Virtual Tours

A virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location. Normally, virtual tours are video images that viewers can look at and can also have multimedia elements. A virtual tour allows the viewer to feel like they are moving around the location and allows the viewer to visit a location without leaving their house.

            How can I use virtual tours when I’m a teacher? I feel that virtual tours are a great way to let the students see what is outside of the classroom without having to go outside of the classroom. I feel that it is very easy to find virtual tours on a lot of different events and instead of just standing in front of the class talking I can allow my students to look around a building or place by their selves. I feel that when I teach about events or places that have virtual tours, I will use them inside of my classroom so the students can get a picture of what I am talking about. Virtual tours can be used in classrooms for a lot of different things.

            Some pros of virtual tours are that they can save schools a lot of money. Instead of taking field trip, teachers can show a virtual tour and see the same thing. Also, students can take tours on their own computer and can go at their own pace and still get to look around and read without being rushed or getting lost. Lastly, safety is a lot easier when you do not have to travel to the actually place. Some cons of virtual tours are that the students miss the whole experience of taking a field trip if they just use virtual tours. Students sometimes do not get to see everything that they could see in the actually building and seeing it in person could make the difference of a place being cool or not. Using computers means that you always have to consider what will happen if something does not work out, so if the internet is not working it will be hard to get to the virtual tour. Sometimes having a backup plan for a virtual tour could be difficult.

Teacher Websites

A teacher website is a site that includes all important information for parents and other resources. Teacher websites include teacher information, school information, contact information, classroom rules, and resources for parents. These websites are made by teachers and can be found on school websites.

            How can I use this when I am a teacher? A teacher website is a great way to get parents involved when they can’t come to the school. When I teach, I can use my website to lets the parents know what is going on in the classroom that week. I can also provide the homework assignments so the parents know what to work on that night for homework. I can also provide spelling words, just in case the student forgets their list at school. Lastly, I can provide all my information in an easy spot so parents can have the information just in case they lost the paper sent home at the beginning of the year.

            A few pros of teacher websites are that all information needed is provided in one place. It is quick and easy to get to and the teacher and the parents can have communication without meeting. Another pro is that parents can get to know the teacher and get to know what is going on in the classroom. Good teaching websites can make parents feel like they are actually in the classroom. Some cons of teacher websites are that like everything else on computers things can go wrong. The internet can go down and then parents can’t get to the website. Also, if parents do not have the internet or a computer at home, it would make it very difficult to check the website often and to stay updated if the teacher uses the website often.

Learning Styles

My top learning style is auditory. I actually do not agree with this result because I am very visual and feel that visual learning is the best learning way for me. I do not do well in a lecture setting and I don't take in a lot of information when people are just talking at me. I like to be active in my learning and listening just doesn't cut it for me. I guess the choices I picked fell in the auditory section but I feel that I am more visual than auditory.

Webquests

      What is a webquest? A webquest is an online learning activity. All information is located online and links are provided for the student and the students are required to perform tasks. The students use the information to learn in a fun interesting way. As a teacher I can use webquests in many different ways. I feel that using webquests for history is a wonderful way to get the students actively involved in the learning process. In my opinion I could take a historic event that is not too exciting and turn it into a learning experience that my students find fun and exciting.

      Some of the pros of using webquests are that the students get the chance to work with computers, they provide all the information that is needed in one place, webquests have a narrow focus and clear requirements and descriptions of what is needed to be done, and are easy to use. One con of the use of webquest is the computer. When dealing with computers you always have to have backups just in case the internet is not working and you cannot reach your webquest.