Part 1
As a teacher of high school students, I do not let them use Wikipedia as a reliable source when writing a paper. Why? Because I was taught not to use Wikipedia as a source of information because any one can add to it, thus, the reader doesn’t know how valid the information is. Granted, most of the information seems to be valid but it could be just one word that could twist the information. Additionally, I believe that high school students should be taught to do their research correctly, so that if and when they do attend a postsecondary institution they will know what resources are considered valid and which ones require further research.
As a teacher of high school students, I do not let them use Wikipedia as a reliable source when writing a paper. Why? Because I was taught not to use Wikipedia as a source of information because any one can add to it, thus, the reader doesn’t know how valid the information is. Granted, most of the information seems to be valid but it could be just one word that could twist the information. Additionally, I believe that high school students should be taught to do their research correctly, so that if and when they do attend a postsecondary institution they will know what resources are considered valid and which ones require further research.
In
regard to youtube, I personally use it a lot.
I use it in the classroom for instruction in the areas of social
studies, marketing, or for the purpose of delivering ELA standards. However, I
do have the ability to discern the validity of information posted. I currently allow my special education students
to use youtube for certain sites and with adult supervision. In regard to
regular education students, I would advise them both verbally and through
written instruction, that they should practice using careful judgement as to
what is considered a factual information.
The challenges
of using both forms of media is based on who is using it. High schoolers and incoming college students
grew up with the internet. They are
accustomed to having information instantly.
Unfortunately, many of them have not had to or even lived long enough to
use their intuitiveness to decipher what information may be true and what may
be hearsay. I believe as an educator it
is my responsibility to point out this fallacy and guide them in the correct way
to conduct research and collect information or data. As they get older and have
more life experiences they will learn that everything that is posted on the
internet is not true. If the subject matter is important to them, it would be
in their best interest to research it further when making decisions that
affect their livelihood.
Again, the validity of information
presented in a wiki can be questionable. The podcast was interesting because it
challenged the information of Wikipedia because of the instance of men making
increased contributions to Wikis opposed to women. Being a woman, that solidifies my stance even
further…don’t trust everything you read.
The podcast reinforced my belief that everything on the internet is not
necessarily true and it is best to conduct extensive research on subjects that
require factual information. My students must thus use academic journals when
submitting a research paper and will not be allowed to use wikipedia as a
credible source. Again, students must be
constantly reminded that though the internet is a wonderful tool for obtaining
information, there are pros and cons and they have to use discretion when
repeating what they have read or viewed in regard to its validity. Too, I may
look at Wikipedia in a different light because I grew up with an ENCYCLOPEDIA. I
realize some viewers of my blog may be scratching their head and wondering, “what
is that?” We will save that for another post!
Part 2
Part 2
BLOGS
Kirsten
Winkler has been blogging since 2009 on trends and innovations in the field of
educational technology. Over the years
she has recorded over 200 video interviews with startup founders for EDUKWEST
and Today’s Campus, a leading magazine in the higher education space. I chose this blog because she has a post on
using youtube in the classroom.
www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org
Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the
University of Colorado. He is considered
to be a leading expert in integrating technology in schools through the eyes of
school leaders. Dr. McLeod’s work
background earned him the 2016 Award for Outstanding Leadership from the
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Dr. McLeod blogs
regularly about technology leadership issues at Dangerously Irrelevant and is a frequent keynote speaker and
workshop facilitator at regional, state, national, and international
conferences.
A blog for teachers,
lecturers and support staff working with students with learning difficulties over
the age of sixteen. It has posts ranging from writing an effective IEP to how
to introduce and teach daily living skills.
The posts are from teachers and staff who work first hand with children
with special needs. I liked this particular blog because it had posts on
teaching daily living skills such as washing and ironing. Many times strategies to address this skills
are minimal.
This blog is about
how to use assistive technology to help students with special needs learn.
After reading through several posts, educators appear to be posting their
experiences with various websites or software that can be used in the classroom
with children who have special needs. This
post was of interest to me because I have several students who cannot use their
hands but are highly functional so I am always searching for simple ways to
assist them with the keyboard.
This blog’s focus is
on educating students with severe dyslexia and learning disabilities. It also
has posts related to the latest in legislation to support children with special
needs. The posts range from educational
law to various strategies that can be used in the classroom. This blog was
interesting because it had posts about severe dyslexia. I am still seeking various strategies to
teach this type of student.
A blog about how to teach students with severe cognitive
impairments, attention deficit disorder, and dyslexia. The posts range from how to keep the learner
engaged to various strategies to assist students in the learning process despite
their challenges. This blog is unique because it addresses how to keep the
learner engaged in the learning process.
TWITTER
Video Editor
This twitter account had an ad named walkme.com which
focuses on online tutoring, a field I am currently researching.
Conducting research on using online technology for
behavior, special education, and physical therapy.
I chose this twitter account because I have been
looking for part time work in online teaching and jobs such as this for online
behavioral specialist has been appearing.
Keeping that in mind I thought I might learn more about this area in
case I have an interview.
This twitter account was interesting because it
celebrates teachers. Education is one of
those fields where your hard work is not immediately recognized so it’s always
nice to discover resources that revere your hard work. I also searched for using podcasts in special
education and this account appeared.
One
of the teacher specialist is currently attending Wayne State for the Doctorates
program in instructional technology. We
have had several conversations on using technology in my classroom. In fact, he was the one who informed me that
the district was real lax on purchasing technology that would assist special
needs students. So he and I are
currently seeking out grants so that I can get more technology in my classroom. Reading these blogs and twitter accounts will
keep me up to date on what is new and available so that as grants arise I can
apply for them and request the latest innovations in this field.
