4 Internet: Google and more

• MAFS.3.NF.1: Develop understanding of fractions as numbers.
• http://interactivesites.weebly.com/fractions.html
• educational game; educational arcade game
• Fractions are difficult to "see" at first by merely looking at numbers. I would have my students explore this website with several educational games that teach simple fractions in order for them to better understand fractions and to be able to picture the parts in their head. This is very beneficial for visual learners.  

I agree that the Internet is an important research tool students must know how to use efficiently and safely. Any information you could possibly need is available, for many people, right at their finger tips via a smartphone. I have always used the Internet for research on projects, papers, current events, even day-to-day useful information. I do, however, believe that students nowadays are straying away from using books as research options. I believe it started at my generation too, since we were one of the youngest to be introduced to the Internet and all that it can offer. Most of my K-12 teachers had required us to have at least one or two references from books and then allowed us to have a few from the Internet. I plan on using the same kind of outline for my class, because it is important to keep kids interested and excited a books, and to see them as a great research aid.

Before I attended college, I hardly evaluated the credibility of websites before using them as resources. I was not taught how to correctly assess a website for different things such as Author, Bias, Content, Design, and Technical elements. I was taught to never click on any ads on a website and to never trust anything that advertises I have won something or something is free, because like the podcast says, there's hardly anything in life that is free. That being said, I will be extra diligent in educating my students on how to assess the credibility of a website and I will be sure to check out any educational website I plan on my kids using for any sketchy links or unwanted graphics. 

While working on the WebHunt assignment, I learned how to improve my google search techniques to optimize my search results. I especially like the "-xx" tool to eliminate any website I know for a fact I do not need such as Wikipedia. I also like the date tool "xx...xx" to narrow down my search to a specific time period. From experimenting with different word choices and combinations, I figured out that sometimes the best way to find a specific educational website is to search the topic in the context of a "top 10" list. This way it'll bring you to several articles from many writers who are teachers themselves that have rated websites in a list from good to bad. 

WebHunt Challenges:

1. Your students are learning about the geography of Europe. Find a website that accurately depicts historical maps of Europe.

2. Find a weekly calendar that can be updated electronically by the teacher and available to students and parents.