Reflection on Evaluating Websites

 After completing the website evaluation activity, I realized that it is not always clear whether the website is a reliable source or not.  Previously, I felt that it was pretty obvious whether or not you should use a website as a source for any educational work, and sometimes I believe this is the case (i.e. Facebook and Wikipedia are clearly not valid sources while a professional journal online is a valid source).  I chose a website that I thought was clearly a reliable source, but when I was asked to go through a checklist, I found it did not meet quite a few of the criteria.  I believe it is very important to teach students how to evaluate websites in Elementary and High School classrooms alike, otherwise they may reach the same initial conclusions that I did and the source may be a hoax, not be supported by research and references, or outdated.  It frustrates the student and the teacher when a student doesn't evaluate websites before using them in their work.  It is also important for me to evaluate websites that I am going to have the students visit during class to ensure that I am not teaching them inaccurate material.

Website Evaluation Site

UC Berkley Library offers a web page that instructs students how to evaluate websites.  I think this web page is a good resource for teachers to use with high school students to help them learn how to find credible information on the world wide web.  First, it is simple and organized.  It lists five questions you should ask yourself when evaluating a website and then goes into further detail under each question of specifics you should look for.  It also gives some helpful instructions on where to look to find information requested (i.e. author, domain, organization).  There are links on the web page to other web pages with examples or definitions to help clarify any questions students still have.  Also, this web page is current as it has been updated in the last year, so the information will be accurate.

Wiki

After spending the last two classes learning about and creating a wiki, I feel like I have a much better understanding of them than what I learned strictly from reading the textbook.  I think they are great tools, especially for collaborative work, which I am a HUGE fan of, particularly in Math classrooms.  Wikis are a great way to engage the students and create more excitement in working with peers.  I think it was fairly easy to catch on to the basic tools on pbworks to create my page.  Some of the things I really liked about the wiki was the ability and simplicity of creating links to other wiki pages, websites, or e-mail, the privacy controls that could limit access to the wiki to a group of students, and that it does not automatically save changes when you are editing a page (like Google documents).  This would be a great tool to use in my high school classroom one day for cooperative learning groups, provided each student had access to an internet accessible computer to participate.

Great Expectations

Simply put, I expect to learn a lot this semester.  I hope to take away some skills and knowledge that I can use to incorporate technology into my classroom one day.  I am not technologically advanced and tend to get frustrated when I cannot complete a task perfectly the first time, so I do think this class will be somewhat challenging.  Sometimes I feel it is more difficult to be creative with technology in a Math classroom, so I am going to keep my mind open to new ideas and do my best to brainstorm ways I can use the tools I learn in this class in the future for Math students.

Hello!

I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, but grew up near Nashville, TN.  I graduated from Hendersonville High School and came to UT Knoxville to pursue a career in the medical field.  Four years and five majors later, I am starting my last undergraduate semester at UT as a Math major and secondary education minor.  I have always had a passion for Math and get satisfaction out of helping others understand and enjoy it as well.  I am inspired by my mother, a high school English and journalism teacher, who has shared many of her experiences with me.  When I’m not at school, I enjoy working out, cooking, shooting, reading, watching CSI, spending time with my friends and family, and most recently, planning my wedding. I am excited to spend the next year and a half learning as much as possible to become the best teacher I can be, including utilizing technology in the classroom.