Assignment #4

I created a website for my final project. It is a site that is meant to be accessible to both students and parents. The URL is, http://mbharrold.webs.com/.

This was such a helpful learning experience for me. Creating something like this was always on my list of things that I wanted to do, however I felt a bit intimidated about it. Now that I have had the opportunity to do it, I realize that there are a lot of technology things that I can do...not only do but do well. Once I started creating my site I began to get more and more creative. I had many ideas pop into my head and decided to include some of these on my site. It was hard for me to choose a stopping point. If this were a real site for my real classroom, I would be adding and changing things at least once a week. I hope everyone who looks at my site enjoys the material I included and finds it helpful.

The technology features that my site incorporates include:

• wiki's
• multi-page website
• blog

(Ideally I would like to include other items, like video's students make for various projects...etc. There are just so many possibilities!)

I decided to create my project and then see where it fit into the NETS standards. This was I was creating what I wanted to create without putting myself in a box. But after finishing my project and then looking at the standards, I realize that my project covers so many of them!

For the NETS-T it covers:

• 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity- I have included projects on my site that require student participation. These projects invite students to be creative, innovative, and responsible.
• 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments- The interactive parts of my site are set up in such a way so that my students need to use 'digital tools' to completes the assignments. The projects allow for my students different learning styles to be addressed.
• 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning- By using a web site, I am involving parents into the education of their children. They can use the web site to contact me as well as a means to get involved. This site acts as a way for me to communicate effectively to both parents and students.

For the NETS-S it covers:

• 1. Creativity and Innovation- By requiring students to participate in activities on the web site such as writing activities, they are gaining experience in both the use of digital tools and writing.
• 2. Communication and Collaboration- Student projects on the site include a class collaborative story created by putting together writing from each student. Another project requires students to answer weekly question which are submitted to me. This is a way for students to communicate with each other as well as individually with the teacher.
• 5. Digital Citizenship- By introducing the wiki feature to students, they are required to use responsible decisions when adding their content and not disturb the content posted by other students.

I have realized that the NETS standards are a wonderful guide for teachers. They don't require anything that isn't doable. Just by creating my project and then looking at the standards, I have covered have of the NETS-T and the NETS-S.

This project has been a great learning experience. I now feel a lot more confident about using technology in the classroom. We are to the point in our society where technology needs to be a central point in our classroom learning environment. I now feel as though I will be able to do this smoothly.