Blog #4

The standard I have chosen is SC.K.E.5 which states is about Earth in Space and Time. This standard is directed towards Kindergarten students when they are learning about science. The standard states, "Humans continue to explore Earth's place in space. Gravity and energy influence the formation of galaxies, including our own Milky Way Galaxy, stars, the Solar System, and Earth. Humankind's need to explore continues to lead to the development of knowledge and understanding of our Solar System," (Cpalms, http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewIdea/Preview/486). One web-based resource my students could use to learn and comprehend this standard is http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/E28/E28.swf. This virtual lab will allow students to grasp how big the universe is as well as to travel to the different planets. This lab would be a visual tool for when I'm teaching them that space is big and that planets are not that close together. The virtual lab would fall under the classification tools category of simulations because it allows students to experience space through a virtual interaction.

In my school work in the past I would always use Google as a search engine when searching for and evaluating Internet-based resources. While Google is not necessarily a scholar approved way to do research I still used similar methods that were explained in the podcast. While I have now learned about credible ways to do research through the FSU library with databases such as JSTOR, I still would try to use key words and phrases to narrow down my search. My methods from high school and now in college are similar to open sources that were mentioned in the podcast. Open sources is software that is freely available to the public, sites like Google are available to anyone with Internet access and has features such as Google Scholar to help people find resources that are appropriate. Databases like JSTOR that are provided to students who attend and pay tuition to universities will have access and are able to search for articles and resources that can back up a point a student is trying to write about.

A new skill I acquired while working on the Web Hunt assignment is that using quotation marks and other symbols I can narrow down my search which will help me cut down the time it takes me to find a website, video or image that I am looking for. What surprised me was that one word can really make a difference in your search results.

Web Hunt challenge:

1. Find a website that gives a virtual tour of the layers of the Earth.

2. You are teaching your students about the planets and the order in which they follow the sun. Find a website that allows you to make a diagram with pictures.

3. Find a website that allows you to make a class page to keep your students' parents updated.