Developing and Using Web-Based Learning Activities

"Web-based activities have great potential to enhance learning, but they are often time-consuming to develop and implement, and difficult to design in ways that have substantial, positive impacts on student learning." (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, pg. 238). Although there are difficulties within developing web-based learning activities, I think that it is worth the risk. Implementing these activities within the classroom takes time and dedication, as do most good things in life.

 As I was reading this week's chapter, I was relating a lot of the examples of web-based activities to my own life. The idea of electronic publishing scared me previous to this course; I have always liked my work to be between the teacher and I. Although I was hesitant, I was open to the idea and now see the benefits. Sharing your work with others encourages you to push yourself, as there now is a larger audience to impress.

 One thing that really stood out to me within this chapter were the strategies and resources for integrating the internet into curriculum. A great thing about the internet is having the ability to interact with those in different locations, and I think that this is extremely beneficial within a classroom setting (or any setting for that matter). One of the presented resources was Journey North, which allows students to share observations across the country on wildlife migration and seasonal change. Throughout these observations, students are able to track when spring is coming. Another resource I found interesting was Digital Storytelling: An ePals Project. Through this website students have the ability to share their customs and cultural norms through storytelling. Rather than learning about other cultures from a textbook, students can learn from another student who lives with those customs everyday. The other resource that stood out to me was Global Grocery List Project, which allows students to compare prices of groceries in different locations. This allows students to compare the cost of living in other regions versus their own and opens up a gateway for exploring costs for other necessities. Including web-based activities in the classroom not only allows growth for students, but for teachers as well. All of the resources that I discussed above are things that I would explore on my own time, without having to be in a classroom setting. Although I wasn't in elementary school too long ago, we did not participate in activities that came even close to these. Rather than observing migration and working collaboratively with those across the country, we simply learned what migration was and when it happened. The ability to relate learning with the physical changes that are occurring around us encourages students to become more involved.

 Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.