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(1) Evaluating Internet Resources: Most of what is posted on the Internet has never been subjected to the rigors of peer review common with many traditional publications. Students must learn to evaluate the reliability of information of the websites they visit.

Select two websites that provide information about a topic related to your curriculum. Cite the URLs and names of both sites and explain which is more reliable using evaluation criteria.

The Alamo: http://www.americanwest.com/pages/alamo.htm

This webpage was courtesy of the Texas State travel office, and was more of a resource to other links concerning the topic, which may or may not have all been reliable sources. It includes an email from a viewer who was pleased with her experience on the site. I found the arrangement to look for amateurish, compared to the other site below.

The Official Alamo Site: http://www.thealamo.org/This webpage was arranged very nicely, with flash imaging, and imbedded resources that comprehensively discuss the Alamo. The webpage had a contact page that had a comprehensive list of individuals working and associated with the Alamo’s museum, and the content on the page was professionally organized and written more academically than the previous site.

Using the evaluation criteria, I would say the latter page was more reliable.

(2) Research with Electronic References: Since we live in the Information Age, it is particularly important that teachers are able to access and evaluate information to prepare accurate, up-to-date lessons, and to teach their students the principles of electronic research. In this activity you will examine a variety of electronic references in your quest to acquire information for lessons or other professional activities.

Identify two topics to research using electronic references (broadcast news, almanacs, quotations, etc.). Research the first topic using at least one resource from each of five categories of electronic resources. Repeat the process with the second topic, using references from five additional categories. Include the URL, name of the resource, key information acquired, and a screen capture from each resource. (See examples of research ideas).

Identify the special features (e.g. hypertext linking of terms, Boolean search capabilities, archival search, knowledge tree, downloadable movies, online audio transcripts, animations, translations, reference lists, printer-friendly output, multimedia links, PDA or bookreader download, visible directory structure, etc.)

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of each of the reference tools you have used. List criteria for determining the authenticity of information on a website. Compare and contrast electronic references with their traditional paper

counterparts. Discuss at least ten tasks or features that are possible with electronic resources that are not possible with traditional paper resources.

Develop a lesson plan that incorporates electronic references. Your lesson plan should require students to use two or more electronic references to address a specific curricular objective.

1. The topics I will research relating to U.S. History are: The Civil War and the National Parks System.

The Civil WarWikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address(encyclopedias)

Task and comparison to paper:-the advantage of sites like this compared to traditional encyclopedias in paper form is that students can find the information remarkably faster, and as a result conduct a broader amount of research. Because this website is notoriously unreliable, one task students could perform would be to do an information check assignment, where they would be required to find two additional resources and see if all three share consistent information on their topic.

The Gettysburg address is one of the most famous speeches in U.S. history, and this page has several links to more information on the history surrounding Pres. Lincoln’s well-known speech. I learned that the speech was given after the town successfully created a cemetery for the thousands of soldiers killed in the Battle of Gettysburg, and Lincoln’s presence was almost an afterthought—but became one of the most important and inspiring speeches in American history. The site had good search capabilities, hyperlinks to information within the document, and other popular search

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terms. Nevertheless, it is not that reliable, given that it is written by contributors, and not properly edited by official experts on information.

Behind the Namehttp://www.behindthename.com/(dictionaries)

Task and comparison to paper:-This information is simply not as accessible through traditional texts. Students would be required to purchase book that share similar background info, and the advantage of this site is that names and translations are being updated contiguously.I would have students group up in three, and interview their partners and then write a biography of their peer, including a family tree, and background info on the origin of their name.

Lincoln’s name has an English origin and means city by the lake in welsh, where lynn means lake, and coln means colony. This site was a bit limiting in the kind of names you can look up, but for important searches, it is a good site. There weren’t that many links attached to the searches, and very weak on animation and graphics. Still, the way the source breaks down names is accurate, as I checked one name against a n online translator, using latin.

Chronology of US documentshttp://www.law.ou.edu/hist/(almanacs)

Task and comparison to paper:-This website is superior to paper for its access to specific text per assignments. Instead of having to find printed text of the confederacy’s constitution, and making copies, I could assign them to search this website, and compare this document to the nation’s original constitution. The assignment could include a comparison to other nation’s

I used this site to look up the preamble of the Confederacy’s constitution, created after the southern slave state seceded from the Union. It was interesting to see that most of the language was borrowed from the original US

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constitutions and students could develop powerpoint slides.

constitution, which makes sense given that this was a new American government—the main difference being a larger focus on states rights. The webpage was designed by a University law school, and had a clean navigable website for information on U.S. legal documents., with a good number of links to graphics and images related to the search. The banner was able helpful in being able to quickly move to the beginning of certain sections of the searched document.

