BLOG # 2
Hello Classmates,
I think one of the most useful tools I learned about this week is all the Yahoo resources. I have Yahoo as my personal homepage and I still was not aware of all the useful and FREE services that were offered. I already used the maps and movies features over the weekend. I played around with a few more of them and they are all very easy to access and to use. This will be a very helpful resource now that I know it exists. J I am also particularly interested in the Yahoo groups. I had no idea there was so much information available to share and be shared for free! This is a great resource for teachers and for anyone else who is looking for information within a certain context.
I think the article, “Teaching Understanding,” is a very good article for teachers and parents to read. One topic the article touches on is the use of technology to find the misconceptions soem students have. Once these misconceptions are identified, a better understanding is possible. According to the article, WebLearn is one of the programs available that helps identify these misconceptions. I think the concept of first identifying misconceptions and then teaching accordingly is very important for a greater understanding. Another way modern technology aids in a better understanding is through visual learning programs. The example the article gives of teaching the concept of retrograde motion with a program that allows the student to manipulate a model of the solar system is exceptional. I am a very visual learner myself and these types of concepts (such as retrograde motion) are harder for me to grasp. I think that if a program like this would have been available to me as a student, I may have had an easier time understanding these types of concepts. I had no idea how abundant the software for interactive learning has become!