Sunday, May 6, 2007
Job Searches
I happen to be looking for an ISD that will be willing to work with me towards a paid internship next fall. I am hoping to find something down in the Brownsville area. My research into that area seems to show me that there is a small-town atmosphere. Since I am used to that I think it would be beneficial to have that going for me. That being said I really believe that there is alot of history in that area to be learned not only by the students but also by me. I have always been a seeker of knowledge and I believe that I could learn alot from the students in that area. I am hoping the job search goes quickly. I have some ideas of where to apply but we shall see. Wish me luck. I am also open to any suggestions anyone has on how to make my blog better. It started out as a class project but I believe that I can use it to my benefit, especially when I start teaching. I can use this as a class website much like my professors in college did.
Website Evaluation of USHISTORY.ORG
By Stephen Vanderpool
Content Area Social Studies 8-12
I. USHISTORY.ORG
II. www.ushitory.org
III. Copyright 1995-2007
IV. Independence Hall Association
V. This website is designed by the Independence Hall Association and has to do with the colonial and revolutionary periods in American history. It actually has quite a bit of information that helps the site make itself useful. It has a lot of information about Philadelphia. This is to be expected because the association that created it is located in Philadelphia.
In order to find this site I actually think you have to be looking for a good history website. In fact that is how I found it. It puts the information into its selected area and also has several facts and links on the homepage that help you to find specific areas on the site. It has links to historical documents of the time, a timeline, and also has links to other sites that are included in their group of websites. Some of the specific links that are located on the side of the page are a link to a section about Valley Forge, a link to a section solely about Benjamin Franklin, and a section devoted to the Liberty Bell. There is also a link to a store that is run by the organization. Some of the items that one can buy there are flags of the United States that are both present and past flags, replications of the Declaration of Independence, or maybe a replication of a recruiting poster for the Colonial Army of the time.
Next, this website is pretty simple to navigate. I would say that a novice computer user could actually use this site and not have any problems. In fact if you are a new computer user I would suggest this site. It has everything exactly where the link says it is.
VI. Moving forward, I would actually suggest this site to any history teacher that is teaching the subject of colonial history. This site includes many of the interesting topics of that time and those topics also have to do with the major ideas that many districts want their students to learn about. The information is quite informative and is helpful. I actually learned a few things from this website that I did not know.
Next, I would even suggest that students use this site if they are looking for information on this topic for a paper or even for a class project. It is easy enough to navigate that even a younger student could use this site and not have a problem finding the information that they need.
The only drawback to this site is that it does only seem to include information about the colonial time period. In fact at first glance if you were not looking for this information you might merely think that the site is about Philadelphia. This is its major drawback. If you are not looking for information on Philadelphia then you might miss some information that would actually help your paper or project.
The strongest thing that I felt the website had going for it was its concentration on the colonial period. This could also be considered its greatest weakness as well. Despite this problem I would strongly suggest the use of this site to teachers that in which their concentration is in a social studies or history setting.
By Stephen Vanderpool
Content Area Social Studies 8-12
I. USHISTORY.ORG
II. www.ushitory.org
III. Copyright 1995-2007
IV. Independence Hall Association
V. This website is designed by the Independence Hall Association and has to do with the colonial and revolutionary periods in American history. It actually has quite a bit of information that helps the site make itself useful. It has a lot of information about Philadelphia. This is to be expected because the association that created it is located in Philadelphia.
In order to find this site I actually think you have to be looking for a good history website. In fact that is how I found it. It puts the information into its selected area and also has several facts and links on the homepage that help you to find specific areas on the site. It has links to historical documents of the time, a timeline, and also has links to other sites that are included in their group of websites. Some of the specific links that are located on the side of the page are a link to a section about Valley Forge, a link to a section solely about Benjamin Franklin, and a section devoted to the Liberty Bell. There is also a link to a store that is run by the organization. Some of the items that one can buy there are flags of the United States that are both present and past flags, replications of the Declaration of Independence, or maybe a replication of a recruiting poster for the Colonial Army of the time.
Next, this website is pretty simple to navigate. I would say that a novice computer user could actually use this site and not have any problems. In fact if you are a new computer user I would suggest this site. It has everything exactly where the link says it is.
VI. Moving forward, I would actually suggest this site to any history teacher that is teaching the subject of colonial history. This site includes many of the interesting topics of that time and those topics also have to do with the major ideas that many districts want their students to learn about. The information is quite informative and is helpful. I actually learned a few things from this website that I did not know.
