My contributions to the WebQuest wiki

My 3 Contributions include:

• I added an example called The Oprah Show Webquest to the Television shows page. The WebQuest is based on Oprah wanting to start a new series of shows called "America's Role in the World Community", in which students have to research six world events and present the information to Oprah for her to prepare for the new shows.
• I added an audience example to the Television shows page. I said students may act as executive producers of a television network and they can fill out evaluations for each presentation.
• On the Reality TV page I added another WebQuest example called Student Restaurant Rules. Students work in groups to complete a variety of tasks, which will be evaluated by the judges of a reality TV show.
  

Chapter 10: Going Beyond the Classroom

I think the idea of focusing on one extended learning experience outside the school is a great idea. This will break up the regular school-day routine, and may also provide some hands-on experiences and activities.

Students deserve a little time away from the regular school schedule. During my junior year of high school, we had a career week where we signed up to job shadow someone in a field we may be interested in going into. It was a great opportunity that many of us benefited from. My senior year we also had a volunteer week where we got to help out at local organization. I think these types of experiences, as well as subject specific activities, are great opportunities for students to participate in.

Chapter 9: When Things Go Wrong

In chapter nine, I enjoyed reading the suggestions the co-authors provided for when teachers feel discouraged. I think the best advice a teacher can get comes straight from their students.

This “jumped out” at me because the co-authors truly had some great advice for new teachers, such as Vance’s comment: “A kid can tell when a teacher knows what he’s doing, and believes in what he’s doing” (168). Teachers just need to be confident and can’t let students walk all over them. It is also good to know that students will probably test their teachers until they are no longer scared.

Chapter 8: Teaching Teenagers Who Are Still Learning English

I was surprised to see the many different actions students who are still learning English take when they do not understand something in class. Many of these are negative actions including: putting their heads down and sleeping, cutting class, feeling angry, fighting with other students, and running away.

I do not have much experience with students who are still learning English, but I could imagine it would be difficult for them to do well if they do not understand the language. I thought this list revealed how those students really feel when they don’t understand what is said in class. I thought this entire chapter was helpful and informative because I have not read very much on teaching to those who are still learning English.

Chapter 7: Teaching Difficult Academic Material

One point that “jumped out” at me in chapter seven was for teachers not to stick to textbooks, which I was very relieved to see the author mention. Finding other ways to teach the material can get students more involved and motivated.
Books are obviously a great resource, but in my opinion, sticking to the textbook will only bore students even more. I would much rather enjoy listening to teachers talk about their experiences relating to a certain subject than reading about it in a boring textbook. I think Vance said it best: “That’s when a person’s love for teaching comes out, when they get to talk about something they know” (127).

Chapter 6: Motivation and Boredom

I thought one great part of this chapter was under the “What Motivates Kids?” section. Some teachers lose sight of what motivates their students and they wonder why the students are not doing well in school.
Students are motivated by passionate teachers, issues they care about, connections to the real world, and choices on things that matter. It seems as though students today lack motivation, but maybe it is the teachers who are not providing the right motivation. It is great to know that teachers who are still passionate about the material and their students can actually be a form of motivation for students. Connections to the real world can increase student interest, and allowing students to have a choice on things that matter will get students more involved.

Chapter 5: Teaching the Individual, Working with the Group

The one topic I found interesting in chapter five was the idea of more open-ended questions. These types of questions may be a bit harder for students to answer, but it allows different opinions to be brought to the table.
The idea of open-ended questions “jumped out” at me because I can completely relate to the feeling of not wanting to answer a question that asks for only one right answer. I think students would be more likely to contribute in class if the questions were open-ended. Teachers should recognize why students chose to participate or not in answering questions. By sharing opinions, the teacher can go on to lead discussions and debates that could take the class in an entirely new direction.

Chapter 4: Creating a Culture of Success

After reading this chapter, I agreed with Vance’s opinion on students wanting to be “smart and talented, but at the same time blend in with everyone else” (71). Most students consider participating in class and raising their hand as taking a risk. Teachers should notice and support students taking these risks.
I thought this was a great point that I could relate to because I was never very comfortable raising my hand to answer a question until later on in high school. I appreciated it when teachers noticed me taking a risk by raising my hand during class, so I hope I will be able to do the same with my students. Hand raising may play a small part in classroom participation, but it is a huge effort put forth by students.

Chapter 3: Classroom Behavior

I thought one great point the author and student co-authors discussed in this chapter was that teachers should include the entire class in creating the classroom rules. I think the students bring up some good points for why it is beneficial for them to be part of the behavior expectations.
Including a class discussion on expectations for classroom behavior at the beginning of the year is important to mention because I have heard varying views on it. This step will involve the entire class in making agreed-upon expectations. It will allow students to add their own needs to the list, and also teachers can make it known that behavior and work habits are part of their grade.

Copyright and Fair Use LR

I was debating about number eleven, which states: “A teacher videotapes a rerun of Frontier House, the PBS reality show that profiles three modern families living as homesteaders from the 1880s did. In class, students edit themselves 'into' the frontier and make fun of the spoiled family from California. This is fair use.” The answer turned out to be true because video can be pulled into multimedia projects. I am a little confused on what is allowed and what is against the law when it comes to using video in the classroom because number fifteen says using video compilation as part of a lesson is not covered under fair use laws. I am using video clips for some of my hooks in my lesson plans, but I never would have guessed that the use of these clips may be illegal. I feel as though if a video is being used for educational purposes, then it should be allowed to be used. Since copyright and fair use laws are not that simple, I should probably read through them more closely before I continue planning lessons with video clips.

Copyright and Fair Use SR

After taking the quiz on copyright and fair use, I realized I do not know as much about these laws as I probably should. There were a few surprises when I looked at the correct answers, and the following are the answers I got wrong.
1. I thought the first question was false because you can not copy programs, but the law does allow archival copies, and in some cases, lost, stolen, or damaged originals to be replaced with copies. This is very helpful for schools to be able to copy lost, stolen, or damaged disks and probably saves them money too.
2. I got number two wrong because I thought it was a violation of the law. However, you are allowed to distribute software through a server as long as one copy is not being used simultaneously.
3. Number seven is actually true because the school site is protected. The school needs to monitor the Web hits on the site to make sure the outside world isn’t getting in.
4. I thought number twelve was false as well, but it turned out to be true. Manufacturers are instituting blocking technology, which is authorized under the law, so newer material blocks educators from their constitutional right to use materials for teaching. This is unfortunate because there are some great resources teachers could use, but it is becoming more difficult for them to do so.
5. Number thirteen is true because if you can use other people’s intellectual property without permission, then your own work can be used without permission.
6. This answer was very surprising to me. The correct answer turned out to be false because videos are not covered under fair use when they are used for entertainment or reward, which was described in the situation for the Back-to-School night.
7. I thought the answer for number sixteen would be false, but it is actually true. Teachers have the right to use materials that are technologically blocked, but it should be used to unlock content for students, and not for personal use.
8. I thought number twenty would be true only because I have seen it done so many times that I thought it would be legal. However, it is against the law to sell copies of work to recover the costs of reproduction.