. The pros are that it definitely engages students in the vocabulary through making it a competition. It also allows you to change subjects and you can quiz on art, chemistry, english, geography, LA, and math. I also like how it works as a charity and its free to the user. A con is that it is limited to just the vocabulary competition. Overall, I think this would be a great classroom tool.
ReplyDeleteI looked at the proteacher directory.
ReplyDeleteAdvantages:
Offers a wide range of ideas and support for elementary school teachers
Gives them personal stories/tips from real teachers (teacher's blogs)
Provides links to other resources for more information
FREE! :)
Shows most popular links, kind of like a FAQ section
"Chat" section where you can talk to real teachers
Disadvantages:
A lot of information all at once
Not well organized
Lots of ads on the side of the screen-might not be especially helpful
Katie Gurecki
I chose to look at Diggo.
ReplyDeleteAdvantages: Diggo allows you to create bookmarks, highlight, and add sticky notes from various websites in order to organize research. The bookmarks that you set are easily accessible from any computer. These bookmarks can also be published and shared with others. It is a great collaborative tool for students and teachers.
disadvantages: It requires you to join and provide an email account. Some students might not have access to an email account. Also, setting up the account can be a bit overwhelming because you have to install a toolbar. This could be too complicated for younger students.
- nadia khosrowdad
KidsClick!
ReplyDeleteAdvantages: broken into categories based on subject matter to make searching more relevant, Good for upper elementary, Created by librarians so includes good resources for quality searching
Disadvantages: guides to good but doesn’t block bad sites, Many pop-up ads, Reading level above many lower elementary levels
Ask for Kids
Advantages: can narrow search by subject, Images and videos available, Free, Many ways to search (video, images, weather, etc)
Disadvantages: very cartoon-y, Draw and sticker feature: is fun, but distracting and not very educational
Clusty
Advantages: groups search results in clusters to make it less overwhelming
Disadvantages: no real filters on search
Complete Planet
Advantages: can search by category/topic,Tried to block inappropriate sites, Searches databases, Searchable sites are listed in many locations so you don’t miss anything
Disadvantages: sometimes encounter “false positives” in your search result
I picked Thinkature to explore.
ReplyDeleteAdvantages: connects students with other students as well as the teacher; can be used from any web browser; it’s a fun and interactive tool that can be used for various in-class projects and assignments – it’s versatile and appeals to a wide-range of students
Disadvantages: have to sign up/create an account to use it; could be distracting for students because it involves instant messaging – teacher will have to constantly be monitoring and on the lookout for off-topic conversations; may not be useful for students younger than 3rd grade because of the amount of technology utilized
-Laura Keith-
Google Calendar: Looked Great! Very Effective
ReplyDeleteadvantages: inform parents of meetings, class dates, projects dues, other imp. dates, send reminders on the day or before the event, can be adjusted at all times
disadvantages: anyone that you allow can change something on the calendar so you just want to be sure those you invite are responsible and will not us the tool as a toy
Ask for Kids: Very appealing
advantages: this toold is set up very simply for studnets its not too many buttons or other complications, the back ground is festive and youthful which is appealing, school house tools, movies, games. very child centered. the site also offers other search options, and a tutoring school help component
disadvantages: the site does not block material so studnets are still able to search whatever they please.
KidsClick!
ReplyDeleteAdvantages: Kid friendly...can filter out "bad stuff"
Disadvantage: Kind of hard for younger students to navigate through...would have to be technologically inclined to search through it.
Howstuffworks.com
ReplyDeleteAdavantages:
Interesting processes described
Covers a lot of information
Useful for educational purposes - may aid in instruction (ex: "How the Respiratory System works")
Disadvantages:
May be inappropriate for younger students (Ex: "What the brain looks like during an orgasm")
Hard to navigate unless you're looking for something specific and can search
I looked at the K-5 lesson plans at school.discoveryeducation.com.
ReplyDeleteAdvantages:
Provides resources and suggested lesson plans for many content areas that apply to Virginia SOL’s (Ancient Egypt, Math, Geography, and many others.)
Provides links to many useful resources within the lesson plans.
Provides audio clips for difficult words, for ELL’s and struggling readers.
