Funding sponsored by:
www.qad.com
Click here to view the project resources.
Project Description: Students use the internet as a source for 21st Century Research opportunities. They then learn how to create a website (on a free website builder website, wix.com) to publish and present their research on a given topic. (The example for this grant is based around a research project on Greek Mythology).
How it works: The major goals of the project are as such:
1. Complete a Research Project on Greek Mythology by using the world wide web as one s resouce.
2. Learn how to build a website from a free online website builder.
3. Learn how to sensor information on the world wide web for reputability.
4. Learn how to properly cite sources of information in a Bibliography or as a Citations page with information taken from the world wide web as part of your research in proper MLA format (with the help of an online Bibliography and Citations Maker website).
Assessment: My Website Evaluation Rubric is used to grade the website and all of the information on the website. The teacher grades the website for a grade, however, the students will also grade each other, and their grades for each other will be used for teeter-totter grades, when the teacher s grade is between, say, an A- and a B+. Also, Cornell Notes are graded to check for information that will be written on each page of the website (these Cornell Notes are checked after Lesson 2 and before Lesson 3, to check for student understanding and accuracy about the topic.
Standards: The Standards I Will Use Reflect My Ninth Grade ELA Curriculum
National Educational Technology Standards (NETS)
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
English Language-Arts Standards
1.0 Writing Strategies
-Organization and Focus
-Research and Technology
-Written and Oral Language Conventions: Grammar and Mechanics
2.0 Reading Comprehension: (Focus on Informational Materials and Non-Fiction)
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis
2.0 Writing Applications
- 2.2 Deliver expository presentations:
d. Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and display
information on charts, maps, and graphs.
Estimated Number of Class Periods for Students To Complete Unit: 9 Class Periods
What you need: Internet access.
Software or Materials Used:
Website Builder-Wix.com
Automatic Bibliography and Citation Maker Website- Easybib.com
Evaluating a Website to make sure it s credible:
Researching Credible Websites Rubric-http://www.nhema.net/rubric.pdf
Student examples of a completed project:
#1
http://www.wix.com/v3r0l0v3/greek-project
#2
http://www.wix.com/swmmr0013/swmmr0013
Keywords: Student Websites, Website builder, free website maker, research project, student research, Greek Mythology, 21st Century Learning, Technology Units
The Students: Target student age/level: Approx. 4th grade through 12th grade. And/or Adult Education. Basically, the age where the teacher feels that the students are competent or can grasp basic computer technology as per 2010. (i.e. using the internet, navigating the internet, using Microsoft Word-or something comparable, understanding how to work with drag and drop templates (i.e. how to drag a picture you have into a template using the mouse.
Overall Value: Though the world has moved into the 21st Century, not everybody has moved with it. However, being that educations mission is to educate, this should be the place where we move our students with the pace of the current movements in the working, "real," world. Though this is not easy to do at all school sites at all times; however, if a teacher can find a computer lab, and either has the knowledge to share about technology with the students, or, is he/she is willing to let students go "press buttons" to find out how the technology works, the journey to the unknown gives us the opportunities to find the questions we need to then go in search of what needs to be known. Like traveling, the journey into the technological world is only scary until you're there, and then you find that you do have the skills necessary to begin, and you can build upon simple skills to learn the complex. The best feature, in my opinion, about this unit is that it exposes and teaches student
s how to create their 21st Century work space, a website, which is becoming more and more of a necessity each day. Instead of having to spend thousands of dollars to have a website built for their company someday, students will be on the opposite end, not only building their own websites, but also having the opportunity to sell websites too, if they choose.
Subject Area: English
Grade Levels: Grades 4 - 12
Tips for the Teacher: You may want to leave the topic more open-ended when you create your assignment guidelines. Obviously, the internet is vast in it's options. My assignment was Greek Mythology, but the guidelines were open from there. This lead to completely different websites, which lead to more information for us to share later about the main topic (Greek Mythology).
