Educational Value of Social Media

The use of social media in the classroom is definitely a controversial subject, to say the least. Though, admittedly, there are downfalls/dangers to social media, but when used correctly, these platforms can greatly enhance student learning. During this unit, your students will be completing a WebQuest and will demonstrate their knowledge using some type of technological tool. I have decided to incorporate the social media site Edmodo into our WebQuest. This will be used as a method of communication for not only students but parents as well. Edmodo offers students, parents, and educators a secure place to communicate about ideas, questions, assignments, etc. and links people from all over the globe. 

After experimenting with various social media platforms, I decided to use Edmodo due to its secure nature and its educational benefits. The benefits of using this type of tool in the classroom are endless: Students and parents alike have access to assignments at any time, making parent/child collaboration more convenient; parents and students are able to communicate with the teacher at any time to answer questions or share ideas; and it adds an element of novelty to the lesson, which increases student engagement (always the goal of any lesson!)  

For more information on the benefits of social media in the classroom, please read Using Social Media to Enhance Student Learning.

Welcome to Your WebQuest!

Hello students (and parents)! 

For our Rainforest unit, we will be conducting a WebQuest. A WebQuest is an activity that students complete using the site and resources provided, as well as exploring resources on their own and discovering new information. Please click here to visit your WebQuest!

You will become a naturalist and you will explore the Amazon Rainforest through videos, various websites, and other tools provided. Your goal is to research an animal of your choice and pretend you are introducing this animal to the world for the first time. You must come up with an interesting way to tell the world about your discovery, utilizing technology in some capacity.                            

Have fun, explorers!

Educational Value of Animoto

Animoto is a video-creating site that I think is a great tool for teachers as well as students to use.  I know many people who are significantly more engaged in a topic or lecture when there are visual aids, so the use of Animoto could spice up any lesson! In addition, students can use this web tool as a means to demonstrate their knowledge at the end of a unit, as is one option for students completing my Rainforest WebQuest. I created this Rainforest Animoto as a teaser for students to watch at the beginning of the WebQuest. It shows the viewer that you can use music, pictures, and text to create a cohesive short movie when using this tool. With proper instruction (which I don't think would take long), teachers and students could create engaging video presentations for an endless amount of topics.

Educational Value of Wordle

Wordle is an application that anyone can use to create a graphic representation of key terms. For example, Wordle could be used when students are reading non-fiction text, such as a history textbook or a science magazine article. Students could use Wordle as a means of demonstrating their understanding - the students could input what they believe to be the most important terms in the text, thus showing that they are grasping the main concepts.

I've created a Wordle based on my Amazon Rainforest WebQuest. My students will be focusing on an animal of their choice, so I chose words that were animal-related, as well as key terms having to do with the rainforest in general.

Graphic representations are great ways to convey information - a large body of text can seem overwhelming but if people can see a Wordle that illustrates the key terms in the text, it could act as a great focusing tool while reading. We can't underestimate the importance of graphics and illustrations for students, particularly those in the younger grades.