Next, I would even suggest that students use this site if they are looking for information on this topic for a paper or even for a class project. It is easy enough to navigate that even a younger student could use this site and not have a problem finding the information that they need.
The only drawback to this site is that it does only seem to include information about the colonial time period. In fact at first glance if you were not looking for this information you might merely think that the site is about Philadelphia. This is its major drawback. If you are not looking for information on Philadelphia then you might miss some information that would actually help your paper or project.
The strongest thing that I felt the website had going for it was its concentration on the colonial period. This could also be considered its greatest weakness as well. Despite this problem I would strongly suggest the use of this site to teachers that in which their concentration is in a social studies or history setting.
Website Evaluation of National Geographic
By Stephen Vanderpool
Content Area Social Studies 8-12
I. National Geographic
II. www.nationalgeographic.com
III. Copyright 1996-2007
IV. National Geographic Society
V. The website that I visited for this evaluation was National Geographic’s site. The site was relatively easy to navigate. It had a flash movie playing on the homepage that showed the main stories that the organization was promoting at the time. There were several icons on the left side of the page that helped one to navigate the site better. There was a link through the icons to animals, history, maps, news, people and places, video, and world music. Another added benefit of this site is the link to their online store. This would include items that one could use in their classroom such as videos or DVDs.
There is a section that is designed just for kids. I think as an educator this could be very beneficial, but as the educator I think if you lead a younger student to this page then you would have to help them to where you wanted them to go. In the National Geographic Kids section the website becomes much simpler to use. The navigation at this point of the site includes a lot of pictures and icons that younger students can figure out on their own. It also happens to include activities that students can do. One such activity that I discovered would be good for a younger student in a science class. The activity was to fill bottles up with different amounts of water and to blow over the opening in the bottle. We as adults know that this will cause different pitches.
Next, I think that the home site is actually easier to use if you are an adult. I would not necessarily lead a student to this site unless they were proficient enough on the computer. The home page www.nationalgeographic.com seems to be designed for the adults, which is to be expected. I feel like the kids’ site should be closer to the top so that students do not have to look around on the site. If you are not paying close attention then the link is quite easy to miss.
VI. I happen to like this site because it includes information on my major in college and also on my content area. My content area is history. I actually find it hard to find sites that include quality information and that can at the same time be trusted with that information.
Another thing that I happen to like about National Geographic is that I can find quality photos to illustrate what I might be talking to students about in the future. This could include photos of many things such as the holocaust, the soldiers that were in Vietnam, or Gulf War veterans. It also includes photos of current events which make it easier to relay a comparison to the students if I need to.
Also, I happen to like the fact that within this site I can find quality first person narratives or a story about a small group of Jews who escaped further persecution by escaping from a concentration camp and hiding in a cave. It is full of important information that I might not be able to find anywhere else and as I stated before I do not have to worry about the legitimacy of the work because National Geographic can be trusted with their stories and information.
I would encourage the use of this site to my students if they were working on a research paper and needed a quality source. It can also lead students onto other sources that they might find useful or the student might even find something that they find interesting and want to learn more about. The added benefit of the search box at the top of the home page can help students narrow down what they are looking for faster as well.
Also, the site helps students stay up to date on current events. This is also beneficial for teachers. For instance, if a teacher wants to initiate a discussion on a world even then they might have the students visit the site to get an understanding of the even that they are discussing. This would help the student to further their knowledge on the subject and also help the student to think creatively about the problem or event.
I think that this site can be very useful to all that visit it. It could be used strictly as an entertainment or it could be used in research. The site also has a link to a kids’ site that can be used by younger students in the district that the teacher may be employed in. All in all, this entire site is quite beneficial and I would suggest that all visit it at some point in their educational career or if they need credible information on a subject.
By Stephen Vanderpool
Content Area Social Studies 8-12
I. National Geographic
II. www.nationalgeographic.com
III. Copyright 1996-2007
IV. National Geographic Society
V. The website that I visited for this evaluation was National Geographic’s site. The site was relatively easy to navigate. It had a flash movie playing on the homepage that showed the main stories that the organization was promoting at the time. There were several icons on the left side of the page that helped one to navigate the site better. There was a link through the icons to animals, history, maps, news, people and places, video, and world music. Another added benefit of this site is the link to their online store. This would include items that one could use in their classroom such as videos or DVDs.