New York Times linked me to Rainfall:http://www.rainfall.com/posters/mapscivilwar/catalog1.htm(national and international news)

Task and comparison to paper:-This would be a little more difficult to develop for an online assignment, unless students had screen capture abilities. In that case, it would be cool to have students find a map, capture it, print a copy, and then research the changes from a current map, which could be found also online. The advantages to having the students do map work online is that, as in cases like google maps, students can be more interactive with the features of the map as they purview it. Paper copies tear, are difficult for students to refer back to, and in general are more difficult

This was a cool website where I could view old restored maps of the Civil War, and then order them, which would be good for classroom decorations. The site lists prices, but you can view thumbnail images of the item before purchasing. There were other old maps, such as railroad maps from the 19th century, as well, that were of interest.

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to work with.NYTimes is a great webpage, with good Boolean search capabilities, but as for a history resource, its main resource is linking to other websites, which are often commercial and thus rooted in sales, not free information.

Quotelandhttp://www.quoteland.com/(quotations)

-I would have students create new speeches, pulling parts of famous speeches and combining them into a cohesive “new speech”. Other students would have to be able identify the different excerpts and where their origin.-Again, this activity is superior for its cut and paste dependence, and ability to perform Boolean searches for specific clauses of famous speeches.

This was a great resource for identifying famous quotes. I looked up Abraham Lincoln and was able to discover a whole cache of his quotes, beyond the most famous ones that would be helpful in broadening student understanding of this famous President.

I found this site to have a cheesy, sort of amateurish design. It felt like quotes were just a fun way to discover humor, and not a serious resource. But, then the quotes I discovered appeared to be accurate and reliable.

National Parks

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American Memory Map Collectionshttp://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/nphtml/nphome.html(world or interactive maps)

Task and comparison to paper:-Using a site like this could be a great way for students to research several parks simultaneously, where they could compare key information, such as establishment dates, size, locale, and natural features. They could cut and copy images of the parks, and create a comparison poster, or a powerpoint presentation.

This was a nice resource for seeing different maps of U.S. National Parks. It had good links to view hiking information, historical information, and geographic details. It is a .gov site, which was reliable and easy to navigate. Students would be able to use this site without much qualification from me in order to learn about the history and geography of the National Park system.

Reagan Presidential libraryhttp://www.reaganlibrary.net/(book from a library)

Task and comparison to paper:-This could be a beneficial site for students to use the universal access features of their computers and create computer generated speeches from information from a Presidential library. Students could group up and visit the many Presidential libraries, find a speech, and paste into their voice over universal access programs. Again, not something nearly as engaging or interesting than working with paper copies of the speeches.

A good resource for information on the Reagan administration’s legacy. The National Library itself, although privately endowed, is an example of public space used for the public good, which is the principle behind National Park endowment.

Naturally, the website has a lot of bias, as it is a celebration of a partisan icon in President Reagan. If I were to use this in a classroom, it would be key to qualify this potential bias, and instead have it used for purposes of studying perspective. The website is laid out well, and has most of the information in an accessible layout.

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Internet Public Libraryhttp://www.ipl.org/(Public Domain Text)

Task and comparison to paper:-Students could do an assignment where they have to create flags for a new country, incorporating traditional flags from different Native American tribes and the red, white and blue. They could do this through a graphic editing program, such as adobe photoshop.

This is a good place to access a collection of websites collated for specific subjects. I was able to look at native maps and flags of the U.S. including Native American collections. I was also able to search in the outdoor recreation sub-headings to locate additional, non-government sponsored information on nature trails, lakes, and public park areas accessible through hyperlinks.

The site is not foolproof, as some sites linked from it are not necessarily proven and reliable, and will often lead you to commercial webpages, with commercial and business agendas. This could be used in ways, if I had the time to identify PDTs that were reliable and useable for classroom activities and assignments.

Google Mapshttp://maps.google.com/(Topographic Maps)

Task and comparison to paper:

I like the idea of designing an assignment where students would have to find historical information along a route from L.A. to a national park, like Bryce Canyon in Utah. They would have to find the highway route, and research the original roads that travelled that way, when the park was discovered by white men, how it became protected,

This is great site for having students get a better idea of what national parks look like, where they are located, how long it would take to get there, what highways to drive, etc.

Google maps is reliable, especially for something as big as National Parks, where accuracy is not as important, in terms of street address numbers,

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and its cultural history. They could design travel history brochures, where they provide contrasting information from the present and past to get a visitor to Bryce Canyon.-This assignment could go so many places as a result of the internet, and would be only limited by fold out maps, and print outs.

which is sometimes off with regard to locating my apartment in the middle of an urban area exactly with the satellite photos. The site is great to give students a picture of what the canyon looks like from aerial views. This would be nice for the sake of learning about areas that students might not get a chance to visit first hand.

Los Angeles Times Travel http://travel.latimes.com/destinations/lake-tahoe(Local News)

Task and comparison to paper:

-Students could read about the locations from a critic’s perspective, and then try and write their own “review” of a local park in California. Again, the interactive quality of using the website would be helpful for students. Students could create a variety of graphics to attach to the critique that would be superior to just a word processing assignment.

