Courtney+Mense

=Background Information:= I'm Courtney Mense. I'm a senior in Secondary English.

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=Biography= My level of technology experience includes taking Tech Lit in high school and using iTunes. My computer runs on Windows Vista and I don't know how to use it. I think Technology is vital to the classroom because it's a big part of students' lives and so it is a more appealing form of learning for them. Also it's a new subject in itself and crucial for the job market and everyday life.

=Contact Information:= hicrtny@ku.edu

=Horror Story:= These generally involve porn. Weird. Finding porn on my step-brother's computer, being sent porn, etc.

=I want to learn:= I want to learn how to add my name to the people page. And make an online resume. And make myself a teaching resource that catalogs sites with information I want to use and don't know how to organize.

=Assignments=

Web Exemplars
Christopher Columbus activity:

To search for websites on Christopher Columbus I went to google.com and made sure to put his name in quotations so that I only had hits referring to his specific name. The first site that I saw was Wikipedia and I always like it for quick reference but a few pages down I found a link to the fact files of the National Maritime Museum. In the center there were headings like “What did Columbus Do?” or “What did he use?” so that the information I might have been looking for would have been easily located. There were also tabs on the sides that linked to other entries about Columbus and suggestions for additional searches that would lead to more information. There was a toolbar across the top with the sites information and also specific links for students or for teachers. It had a lot of resources and suggestions for online activities. http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.137

The other site I tried was some random information page probably completed as a school assignment. It had no addition links and was very plain and uninteresting looking. The information was in blocks and didn’t have headings and if I was an ADD school kid sitting around for 8 hours a day I wouldn’t focus on it at all. There were two pictures that were small and uninteresting.

http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/c-Columbus/columbus.html 

Policy
__Motivations __:  I have decided to incorporate a Wikispace into our classroom curriculum. I feel that integrating technology into our typically book and paper oriented schedule will give us a refreshing new method of learning about English. Additionally because you all are so talented with technology, especially the internet and computers, I think that you will be able to help me understand more about effective learning methods. Most importantly, by having a classroom Wikispace we can all interact with each other and the material much more comprehensively.  __Behavior Expectations __:  Thanks to the history function, your actions are all documented and recorded. If you feel you might get into trouble for something you might choose to add to the Wikispace, you best not do it. I expect students to edit their own information and build their own pages and not interfere with fellow students’ spaces. Any misogynist or racially insensitive language will not be tolerated. Students are to remain on task and aware of due dates and assignments and post them correctly by the deadlines. Whether this meaning checking the Wiki once a day or once a week is individually relevant.  __Student Use __:  Students may use the Wikispace to post their assignments and access class information. If you have struggled with the class lecture you are encouraged to utilized the discussion board function and ask fellow students for clarification. Additionally if you felt passionate about the days discussion and wish to continue you may proceed via the Wiki. Yeah Right. Students may use the Wiki for access to the schedule and syllabus if they are confused about due dates or content. Students may also add any information they find relevant to the class and may decorate the Wiki as they so choose as long as the content is appropriate.  __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Evaluation __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Assignments posted on the Wiki will be evaluated the same way that assignments turned in manually will be. Grades will be based on content and effort put in as well as grammar and word choice. If you have trouble navigating or understanding the Wiki you will not be penalized.

Bad Wiki, Bad
<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Students will use the Wiki To/For: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Surfing the internet for the best porn and then sharing it with the whole class. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Posting personal information in the hopes of attaining a date. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Creating a comprehensive instructional site about how to bomb the school. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Posting personal and hurtful information about other classmates in the hopes of humiliating them.

Wiki Project
http://301ku.wikispaces.com/kulanguagearts

Partner: Samantha Rist