Disadvantages:
Many lessons mention worksheets and similar documents that don’t seem to be available online.
Teachers could be tempted to simply copy and paste the plan, not paying attention to what they need to be doing during the lesson, nor modifying it for their particular students.
I looked at BUBL- a search engine that focused on finding academic sites by subject.
ReplyDeleteAdvantages- this site was very well organized. When you looked up a subject, the headlines of the results of your search would be on the left hand side and links and a description of the site would be on your right. It seemed like a good tool to use if you wanted to quickly find some academic resources that your students could use for webquests or other research.
Disadvantages- There is no way to search by grade-level appropriateness so you may end up finding sites that are at too high of a reading level for elementary students.
We had explored FreeRice.com in our Language Bloc class this semester. I really like this site and think it's a great teaching tool. Not only does it test students' vocabulary in a variety of subjects, but it allows students to participate in a charity as well. However, it is limited to only vocabulary testing. It might be more beneficial to all students if it tested a wide range of subjects. The vocabulary is also quite challenging; this certainly wouldn't be appropriate for younger students!
ReplyDeleteI chose to look at the Electronic Field Trips site. One cool thing about this site is that it allows you to view all of the different "field trips" in a way that best fits your need. For example, you can view the information by subject, big idea, or by the teacher who created each field trip. One obvious advantage to this website is that although field trips are fun, they are not often incorporated due to time/money constraints, and this website allows students to enjoy a change of pace without ever leaving the school. There is a lot of information on this website with many links, which I think can be both a positive and negative aspect; although a lot of time and thought has been put into these lessons, it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate around the site. Teachers (especially of younger students) would likely need to closely assist students in order for students to explore the site in a time efficient manner. This website actually reminded me quite a bit of several WebQuests put together; one disadvantage in using this is that you, as the teacher, cannot be in control of the links. Because of this, some of the links could easily be broken/non-functioning (as I experienced). Overall, though, I think this is a good resource to remember. With careful planning, it could definitely enrich a lesson.
ReplyDeleteI decided to look at Flickr, because I have used that site a lot this semester and so I know first hand the advantages and disadvantages. I used Flickr whenever I needed images for any project, especially after that fair use video because it is easy to give credit to the photographer as each person who submits images has a profile and account. The only negative thing about that is that some do not include their real names so all your left with is a user name like "beachlady61" or something like that. Also, all the images I've seen are photographs so there aren't really any "clip art" like images or animated images that would be useful in a classroom. But I think overall it is a good resource because there's a wide variety of images and credit is easy to give where credit is due.
ReplyDeleteAmy Hannon
I looked at the Cybersleuth Kids search engine and I thought it was a great tool for elementary school student. This website provides a safe place online for students to search for information that has been narrowed down to be more appropriate for children. Cybersleuth kids can help keep students safe on the internet in the classroom. There are many great websites linked under each subject area that helps sort the information in an accessible way for the students. I didn't see too many disadvantages with this site but one problem with it is that some material is more geared toward high school students. Overall I think this is a useful search engine for an elementary classroom.
ReplyDeleteSarah Will
I looked at the Google Posters site. I'm familiar with a lot of Google's tools already, but I hadn't heard of this resource so I thought I should check it out. After browsing through it, I think that it provides some good resources for classroom use.
ReplyDeleteAdvantages: Even I learned new tricks for searching! The posters have the clean, straightforward layout that Google is known for, and they explain the search concepts in ways that students can relate to. For instance, the poster Google Search Tips for Kids is based on searches related to a new puppy - something most kids can get excited about.
Disadvantages: The posters provide tools, but it's still up to the teacher to teach students how to use them effectively.
Given the growing role internet research plays in our personal and professional lives, it is important that students know how to create effective searches. The Google posters, combined with regular practice and classroom instruction, should help students learn to do this.
I looked at proteacher and I found that the advantages were that the site broke up each subject well, however you have to search a bit to find what you are looking for. It is a great website if you have time to search for specific things. It is extremely helpful when it came to lesson plans because it helps you organize your thoughts. It was also great because it pertained to what I wanted to do and focus on.
ReplyDelete