Digital Blog Post K Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Transforming Learning with New Technologies focuses on how to foster online learning with educational websites and apps. The chapter talks a lot about the different types of educational websites. There are a total of six types of educational websites for teachers and students to use for academic learning. The chapter touches on the topic of lesson plan websites, which are one of the most widely used types of educational websites. These websites offer teachers ideas for classroom lessons and lesson plans with step by step methods and procedures.These lesson plan websites also feature links to activities, additional resources, and curriculum extensions. Teachers can use these websites so that they can present their students with classroom activities or homework assignments online. Overall I feel that these websites play a huge role in having technology in the classroom. Technology plays a bigger role in the classroom everyday and lesson plan websites are a great way to get students more involved. Personally, I think that these sites would work with older students, middle school and up. It would be easier for students to see the step by step procedures and materials needed using these online lesson plans.Teachers can also access other teachers lesson plans and apply them in their own classroom. A great website for this is http://www.cpalms.org/Public/ were teachers can share their lesson plans with one another. Overall, i think that these types of lesson plans are a great tool.

The book also discusses student-to-expert communication websites which feature exchanges of ideas and information between students in K-12 schools and experts in colleges, businesses, and other organizations. Using these websites, students can ask experts in the field questions and then receive responses electronically. These websites also include e-tutoring activities for students and telementoring. Telementoring involoves opportunities for students to learn about career opportunities in different fields from the experts in those fields. Whereas e-tutoring focuses on help with homework and class projects. Student-to-expert websites are a great tool to present to students, because it will assist them in learning about different forms of studies that they can peruse. These websites are mostly for students but they are extremely helpful. The only fault would be that the experts might be a bit biased to their profession.

Though their are three other forms of educational websites the next I would like to explain is real-time and recorded data websites. These websites present information about different types of scientific phenomena. This can be used by K-12 students for inquiry based learning activities. Students can access and analyze the material presented on the website for their learning activities. These websites are like virtual field trips, in the sense that real-time and recorded data sites provide opportunities for students to enter a setting as an involved observer. They would be learning about science or other subjects as if they were physically present at the remote location. These websites are great for students to learn about different things while exploring them virtually. I must admit that I am a fan of the old fashioned field trip, but these websites are mostly for scientific phenomena. I dont quite know how I feel about these websites because I have never actually used them. I have, however, heard that these websites help students learn about the topic while being fun, and entertaining at the same  time.

 Citations:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.