As the description suggests, this blog is a support tool for the CI 473 Course, English cohort at UIUC. I. Raúl A. Mora, am the instructor of record for this course in the spring semester, 2010.
This blog serves as the tool for one of the course assignments. Following is my description of the assignment on social bookmarking:
One of the new skills required from teachers in this new millennium is the ability to teach information search skills and critical thinking, especially in regards to what is available on the Web. For this assignment, every student in this class must find and review one website related to your content area. The goal is to have a bank of websites everybody can benefit from. You will write a review (of about 200-300 words) for the website you chose.
My rationale for this assignment is simple: There is a plethora of websites for teachers, featuring information on lesson plans, activities, concepts, materials, etc. Novice teachers are using the Internet and search engines more and more as a complementary, sometimes the main, resource for their daily teaching. However, Google cannot tell us what constitutes a trustworthy resource. There is where our expertise of the subject and our knowledge as teachers kicks in. This assignment has a bigger scope than just getting a grade. I have several goals for this activity:
(1) To have an extended network of high-quality websites that they can use with their students as soon as Student Teaching and beyond that.
(2) To improve on their information search skills so that, in turn, they can share that knowledge with students.
(3) To be able to have a tangible reference list that they can share with other teachers in years to come
(4) To learn to participate actively in an online community of practice.
I believe in helping my students develop the necessary tools for their success. I also believe that the development and enhancement of technological skills is a necessity to work with students who keep becoming technology savvy every day. I hope that this blog and the social bookmarking assignment to which this blog is linked will serve that purpose.
