Reflecting on Researching

This week, I explored the world of researching the web. I looked at various websites from the Educational Support Tools found in the textbook, Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom, as well as from state and county education sites. This blog describes my evaluation of my research and my researching process.


The first websites I looked at were from the Educational Support Tools. I thought the EduHound website did not have as wide enough variety of categories to choose from. The “teacher resources” category will be useful for me in the future for getting ideas, finding lessons, and creating worksheets. I would not have my students use this website because I found the many links to be distracting. For example, I was trying to look up information about travel and came across a website where you could type in a name, and it would give you the Hawaiian version of that name. I tried about ten names before I realized I was wasting my time. I would not want my students to waste class time like that! Great Web Sites for Kids had some useful links to websites that my students could use. Some websites had encyclopedia type information, while others were more interactive with activities, videos, and step by step guides for things like putting together a science fair project. EmTech was a very interesting website. When I clicked on a category, I did not get the results I expected. For example, when I clicked on “museums,” instead of getting information about museums, I was given a list of names of museums. I think I would need to further evaluate when this type of website could be useful before I start using it.

I also researched state, county, and university websites. I was already very familiar with the FL Department of Education website. I check it for current updates which are always displayed on the home screen, and I have used it to gain information about certification and school grades. I also looked at the IL Department of Education website for caparison. It was very similar with current information and easy to navigate tabs for students, parents, and employees. Similarly, the Seminole County Public Schools website also has these tabs. I think all these websites are extremely useful for teachers and parents to look up information, such as teacher contracts and school information, but I think the websites at the county level have more to offer for elementary students, such as links to FCAT Explorer and activities on Blackboard. I also looked at the University of Central Florida website and found great resources when I typed in a topic in the search bar. However, the search engine used was Google, so I think I could have easily obtained the same useful math resources and videos of students making bar graphs with marshmallows if I had just typed in the same search directly into Google.

My evaluation of this activity is that it was a useful exercise, and I did learn from it. The first thing I learned is that there are many web based resources for teachers to use for themselves and with their students. Some of these resources are better than others, so it is important to evaluate the websites worth for your specific purpose. Another positive result of this activity was that I realized how limited my searching capacities have been in the past. When I want to know something about a topic, find a lesson plan, find a PowerPoint, or find another resource I can use in my classroom, I always just search for it in Google or Blackboard, and each time I find what I am looking for. However, I learned from this activity that there are different resources to go to that may bring you directly to what you want faster than Google will. Instead of searching through dozens of pages, I may only have to look through 2 or 3 if I use the correct source to begin my research. The third thing I discovered are strengths and weaknesses I have as a learner. My strengths are definitely persistency and determination. I will find what I am looking for online to make my lessons more effective for my students no matter how long it takes. I never want to settle for any lessons that I know could have been better. I am also already familiar with many websites I can use with my students. On the other hand, my weaknesses include not utilizing all my resources and an unwillingness to modify my research techniques. I know that if I were using resources such as those in the Educational Support Tools, I would probably be easily finding what I want, but since I am not very familiar with them, I don’t use them. While I was looking at these sites for this activity, I constantly found myself thinking, “this is pointless… why wouldn’t I just type what I want into Google?” I have to make sure I do not reject useful resources just because they are not yet easy for me to use. If I keep using them, they will eventually become easy. This is a lesson I remind my students of all the time, but sometimes I forget to remind myself. I think that with additional practice and application of searching the web, I will become even more skilled and will be able teach my students effective search techniques as well.


Resources

Gunter, G. A., Gunter, R. E., & Shelly, G.B. (2010). Integrating technology and digital media in the classroom (6th ed.). United States: Course Technology, Cengage Learning.

All websites mentioned are hyperlinked and are as follows:

Educational Support Tools-http://www.scsite.com/tdc4/index.cfm?action=searchtools&chapter=2

EduHound- http://www.eduhound.com/

Great Web Sites for Kids- http://www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/default.cfm

EmTech- http://www.emtech.net/

FLDOE- http://www.fldoe.org/

ISBE- http://www.isbe.state.il.us/

SCPS- http://www.scps.k12.fl.us/

UCF- http://www.ucf.edu/

Google- http://www.google.com/