This website, given its national recognition and readership, is a reliable source for students working in social studies. They can identify current event articles, and the paper has numerous sections for specific assignment ideas. There is an abundance of hyperlinks to additional information, and For my National Parks unit, I visited the Travel section, and was able to find good stories on the Sierra Nevada, and Yosemite, in particular. Again, you run into some advertisements, and commcerical agendas on the LA Times, but used in the right way, students could learn from their local paper and more specifically about local regions and features.

(3) Educational Research: Teachers should be familiar with research related to the teaching of their discipline. The Educational Research Database (ERIC) provides access to abstracts from numerous educational publications, and is the best place to start when conducting educational research.

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Find two or more abstracts of recent, relevant articles related to the use of technology in the teaching of your subject. Summarize implications for the teaching of your subject. Cite the articles using APA format., and include the text of the abstracts.

Abstract 1:The article reports on the outcomes of the MITTEN Program, which explored how the planned integration of new forms of technology affects instruction in social studies in elementary, middle and high schools. The key to the program's success was its provision for training in emerging technologies for educators and its facilitation of collaboration between people in different fields. It provides opportunities for educators to share resources and learn together. The integration of technology has also increased the level of student interest.

Taylor, Julie and Duran, Mesut (2006). Teaching social studies with technology: New research on collaborative approaches. History Teacher,40,1, 9-25.

Abstract 2:The article focuses on the position of the National Council for the Social Studies on the issue of integrating technology with social studies in the U.S. in the twenty-first century. The organization emphasizes the need to demonstrate and research how effective use of technology enhances social studies teaching and learning. But amid the stringent regulatory environment, the group needs to consider the relation between the standards movement and the use of such tools. To establish a basis for the appropriate infusion of technology in the field, the following guidelines were formulated: extension of learning beyond what could be done without technology, introduction of technology in context, and provision of opportunities for the study of relationships among science, technology and society.

Board of Directors (2006). NCSS position statement: Technology position statement and guidelines. Social Education, 2006, 70, 5, 329-332.

Implications for Social StudiesThe integration of technology into the teaching of social studies has only broadened opportunities for students to get varied access to content. At the same time, technology needs to be integrated in a manner that still adheres to the objectives of the class, whether determined by state standards, or school charter. The first article discusses the need for collaboration between different disciplines in order to facilitate a comprehensive use of technology in the classroom throughout the school. The second article focuses on how to best integrate technology, while still sustaining practices that do not use technology, and how to adhere to standards throughout the process. Students are evermore exposed to technology as they grow up, in the form of media, computers, and hand held devices. As a result, teachers need to be all the more dynamic in order to sustain student attention. The challenge is still keeping standards of content at the highest level, despite the paradox of studying aspects of antiquity through the lense of modernity.

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(4) Online Academic Journals: A growing number of academic journals are available online, some of which are free, and others of which require a subscription.

Find an electronic journal related to your subject and include a screen capture of a relevant article. Briefly summarize the article.

Administrators should be familiar with the legal code as it pertains to education. Research a legal case relevant to education in secondary schools and include a screen capture from this case. Briefly summarize the case. *PTP-tip The PTP requires that "Candidates for a Teaching Credential understand and honor legal and professional obligations to protect the privacy, health, and safety of students, families, and other school professionals. They are aware of and act in accordance with ethical considerations and they model ethical behaviors for students. Candidates understand and honor all laws relating to professional misconduct and moral fitness." You may wish to cite relevant laws or cases as an aspect of an artifact for TPE 12.

I found this article in the Journal of Refugee Studies. The online journal covers current former immigration and refugee policies world-wide, but also specifically in North America. This article was about the growing trend of refugees ending up in urban areas and how this affects social programs, urban development programs, and general response systems in cities and urban areas to displaced persons.

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This website is a fantastic resource for case law. I was able to enter a general search for education cases, and learned about Board of Ed. V. Pico where a school board attempted to remove books deemed inappropriate and “anti-American” from its shelves. A student brought suit, and it reached the Supreme Court, where the case was decided on the issue of the 1st Amendment. The SC ruled in favor of Pico and the 1st Amendment, declaring that ultimately the board’s “discretionary power is secondary to the transcendent imperatives of the First Amendment.” This is an important case for my subject in that it protects teachers and students from being able to determine literature for their classes.

(5) Locating multimedia teaching resources: At many libraries, teachers can obtain cards which give them special privileges as educators, including the ability to check our more resources and keep them longer. Teachers can check out books, CDs, DVDs and and videos.

Find a video related to the teaching of your course in the Los Angeles Public Library System (or other public library system), CSUN main library, or the CSUN Teacher Curriculum Center. Describe the video resource and its call number, and if possible, find a teacher study guide for the video by performing an Internet search.

I located a DVD set on Lewis and Clark, by Ken Burns, which is a fantastic movie to show students when discussing the beginning of western expansion, and the adventures associated with first contact with Native Americans in the west. I have included screen

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capture of the web resource to create a comprehensive video guide, or use for student activities in conjunction with the film.

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