WebQuest Reflection

In my Instructional Technology class we are learning about WebQuests and their use in the classroom. A WebQuest is a constructive activity in which students gather information from web resources to solve a problem. It is not just the gathering of information from sites, but the synthesizing of this information. I can see how I will be able to use them in my own classroom. I can set one up any time I am covering a topic with obvious real-world applications. I can present a problem and ask the students to figure out how to resolve the issue using mathematical concepts they gather from the web. The benefits of a WebQuest in a math classroom are numerous. The most significant of the benefits is that it can enable the students to see the applications of math. Too often students' complaints are revolving around a version of the statement, "when will we ever use this?" A WebQuest allows them to answer that question. Also, a WebQuest would provide a change of pace from the typical lecture format of a math class. The students will be able to tackle a problem in a fun and creative manner rather than the pencil and paper, stuck behind a desk method. However, teachers must use WebQuests with discretion. They can be lengthy, taking up time where time is not allotted. Unfortunately, many teachers have a time crunch they have to teach within due to the stress put on standardized testing, and WebQuests, if not used efficiently, can eat up this time. Also, the use of computers may tempt students to get distracted with other pages on the web, so WebQuests require close monitoring by the teacher. Overall, I am glad I am being exposed to WebQuests. I never did one in high school, and I think that I would have appreciated it as a student. Since I can also see the benefits of using one in class from a teacher's perspective, I will keep WebQuests as an option for use in my classroom.

Types of Software

Networked Students Video

First Podcast

Here is my first attempt at a podcast.... Cut me some slack.

Use of Technology in Education

It is overwhelmingly evident that technology is permeating the world of education, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. I've discovered that all educators with an old-fashioned approach toward technology in education need to jump on the bandwagon and stop the resistance. The age of technology is here. Embrace it. After all, here I am, a junior college student, blogging for a class. I am required to learn the ins and outs of this site and post my thoughts on topics related to class. Forget pencil and paper! The Internet has been discovered by educators to be a quick and efficient way to share information.
By the way, this isn't just any class, but an instructional technology class that is required in order for me to obtain my desired teaching license. Not only is it expected that I learn how to use technological tools, but it is expected (no longer hoped) that I take this newly acquired knowledge into my future classroom. I have begun to realize that the realm of high school I left a little over two years ago is going to be a whole new technological jungle when I return. I've decided that I have to be prepared. I may not be a fan of the over-use of technology in schools, but I know that in order to make it in this jungle, I need to have technological survival skills. I need to discover what will keep me alive and what will actually work to my benefit. So here I am, throwing off past apprehension and looking the looming beast ahead of me straight in the eye, saying, "Bring it on."