There is a section that is designed just for kids. I think as an educator this could be very beneficial, but as the educator I think if you lead a younger student to this page then you would have to help them to where you wanted them to go. In the National Geographic Kids section the website becomes much simpler to use. The navigation at this point of the site includes a lot of pictures and icons that younger students can figure out on their own. It also happens to include activities that students can do. One such activity that I discovered would be good for a younger student in a science class. The activity was to fill bottles up with different amounts of water and to blow over the opening in the bottle. We as adults know that this will cause different pitches.
Next, I think that the home site is actually easier to use if you are an adult. I would not necessarily lead a student to this site unless they were proficient enough on the computer. The home page www.nationalgeographic.com seems to be designed for the adults, which is to be expected. I feel like the kids’ site should be closer to the top so that students do not have to look around on the site. If you are not paying close attention then the link is quite easy to miss.
VI. I happen to like this site because it includes information on my major in college and also on my content area. My content area is history. I actually find it hard to find sites that include quality information and that can at the same time be trusted with that information.
Another thing that I happen to like about National Geographic is that I can find quality photos to illustrate what I might be talking to students about in the future. This could include photos of many things such as the holocaust, the soldiers that were in Vietnam, or Gulf War veterans. It also includes photos of current events which make it easier to relay a comparison to the students if I need to.
Also, I happen to like the fact that within this site I can find quality first person narratives or a story about a small group of Jews who escaped further persecution by escaping from a concentration camp and hiding in a cave. It is full of important information that I might not be able to find anywhere else and as I stated before I do not have to worry about the legitimacy of the work because National Geographic can be trusted with their stories and information.
I would encourage the use of this site to my students if they were working on a research paper and needed a quality source. It can also lead students onto other sources that they might find useful or the student might even find something that they find interesting and want to learn more about. The added benefit of the search box at the top of the home page can help students narrow down what they are looking for faster as well.
Also, the site helps students stay up to date on current events. This is also beneficial for teachers. For instance, if a teacher wants to initiate a discussion on a world even then they might have the students visit the site to get an understanding of the even that they are discussing. This would help the student to further their knowledge on the subject and also help the student to think creatively about the problem or event.
I think that this site can be very useful to all that visit it. It could be used strictly as an entertainment or it could be used in research. The site also has a link to a kids’ site that can be used by younger students in the district that the teacher may be employed in. All in all, this entire site is quite beneficial and I would suggest that all visit it at some point in their educational career or if they need credible information on a subject.
Website Evaluation of Reading Rockets
By Stephen Vanderpool
Content Area Social Studies 8-12
I. Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers
II. www.readingrockets.org
III. Copyright 2006
IV. Reading Rockets Organization
V. This website is actually quite informative and is really quite easy to navigate. I chose to write about this website because everybody can use this. It is not a website that is designed solely for teachers or solely for parents. It is designed for both. The navigational tools are located on the left hand side of the screen and it has numerous advantages because of the clarity with which one can actually use the site. There is a section for teachers, a section for parents and families of students, and there is even a section which is for other professionals. I particularly like the area which is designed for first year teachers. As someone who hopes to be a first year teacher next year it is quite nice to find a site that has any advice for me to use when I am in the classroom. I know that at first it will be overwhelming and to have this site have a section to help me and other first year teachers can help take a little bit of pressure off of me.
This website also talks of TV shows that are located on PBS which might be useful to teachers. It also has web casts that are available through the navigation of a site. It includes strategies for students who struggle with reading. This can be useful for all teachers regardless of certification level and subject area. We will all encounter students that have problems reading and taking in information. Any added information about how to teach these students should be taken into account with excitement.
VI. This site should be used by all. In fact for those who are teaching younger students then I would actually suggest that the teacher tell the parents about this website. By doing this you can help the parents make your job easier. If the parents help the students learn how to read then the teacher has an easier job in doing this.
Another way that the website should be used is by first year teachers. As I stated earlier in this report, there is quite a bit of advice that first year teachers can look at in regards to their classes. The other thing that I feel is important with this website is that it actually includes information about the literacy rate of students. I feel that this is very important. We have all heard the horror stories of students who get to high school and can not read. Sites like this can help prevent that. I feel that as we as a society have moved forward that the literacy rate and vocabulary of today’s youth has actually gotten worse.
