Monday, March 23, 2009

Web-Based Educational Resources!

It is very important to use technology in our nowadays classrooms, and the fact of using web page educational resources facilitates the learners' and educators' job of learning and instructing. The choice of resources, however, should be selected carefully in order to ensure the effectiveness of the learning process of our kids. In other words, it is very important to take into considration all the needs of students while designing an educational software. While accessing a web-based educational resource, students should be able to easily find whatever information are looking for and that might be helpful to their studies.
For example, the WebQuest was a very good web-page educational resource which was organized in a certain way that help students have access tot he different activities. Also, the Starfall web page is another example of creativity in helping students to read.

Creating a Web Page!

I think that creating a Web Page can be a lot easier than creating the WebQuest. Using "Scholastic WebPage Builder" facilitates the work as it offers a Web Page Builder through its teacher site. It also offers a number of Web-based services that guide users through the process of entering text, adding links to other Web sites, and even uploading pictures. 'These tools also help teachers to post homework assignments, publish announcements, post calendars of importand dates, and highlights of classroom activities'. In other words, Scholastic Web Page makes the work even more attractive and easier to proceed. It is really a good guide to do the work step by step!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Inspiration/kidspiration

Inspiration/kidspiration sites were really enjoyable!. On the one hand, Inspiration as a new technique of instruction is useful for both educators and students as well. In this respect, students use inspiration to plan and organize, research and evaluate, comprehend and communicate. It is a means to inspire students to study and learn successfully. It is the leader in visual learning and thinking. It is also used by educators to customize instruction, achieve standards, assess students'work and energize learning. In other words, it makes starting assignments quick and easy.
On the other hand, kidspiration plays te role of the visual way to explore and understand words, numbers and concepts. It is mainly created for elementary school kids (K-5). It develops thinking, literacy and numeracy skills using proven visual learning principles. In reading and writing, kids strengthen word recognition, vocabulary, comprehension and written expression. In addition, kidspiration helps students develop strong thinkig skills, strengthen writing and reading skills, and build conceptual understanding in math.
Personally, I think that this new technology is really a big accomplishment meant to help students and teachers to make it easier.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Blogging/EdBloggers!

Blogging is really highly recommended to be as much knowlegeble as one could for it is a global means to learn. It is kind of face to face meeting that allows people to associate with each other and build friendship, socialize and have conversations, dialogues and have the ability to discuss with a lot of people all over the world. In this respect, the Edublogger Network, for example is the right place for educators and all others to blog and read about others' blogs. Participants from all over the world can meet, share photos, videos, etc. For instance, if one has a workshop or a topic he/she wants to discuss or an enent that is upcoming and wants people to talk about it and motivate participants, he/she just needs to create an Edblogger world calender and add events to the calender and he/she will have global participants . Also, new comers can find their way around one place where one places his/her blog.
Blogging is a technology that can bring all people together in one place, connect students to each other, improve classrooms and make them more effective.

"Make a difference in someone else's life" Movie!

Did you find that movie the way I found it myself! Did it affect you the way it affected me?Isn't that something?. It was really exciting and it must be more exciting to Mrs Thomson as she has experienced it herself!
What could be more exciting in one's life than making a difference in somebody else's life?. At the beginning when I was watching the movie, I had the same attitude towards Teddy as Mrs Thomson. But, as I discovered the true story of Teddy and what lays behind his indifference at the beginning, I become more sympathetic and I understood his situation very well.
What was more exciting is that the relationship between Teddy and his teacher; Mrs Thomson went beyond the classroom environment, it becomes a mother-son relationship! It was also a kind of an awareness and awakening to Mrs. Thomson as she realized that she doesn't know how to teach until she met Teddy!!. This means that learning doesn't only mean that students can learn from their teachers, but teachers can learn from their students as well.
To be a teacher like Mrs Thomson makes you a special teacher and unforgettable by your students, so think of making a difference in your students' life:-)