Reflections on Using TeacherWeb

1. Describe at least 2 ways that the use of a class web site like TeacherWeb could be used to support your future teaching. Provide some specific details for each example.

Two very helpful things that I could see myself using TeacherWeb for are keeping all homework assignments and due dates in a single place, and allowing parents to access their students' grades online. In the Class Calendar section of the TeacherWeb site the I created, I came up with some example homework assignments that I might assign, and gave the day that they were due. This would be helpful for students who might not be as organized, and may need reminders for project due dates and the like. The Class Grades section of the site would allow parents and students alike to access their current grades and assignment scores using their student ID number. This would allow parents who are concerned about their student's progress to see exactly what their child is missing, and to help keep their child on track. Since the grades are already online, it would not require extra time or effort on the teacher or parent's part.


2. Identify 2 ways students could use a class web site like TeacherWeb to enhance their learning. Provide some details for each way identified.

For some students, it is very difficult for many students to find resources that are freely available to them that will help them with their studies. Doing a web search of "homework help" brings up a slew of results, only a few of which may be at all helpful. With the Web Resources page on the TeacherWeb site, teachers can direct students to websites that will help them with specific concepts in relation to the class. Also, if a student misses school for some amount of time or loses an important piece of paper, it is easy for them to check the Class Handouts section of the website and be caught up with the materials and information that were provided in class. Instead of having to wait and catch up all at once, a student that is absent or disorganized can easily keep up with the rest of the class without additional accommodation.

Blogs and Wikis in Education

One interesting thing that wikis are being used for in education is the long-term collaboration of students in different parts of the country on similar subject matter. One wiki hosts an ongoing joint project between students in New York state and Perth, Scotland. Students collaborate on reading material and share thoughts and notes with one another on their reading.

Another wiki uses a message board system to facilitate conversations between AP and IB students across the country. Some schools require their AP students to contribute to the wiki, but many others contribute out of curiosity for the subject matter, or to be able to better understand things they are confused about. This allows students to share new ways of thinking about topics in an informal, peer-to-peer setting, that for many is less intimidating and more familiar than the "lecture" format favored by many teachers.

Thirdly, some wikis support update widgets, that allow students and teachers to monitor the newest topics and changes made to the wiki from a mobile device. This can be a useful tool for teachers and administrators of wikis because it allows them to better monitor students' involvement, and to prevent unwanted activity.

RSS aggregators are a useful tool for classrooms, because it allows teachers to add reading to their personal websites as it accumulates, without having to seek things out specifically. Students can be directed to a single page to peruse informative articles rather than to several disparate sites, which can cut down on time and frustration for both students and educators. Also, if teachers have information they they are putting online, they can distribute it to their students via the students' own individual RSS feeds, so assignments and due dates can be instantly accessible.

Two pros of using wikis and blogs in education:
-The high accessibility for many students and teachers, and the direct involvement in the curriculum and discussion that this affords.
-Highly varied information sources readily available through links and feeds.

Two cons of using wikis and blogs in education:
-Not all students have access to a computer, and with public libraries and other institutions that would have computers freely available cutting back on hours due to funding, it may be difficult or nearly impossible for some students to access web content.
-Many people take the internet less seriously than they would things in the real world, and the anonymity that the web affords them is in some ways an open invitation to vandalize and destroy work that others have done.

Multiple Intelligences Assessment

The Intelligence Aspect that I scored the highest in was the "Musical" (also referred to as "Rhythmic") intelligence. To me, this assessment makes a lot of sense: my grandmother was a piano prodigy when she was younger, and composed a sizable body of work during her lifetime; both of my parents play instruments, and actually met when they were in a rock band together; and my mother recently made the comment to me that if she ever wanted me to learn something as a child, all she had to do was sing it to me. At the time, she brought up a song that she had taught me in kindergarten to remember my address. I promptly sang the exact song back to her (although I learned it when I was 5 - that's 18 years ago, now!), much to her surprise.

I have a strong habit of playing with words, especially those that form an interesting cadence, and very often compose new lyrics to songs both for fun and to teach myself or others something. These are all common characteristics of Musically Intelligent people, along with easily dancing to a rhythm, playing an instrument, and being distracted my music or ambient noise, all of which describe me very well.

Some technologies I would love to play with that would be helpful to these learning types are music editing programs, so students can see the sound waves of songs that they enjoy and see how it relates to mathematics. I would also love to have students play around with a simple music creation programs on the computer, so they could see how pitch and tone change the feeling of a piece. I also believe that having students write their own songs or lyrics will help them to remember the material they cover better. If the entire class created songs on a particular subject it would be nice to make a CD of all the students work at the end of the project.

In order to accommodate these types of students, I find it very important to keep the classroom at an appropriate level of noise (i.e. if I am talking, no one else should be talking; if people are working together there should be only a medium amount of talking); I like to create rhyming or sung mnemonics so students can remember tricky facts; I will try to integrate art and music into my classroom; and I will seek to find new ways for students to make connections between my subject and the subjects they find in

I believe that being aware of all different types of intelligences will allow students to better use their minds and memories, leading to new types of understanding. If the format of the classroom is widely varied, every student can develop their own method of learning that plays to their particular strengths.