Web Wonders

Trista Beshara
February 18, 2010

Troutner, J. (2004). Web Wonders. Teacher Librarian. Retrieved February 18, 2010 from http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/tltoolkit/web_wonders/wonders_23_1.html.

This article was about where teachers can find the best sites to learn how to use computer technology at its fullest. There are all kinds of web sites that are free and give tutorials on how to use new programs and software. Some of these sites are also kid friendly.

There is a website called webmonkeyforkids that helps kids set up their own web page. How awesome is that? Students can now find new and creative ways to express themselves and their knowledge. Some students are not comfortable writing with a pencil and paper. For some students writing with a pencil and paper is not even possible, they may have learning disabilities which inhibit them from doing this. I think allowing students to be creative in other ways, like creating movies, taking pictures, etc. and sharing them with others on a web site is so wonderful. Students with learning disabilities are now able to partake in learning and sharing creativity.

The article also talked about programs like Home Planet which shows cities from space. It is a lot like google earth but more easily accessible for kids. I think this would be fun for kids because they can learn and have fun at the same time. They can get excited because they can see their school or their house but then the teacher can explain to them how a satellite works or show them how far away they are from a different country or something.

This article gives teachers a place to start to learn how to interactive with students through technology. There are only a few sites in this article but they all lead to more sites and the learning environment in the classroom will be more enjoyable for everyone.