Next, there are blogs that teachers can look at. Blogs are helpful because you can see what is working for other teachers and try them if you feel that the information might be useful. Another thing that the site has is a reading store. It is basically an online store that has items that can be purchased to further the literacy rate of one’s students.
I personally found this site to be quite informative and would suggest that teachers of all levels actually take a look at it. It may seem like it is designed for teachers of younger students but sometimes the best approach that we can have as teachers is to go back to the simplicity of it all. As we get more and more advanced it can confuse students and often times the simplest way to get to them is the best way.
By Stephen Vanderpool
Content Area Social Studies 8-12
I. Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers
II. www.readingrockets.org
III. Copyright 2006
IV. Reading Rockets Organization
V. This website is actually quite informative and is really quite easy to navigate. I chose to write about this website because everybody can use this. It is not a website that is designed solely for teachers or solely for parents. It is designed for both. The navigational tools are located on the left hand side of the screen and it has numerous advantages because of the clarity with which one can actually use the site. There is a section for teachers, a section for parents and families of students, and there is even a section which is for other professionals. I particularly like the area which is designed for first year teachers. As someone who hopes to be a first year teacher next year it is quite nice to find a site that has any advice for me to use when I am in the classroom. I know that at first it will be overwhelming and to have this site have a section to help me and other first year teachers can help take a little bit of pressure off of me.
This website also talks of TV shows that are located on PBS which might be useful to teachers. It also has web casts that are available through the navigation of a site. It includes strategies for students who struggle with reading. This can be useful for all teachers regardless of certification level and subject area. We will all encounter students that have problems reading and taking in information. Any added information about how to teach these students should be taken into account with excitement.
VI. This site should be used by all. In fact for those who are teaching younger students then I would actually suggest that the teacher tell the parents about this website. By doing this you can help the parents make your job easier. If the parents help the students learn how to read then the teacher has an easier job in doing this.
Another way that the website should be used is by first year teachers. As I stated earlier in this report, there is quite a bit of advice that first year teachers can look at in regards to their classes. The other thing that I feel is important with this website is that it actually includes information about the literacy rate of students. I feel that this is very important. We have all heard the horror stories of students who get to high school and can not read. Sites like this can help prevent that. I feel that as we as a society have moved forward that the literacy rate and vocabulary of today’s youth has actually gotten worse.
Next, there are blogs that teachers can look at. Blogs are helpful because you can see what is working for other teachers and try them if you feel that the information might be useful. Another thing that the site has is a reading store. It is basically an online store that has items that can be purchased to further the literacy rate of one’s students.
I personally found this site to be quite informative and would suggest that teachers of all levels actually take a look at it. It may seem like it is designed for teachers of younger students but sometimes the best approach that we can have as teachers is to go back to the simplicity of it all. As we get more and more advanced it can confuse students and often times the simplest way to get to them is the best way.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Webquests
I think that webquests are an excellent way to learn about history on the net. I actually got this from one of my links to I must give them the credit.
Return of the Great Game (Gov./Hist./Soc. Sci. 12)
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/kearny/greatgame/introduction.htm
Comparative Democracy (Lang. Arts/Hist./Soc. Sci. - 8)
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/langacad/compdemo/introduction.htm
Westward Ho, Shall we Go? (Literacy/Soc. Sci. 3)
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/sessions/westwardho/introduction.htm
Return of the Great Game (Gov./Hist./Soc. Sci. 12)
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/kearny/greatgame/introduction.htm
Comparative Democracy (Lang. Arts/Hist./Soc. Sci. - 8)
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/langacad/compdemo/introduction.htm
Westward Ho, Shall we Go? (Literacy/Soc. Sci. 3)
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/sessions/westwardho/introduction.htm
A few thoughts on education.
As I was preparing this site it made me think. I was thinking that too many students today do not realize how interesting history actually is. I have a particular liking to World War II and the Holocaust. If I have this interest then other students must have an interest in something that has a regard to history. I think that every student just needs to find that one topic that captures their imagination and sparks their interest. If this was to happen then I can foresee a resurgence in the enjoyment of history. History is more than a bunch of old people that we have to learn about. It is a teaching of what mistakes have been made and what not to make again. I am going to add a couple links to films that I might find interesting to certain areas of history and think that would make good examples of what happened.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Content Area
First, Let me welcome you to my blog. Second, I am a secondary certification student. My certification area is going to be history/social studies on the high school level. It is my hope that I can make history a fun learning experience for students again. I think that today too many students find it boring. I hope to make it fun again.
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