Inquiry Based Activity

I actually thoroughly enjoyed researching and creating the Inquiry Based Activity. To me it was something that I could easily see myself using in classes that I will teach. I did mine on the Peloponnesian War, between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta. This particular episode in history was an excellent choice. I first provided a websites that compared and contrasted the two cities. This was to give students background information (or a refresher course) on the two participates in the conflict. After answering a series of questions from that website, the students were directed to another website which discussed the basics of the Peloponnesian War. The students were required to answer another four questions. The last question took all the information they had learned through the course of the activity and write a paragraph as to which city they would rather have been a citizen (or member) of. I could easily use this same template to talk about topics throughout Ancient/World/US History.

Reviewing Websites

I found the process of reviewing academic websites to be an easy exercise, but that may have been the consequences of picking a really wonderful website. Due to my social studies background, I decided that I would use the Digital History website to review. I am really glad I did. It had tons of resources for both teachers and students alike; it was really interactive as well.

I can see why reviewing websites will become even more crucial as time goes on. My generation (I was born in 1989) was perhaps the last generation that will be able to remember collecting books and magazine articles to include in your next research paper. This is because we can all remember a time, though vaguely, before the internet. As the internet continues to grow and continues to increase the size of its digital library, it will become important for students to know how to navigate the internet to find appropriate sources for their own academic papers. Hopefully, we as teachers can do our part in assuring that our students do not believe everything they see on the internet. 

Course Expectations

I want to use this course to get a more concise understanding of how I can use technology to enhance my teaching ability. With this knowledge, I will be able to engage the next generation through technology, something that they have grown up around.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog: Clicking through TPTE 486!

Through the Summer semester of 2013, I will use this blog to reflect on my time taking the TPTE 486 course at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Enjoy!