Chapter 6 Blog post K

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Three concepts that I found interesting in chapter six was Web Quest, Videoconferencing, and virtual schools. Each of these concepts provide an interesting engaging learning experience for the student. As an aspiring teacher some of these tools can come in handy to keep students engaged in the school curriculum.

Web quest are online inquires by students that are designed and guided by teachers. In a Web Quest students follow an electronic map or take an online tour, moving from one web resource to the next to gather information and learn about a specific topic. For a web Quest all the information is digital, students visit sites that are preselected by teachers. Although for teachers designing web quest can be time consuming there are already made Web Quest that teachers can use in their classroom. Web quest are great activities for students to do in groups.

Another interesting concept was videoconferencing which is a feature of Virtual field trips. Videoconferencing can change the learning experience for students. Its offers real time access to people and places that’s students are unable to visit. Interactive videoconferencing requires two computers or large screen television monitors at each site with one or more cameras and a digital projection device. One monitor shows the near site and the other shows the far site. The digital projector lets the visual and printed text to be shown from site to site. Videoconferencing is a feature of virtual field trips because in virtual field trips students visit a place from the comfort of their classroom.

Virtual schools are highly debated because some people don’t like all the online teaching. A virtual school are educational organizations that teach students mainly through online learning. With virtual schools students never go to a real school site everything from class time to exams are all done on computers. Virtual schools mainly attracted home schooled students but now many students with medical conditions or other constraints on mobility, gifted and talented students are taking an interest in these schools.

There is a lot of technology that can be brought into the classroom to provide as an aid to the curriculum. Things like Web Quest gets the students engaged and collaboratively working together. Videoconferencing and virtual tours are great ways to travel and meet new people and see new places without leaving the classroom. Virtual schools are highly debated but are a great and new school that is out there for students that seek a different route an obtaining an education.

Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.