Digital Blog Post #K

In Chapter 6 which focuses on Fostering Online Learning with Educational Websites and Apps I found numerous amount of information that help students. For instance Web quests, Virtual Field Trips, and all the types of Educational Websites help the classroom and the learning for the students as well as teachers. Students are not the only ones that are absorbing information and learning, teachers can learn from the students too. However with Web quests the students are not only learning but they are discovering information on their own with minimal guidance. Web quests online inquiries that focus on students gathering information by going on an online adventure. Students will move from website to website in order to gather the information that they need. This meaning, the Web quests are strictly made and are set up to guide the students. Just because the Web quests guide the students does not mean that the teacher holds their hand throughout the entire process, the students will get instructions and given directions step by step on what they should be doing.  Web quests are not only fun but educational. This activity can be any length and regardless, if done right, will interest students. I feel as if teachers do not have their students do critical thinking activities, which is a wonderful skill to have and to practice. Web quests encourages students to critically think because they are discovering information on their own and every Web quests has a situation or problem. Although Web quests are generated with technology and the internet, they give students endless information. All in all, Web quests are a wonderful learning activity for students to expand their critical thinking skills and to encourage interaction.

Web quests are an amazing online activity for students however so are virtual field trips. Before I read this chapter I have only heard briefly about virtual field trips but after reading about them I was shocked on how widely they are used. According to the textbook, on March 29, 2012 more than one million students from across the U.S. took a virtual field trip to Ellis Island which is located in New York City. The website that offered this virtual field trip was Scholastic.com. Virtual Field Trips take the students on an online field trip or adventure without leaving the classroom. Due to this, students can expand their world wide views. There are a bunch of different approaches that come with Virtual Field Trips such as, students can watch independently on their own computer or the teach can project the field trip on the over head projector so all the students can see at the same time. After students watch the Virtual Field Trip there are a bunch of different assignments or discussions the teacher an incorporate. As said previously, students get a world wide view so the teacher and students can have discussions on the the different cultures and on all the different things they have seen. Google Earth is another website that offers a huge collection of different tours. Students can go to museums, libraries, skyscrapers, castles and many other historic sites that really help students expand their knowledge. Now a days it is hard to take the students on these amazing field trips due to budgets and I think that it is amazing that teachers and students have this opportunity. A bunch of students are visual learners and I believe that with the students experiencing these field trips they will gain great knowledge. Also, I think it is a wonderful learning experience for students to understand the cultural differences from around the world and how different countries are different from the United States. In conclusion, there are a bunch of learning opportunities for students with Virtual Field Trips.

Although Web quests and Virtual Field Trips are educational, there are plenty of educational websites to help teachers and students. There are around five different categories for educational websites. There are lesson plan websites which are generally for teachers, these websites help teachers with ideas for classroom lessons and lesson plans. These websites tend to give step-by-step instruction and procedures. The majority of the lesson plan websites will provide links for resources and activities. I think this is a wonderful tool for teachers to have access too because teachers can get different ideas and different perspectives to make their lessons interesting and informative. Another category is student-to expert communication websites. With these websites, students/teachers can formulate questions or ideas to adult experts in college, business, and other organizations. The students/teacher will receive replies electronically. These sites will also allow tutoring and opportunities for students to learn about careers. Before this chapter, I have never heard about these websites however I think they are an amazing tool for teachers and students to have because they give students a different perspective and also give students real world critical thinking skills. I also think that it is amazing for experts to reply and help students/teachers out as much as they can. Real-time and Recorded Data Websites are similar to virtual field trips in some aspects. With these type of websites students are provided information about different types of scientific phenomena. Students need to analyze the material on an inquiry based learning activities. Before this chapter as well, I was unaware of these websites however I believe that they build on students critical thinking skills. As previously stated, critical thinking skills is a wonderful skill to have and to expand on and with these type of activities the students get the ability to work on their critical thinking skills. Archival and Primary Source Websites are websites that allow students to conduct historical investigations by accessing materials from museums, libraries, and other organizations. I think that these type of websites are wonderful for a history class or social science class however I think that it is great to have students investigate and think on their own rather than the teacher telling them the answer. Skills Practice Websites are websites that offer subject-specific actives for students in all grade levels. These websites help students practice and expand on their learning on that subject. This would be a great website or activity for students to do on their own time or for review. Exploration and Discovery Websites are websites that provide opportunities for students to engage in online explorations on the topics that the are more interested in. I think these are wonderful websites because it expands on the students knowledge especially if they want to know more. All in all, there are so many websites and opportunities for teachers and students to engage in their learning.


Resources:
Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc