Inquiry Based Learning Lessons

This week in class, we have created on our own Inquiry Based Learning Lesson.  This kind of lesson has multiple purposes.  A class can benefit from IBL lessons because students have to do their own research on a topic, and they must be able to utilize multiple informational platforms (website, book, et al) in order to complete the assignment.  These assignments can also contain collaborative aspects and critical thinking exercises.  So, overall, this activity can combine many, many ways of learning and assessment in a fun, effective way of learning.

The only problem I envision with this type of lesson deals with math teachers.  How can you use this lesson to teach multiple steps in mathematical objectives? There are ways one could do so; however, I believe the best way to utilize this lesson in mathematics is to garner interest in the topic.  That is what my fictional lesson did.  I did a lesson on Pythagoras and the theorem in his namesake.  I had the students research his life and Greece in the time period in which he lived.  I figured that if they saw how he worked and why he researched mathematics, they may be more interested in the subject.  Though that was my main objective, I also put a critical thinking question in the assignment in order to make the students combine prior knowledge with the material they were to be researching.

Overall, I believe this assignment could be very beneficial to students.  They may be able to learn quite a bit while researching and they could become interested in the topic.

WebQuests

During the last few class sessions, we have discussed WebQuests.  WebQuests are inquiry learning lessons that are utilized on the internet.  They are broken down into multiple components:  the introduction, the task, the process, resources, evaluation, the conclusion, and the teacher's page.  Each component has a page full of specific instructions and/or useful information on the topic.

We were able to go in and look at multiple WebQuests and compare them.  In our activity last Thursday and this past Tuesday, we looked at four high school humanities WebQuests.  Our group came up with reasons why we thought the best and the worst were just that.  The best, as chosen by our group, was the "World of Shakespeare" WebQuest, while the worst was the "Intolerance" WebQuest.

WebQuests are very useful in mathematics as well.  I envision using one to research a particular formula, such as the quadratic equation.  You could do something with researching its uses, who founded the notion, among other things.

I don't know if I would use WebQuests THAT often, but I can certainly keep them in the playbook.  You never know when they could be perfect for a class.

Website Evaluation

For our class this past Tuesday, we learned how to properly evaluate websites and gauge how useful they could be to educators.  I decided to see how useful BrainPop could be.

I had used BrainPop in a previous class and neither visit has disappointed.  The site is full of gadgets, videos, games, and much more.  Each of those things come with standards and lesson plans so teachers can easily access and utilize them.  Though the site is slower to load (due to the amount of interactivity), it is very easy to navigate and would certainly be able to snag and keep a class's attention from the get-go.

The process of evaluating sites was helpful as well.  I received loads of useful information detailing the aspects of a site that need to be examined, such as:  the author and his/her credentials, the purpose of the site, a site's accuracy, and how easy the site is to use.  All of which are vital in finding good resources to use in our classrooms.  The activity has certainly furthered my understanding of how beneficial websites can be to a classroom.

My Expectations for TPTE 486

I expect this class to give me a firm basis of utilizing the ever-growing aspect of technology in our schools. I expect to be able to use each tool efficiently and effectively.

Students often become bored with a monotonous lecture over the material.  Being able to utilize technology effectively can spice up the lectures! Adding videos and other clips may pique their interest in the class and keep them from falling into boredom.  Keeping up a classroom website may also interest them and will certainly keep the students informed of the happenings within the classroom.

All the types of technology that I believe we will learn about in this course will certainly make my class more livelier.  I hope to get the knowledge to perfect the use of the types.