What suprised me in this exercise? (Classroom lessons & resources)

I was suprised at how much I knew about the basic tools in google. I have always considered myself a slow learner when it came to technology but after I found out that I knew a lot of basic's I felt a lot more positive about teaching google basic's and how to navigate the Internet to my students. I plan on using a lot more technolgy in my classroom as I learn more.

What will I do differently in class when assigning reading text online

Iam having my Earth Science students use the web to find and research at least 4 sites on 2012 and to come back to me with what they thought about the sites. I am using the article as a guide to show my students how to navigate the internet but I am asking them to tell me if the site is using Fact or Fiction based on what we have discussed so far. Then I will go back over the sites with them.

Julie Coiro Article

I found this article to be very interesting. From watching my Son and a lot of my students it never accured to me that they might be having difficulties in reading text on the internet. I also didn't know that frameworks for assessing technology literacy was part of No Child Left Behind. I have a hard time with all this technology stuff because of my old fashion ways. Technology in my mind as made are world very lazy. I learned more from having to do things like using a dictionary or reading and outlining text books that you had to go to the library to obtain to taking well organized notes on what you read. Now everthing can be done for you with a press of a button. I do find it amazing that so much is being done to help students understand online text and how to have success at it, how to navigate through web sites and how to know what is true and what is not.

Library of Congress Experience

After exploring the Library of Congess I came away with two thoughts on the site. The first is the site is not very helpful in regards to information that relates to the area that I teach which is Earth Science and Biology. I found one doucument called "Reclaiming the Everglades" that I could use in either teaching area. Other than that not much more. My secound thought was the site would be very helpful to me when it came to historical information.
One of my hobbies of interest is studying Ancient history and the Library of Congress had a lot of doucuments that provided a lot of interesting information and pictures. I think this would be a very helpful tool for any history teacher.