Session+2

=Session 2=
 * What characteristics make these websites so convincing? One of the convincing things about the websites is the fact that they work just as a website should work. They function and all the links I checked actually worked. The Male Pregnancy site looks like there was money spent in the design and feels more professional than the Tree Octopus site. There are multiple pages to each site offering video's, graphs, pictures, testimonials, disclaimers, contact information etc. The details have been covered to make the hoaxes look real.


 * What evidence is available to prove that these websites are hoax sites? There is no known reputable websites that can substantiate these claims. There is no .org that supports the site. Anyone can create a website with a .com, or .net or other site hosting. Sites like .gov. and .org are more reputable. The authors of the sites we viewed are not reputable.

Students need to be skeptics when searching the web. Maybe their first question should be how can I prove that this information is false. A fool and his money are easily parted, a wise man once said. We believe what we want to believe is true. =2.3 Website Analysis= Evaluating Web Pages
 * What guidance can we give our students to help them avoid websites that contain inaccurate information?

The guide is useful students and everyone else who uses the internet to seek out information. I was happy to learn how I can improve my own "quick slice" to see if the site has merit or if I need to dig a little deeper to find out where the information is coming from and whether the agenda of the author is relevant. What I liked about the guide was that it was linear, therefor a student could follow the steps and have a relative certainty of the validity of the site.

=2.3 Inquiry Based Learning Websites= Institute for Learning Usefull if you were looking for resources to purchase. Learning Science Through Inquiry Useful guide in that it develops a game plan to allow you to begin, or strengthen your classroom. Furthermore, it mentions a handful of sites that are relevant to Inquiry based learning. It is presented in a Q and A format. There are 18 questions and answers that bring you from the start (how to begin) to the end (ex of assessments). While focused on science it is useful for all disciplines. There are also video's to view and many other resources. The success of your inquiry classroom comes from a shift in your role from the "sage on the stage" to the "guide on the side." Ask them questions, such as "Why do you think that?" and "What does it make you wonder?" Encourage students to build on each others’ ideas by probing, "How do we know that?" This process helps students develop the habits of mind or attitudes of scientific thinking. Educational Technology: Support for Inquiry-Based Learning The paper titled Technology Infusion and School Change is well organized and researched using appropraite sources. The first 2/3 is useful because it talks about the research into inquiry based learning and how technology is able to amplify and transform the learning process. The last third is less usefull because it is dated. The technology and idea's that are being discussed are either long gone or have come about in different ways. I found the paper informative and well worth the time spent in reading it. -recent research on cognitive growth and learning, building on the views of Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, and others, has led many educators to reconsider teaching approaches in general -as our understanding of learning has evolved, so has our understanding of how technology can support learning; it has become apparent that technology is particularly well-suited to support inquiry learning. -some of the new curriculum efforts are focusing on the creation of authentic tasks which meet needs and goals that students either have already or might have in the future. //-Amplifiers and transformers//. It is helpful to distinguish between two broad categories of use of educational technology: amplifiers and transformers. Technology is used as an amplifier when it makes a current practice more efficient or effective. The same technology can be used as a transformer if it changes the way a topic is examined, //-Educational change takes time and is a complex process// //-//Some research reports that, with daily use of technology, it is at least a year before any changes are evident. -Herman (1994) has suggested methods for more effective assessment strategies that include merging quantitative and qualitative methodologies, building and assessing theories of action, using process indicators as proxies for student outcomes, =2.4: 3 Minute Pause= **1) Summarize Key Ideas Thus Far.** How "real" a site is an essential skill for students to build. Inquiry based learning is a cahnge from the traditional model of teaching. Done right, inquiry based learning, creates an atmosphere where a teacher becomes a facilitator and the students do all the heavy lifting. ﻿Proces needs to be part of the learning. We need to create rubrics to grade that process. **2) Add Your Own Thoughts.** The more that I find myself challenged, the more determined I become to act. The more that I learn the more I realize that I dont know anything. **3) Pose Clarifying Questions.** How do I teach the students the appropriate skills to determine the validity of a website? How do I use inquiry based learning strategies as a novice? Does inquiry based learning remove the drill and kill homework component, or does memorizing the multiplication table, formulas and other rote information hold any value? Can I organize the information that I am viewing for use and manipulation in the future? = = =**2.5 Essential Readings**= Who can I audit to see this in action? Will administration, high stakes testing and the ever greedy College Board support such teaching, or will students miss out on some skills and knowledge that is tested? The 2 sites are excellent sources of references in how to. I feel that I am repeating myself too often. The word that I am thinking about is redundent, but that is not accurate enough. = = =2.6 Reflections on Student Work= Evaluate and reflect
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Not knowing what the assignment was will make it a difficult task to evaluate as a summative assignment. Were they graded on the process? Their project used more than 1 vehicle to present information. The wiki was easy to navigate and clear. The amount of data and analysis was lacking, however I'm not sure if that was the point. Their was evidence of students identifying parts of the assignment, and labeling.

Using inquiry based learning with technology is a skill set that would need to be developed. I wonder if the assignments were of high interest, this would make it ideal for the process part of engaging students in inquiry based learning. I guess the trick is to figure out how to teach the same material using inquiry based learning.