Blog #6 - Professional Development

I plan to continue using technology into my future career. I would develope a page through the school website so my students can access their homework if they missed class. I could possibly have an online art history class, if possible. I’d also like to teach graphic design, which incorporates lots of technology information and use that my students will need to learn. I’ll teach my students to use technology with art, and help them do research papers through the internet.
I’ll continually learn about technology though constant use. Exploration of new technology is something I’ll definitely take part in. I could possibly join an organization like the International Society for Technology in Education. That way I could keep updated on the intergration of technology and learning from around the world. And I could read journals like Interactive Multimedia Electronic Journal of Computer Enhanced Learning. I’ve looked at the site, and like the wide variety of subjects it covers, including my own teaching major. Also, my own interest in technology will help my with honing my skills. I’ll be sure to practice with technology, read and keep my eyes and ears open for any news.
I’ll also have to work on programs I’m not quite skilled at, like exel or other unfamiliar programs. I’ll need to know these things to better teach my students. I know it’s important for me as a teacher to stay a step ahead, so my students can benifit from my knowledge and experience.

Blog #5 - Website Evaluation

1. URL: http://www.martinlutherking.org/library.html
It has .org but the content seemed more opinion driven than fact driven. I have no idea who published it, and there’s no proof of who did.

2. Vincent Breeding is the Webmaster and there are various authors to the articles on the page. There where no dates on any of the article that I could find. As for credentials on the subject; they don’t offer much solid resources. Either I couldn’t find the URL, or the sources relation was unreliable or unrelated like the link http://www.unl.edu/philosop/gradplag.html.

3. There where a few sources mentioned but not actually documented. Information is presented that’s supposed to be from a source, but the source is not given. I would have to say that the much of the information is altered, by taking bits of certain information, and reinterpreting them to their use.

4. The only other links to that website are all stormfont.org. Obviously this is an illegitimate site. Only one link is found.

5. The factual legitimacy of the website doesn’t add up because of the lack of real supported information. The only thing that adds up is that it was created with support of stormfront, and under no true structure.

6. The page was put on the web to inform the “truth” about Martin Luther King Jr to the public, and to “teach” that all we know now is not fact. I don’t believe that this was a satire or parody. This group of people believe they’re doing what’s right. They’re white supremacists that want to get their message across, considering they’re sponsored by Stormfront.
This is definitely not a site I’d allow to be used as a source of information in school. The organization is not one I’d trust for accurate accounts of history. I think that allowing students to see the site is ok, but with the acknowledgment that it’s not reliable.

Blog #4 - Constructivism

I would support constructivism in my future classroom. Constructivism is a “view of learning in which learners use their own experiences to construct understandings that make sense to them, rather than having understanding delivered to them in already organized form…” (http://digitalliteracy.mwg.org/constructivisim.html) I plan on involving conceptual thinking, and observation in my art class.. My stundents could use their personal experiences to understand concepts, and use them in their work. From personal experience, there are many things that I had a hard time grasping. Until I truly related to the subject by either past experiences, learning of other’s experiences, or taking part in something new, the concept finally bacame more clear. My subject matter has to do with a lot of constructive criticism, personal opinions, and experiences. I believe that contructivism will help my students in those areas of study. Perhaps constructivism is controversial for other subject or to the teacher’s method of teaching. It is exploritory, and some teachers might want more learn straight from the information kind of learning. (exploritory -http://tip.psychology.org/bruner.html) But for my classroom, I encourage exploring my students’ ideas. As a teacher, I would guide them through the process of relating their experiences and ideas to the learning matter. That way, we construct a reasonable answer or hypothesis from our information. It could also be thought to be controversial because of using such open thinking. Thinking I say thats based on facts and true experiences. Using contructivism in my class, my students will have learned to problem solve, reflect, and do much more. (what is constructivism-http://hagar.up.ac.za/catts/learner/lindavr/lindapg1.htm)