Context:

This assignment was prepared in the Fall semester of 2005 for my CI3750 Integrating Technology class.  I created to webpage on my own, but collaborated with Caroline Seufert and  Morgan Gill on the Media Literacy Project.  We designed an interview to do across three grade levels and worked together to find research.

Impact:

Having created a webpage, I now feel prepared to use such a resource in my future classroom as a contact for parents, as well as for educational purposes with my class.  I can use a webpage to post homework, as well as provide helpful articles, research, and resources for the parents of my future students.  I can also use a webpage to provide interesting websites and helpful resources for my future students, as well as post classroom assignments, such as the Story Pictures assignment on my webpage. Using a webpage will help me maintain contact with parents, and it will also help me to incorporate technology into my classroom practices.

Alignment:

NETS-T II-B- In designing the Media Literacy part of this webpage, I had to do research on how young people's body image is affected by what they see in the media.  This is a pertinent issue in teaching, as a child's self-worth affects their learning.  As a teacher, I should be aware of issues that affect my students so I can adapt to these things in my classroom and anticipate problems that might occur with a student.  By using online resources for research, I used technology to help my teaching, as well as to inform myself, so that I could, in turn, be sensitive to issues that will affect the learning environment of my classroom.

• NETS-T II-C:  As part of this assignment, I had to find websites suitable for parents, students, and homework help.  In order to find helpful and pertinent resources, I had to search the web and identify which sources would be appropriate for my needs in creating this webpage.  I also took care to make sure these sources were from institutions or had information that was reliable for the webpage's viewers.  These sources can be seen in the Homework Page that was created.

• NETS-T II-E:  The use of a webpage in my classroom will enhance students' technology learning, as well as be a helpful resource in answering questions.  Because I will have my students referencing this website for help on homework and other assignments, as well as interacting with websites provided for learning in a subject area, this demonstrates a strategy for managing student learning in a technology-enhanced classroom.

• NETS-T IV-B:  In the Media Literacy study, I gathered background research on the web for substantiating why I thought this would be a helpful study.  I then created questions and used a variety of images, including some found on the web, to collect data about the subject (body image).  After collecting the data, I will report it on my webpage for others to view.  This data will be helpful in my teaching because it is a relative and serious issue concerning children in today's society.  Being knowledgeable and mindful of such an issue will help me in developing my instruction to maximize student learning.

• NETS-T V-A:   I used technology to develop a useful resource (a teacher webpage) that I can use in my future classroom.  I also collected information and learned about an issue that is facing young children in today's society, as well as compared my findings across the elementary school grades, so I could gain a better understanding of how this issue affects different aged students. By doing all of this, I am growing as a professional in my technology proficiency, as well as in my awareness of my future students.

• NETS-T VI-A:  In developing this webpage, I attached and had completed parental consent forms so that the ethical use of photos and videos of students would be implemented.  I also sited websites as useful resources instead of claiming the data and ideas as my own.  In doing these things, I have demonstrated the legal and ethical responsibilities it takes to use a webpage for classroom use.

• NETS-T VI-C:  In researching an issue on the web for the Media Literacy project, I am addressing the issue of the diverse needs and concerns of my students.  I also attached a Spanish version of the parental consent form so that Spanish-speaking parents would still be able to understand what I am asking of their child in my classroom.