Search Engines
Learning to use search engines can enable students to find the best information for their educational needs. Luckily, schools have filters to eliminate students coming in contact with unwanted topics or information, but learning to use search engines effectively can make the research task effortless. By using search engines correctly, students have a wide range of detailed information at their fingertips. They can search for specific topics all in the same place without having to go through numerous resources such as textbooks or articles. Google is my go to search engine, what is yours?
Website Evaluation
This video about website evaluation could be a great resource in my classroom because it is simple and to the point. I think that students could easily remember the acronym, R.E.A.L., that is presented in the video. It gives students a quick reference for what to look for when they are evaluating the integrity of different websites.
Favorite Website #1
One of my most recent favorite websites is Smart Exchange. A teacher that I worked with recently told me about this site and how she uses it daily in her classroom. There are numerous lessons for the Smart Board, but my favorite thing she used it for was attendance. I have navigated through the site several times since, and I love all of the options for the Smart Board that they provide. The website has good structure and organization with their main categories and then sub categories from there. You can search and narrow to fit your needs quite efficiently.
Favorite Website #2
I like Mrs. Koopman's 5th Grade Wiki. It is a classroom wiki that promotes care, contribution, collaboration, celebration, and cooperation. There is a good description of what a wiki is and why to use it. I think that this wiki is easy to navigate, and it has good structure and organization.
I am eager to learn more about wikis and how to use them in the classroom!
