Visit to Edith Bowen and Web Site Evaluations

Well, today in class we had the opportunity to go next door to an elementary school.  This elementary school is very well funded by the university because it is indeed a "laboratory school" hence the name "Edith Bowen Laboratory Elementary School".  Here, each classroom has at least 13 computers (Macs) and the exact classroom we went into had an ipod for every student in his classroom. Shocked? yes. I was too.  I think that it is pretty neat that he can find all of these crazy grants for his class to get all of these modern commodities.  He uses the ipods as a reading tool.  Remember all of those read-along tapes we used to listen to in elementary school? well  not anymore.  We are no longer in the tape or even the cd mode. We are upgrading to ipods....wow.  He had us go one on one with one of his students and his students showed us the ropes of learning in his classroom by showing us the computers...etc.  Those little guys know a lot. More than I do...which is kinda embarrassing.  but, I think that it was a great experience to go over to the school and see first hand how he is incorporating technology into today's classroom

On to blogging about the web site evaluations.  We had to look up four different web sites and use four different types of evaluations. All of the sites that I used to evaluate happened to all be very credential, which was pretty lucky for me.  The web evaluation sheets that I used were just fine...I don't really have a preference to which one I use.  They all got the job done.  However, as I get farther in my profession, I am sure that I will be able to form an opinion on what evaluations I like/dislike.  I thought that it was interesting, some of the forms brought to my attention some characteristics that web sites should definitely have.  It was crazy insane at how a web site can seem to be great and awesome, when in fact it may by giving you false info (hello Wikipedia).  There are times where I would and would not use an evaluation sheet.  Times that I would:  When it involves other teachers, students or parents, or school districts.  Times that I would not:  When I was just checking out the web site just for myself.  Well...there you have it. A couple of hours on Monday in the life of Chelsea.