1. Classroom Management: What is in a Name?

What's in a name? This is an important question when it comes to classroom management. How you address your students - and how you ask them to address you - can play a significant role in setting the tone of your classroom environment. Let's find out how some educators handle this aspect of teacher/student interaction. Use the following links to find a teacher chat room, message board, newsgroup, or e-mail list, then pose one or more of the questions below.

The Collaborative Classroom

K12.chat.teacher (Usenet newsgroup)

Teachnet.com

• Do you allow students to call you by your first name?
• How do you feel about students using Dr., Mr., Mrs. or Ms.? What about "sir" or "ma'am"?
• Do you address students with titles? nicknames? last names?
• Are you consistent with all students, or do gender, favoritism, or other factors play a role in how names are used?
• Do you address students by the names they request, or by ones you choose?

Write a summary of the answers you receive. What are the advantages and potential pitfalls of the various approaches? What role might grade level, age (of teacher), gender, social class, geographic area, or cultural background play in how names are used?

For an excellent collection of online resources related to classroom management, click here.

2. Cooperative Learning

Using the following links as source material, discuss cooperative learning and its potential effectiveness when applied to both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups. Why is it important to think about these issues when considering cooperative learning as a classroom strategy?

The Cooperative Learning Center at the University of Minnesota

Some Cooperative Learning Guidelines

3. Problem-Based Learning

To see how educators are using the Internet to carry out problem-based learning, visit the following Web site:

NetPBL: Collaborative Project-Based Learning (at the Global Schoolhouse)

After perusing the entire NetPBL site, choose a Project Example and use it to illustrate the five characteristics of problem-based learning discussed in your textbook: learner cooperation, higher-order learning, cross-disciplinary work, artifacts and exhibits, and authentic learning.

What do you think are the special issues teachers must consider when using the Internet for problem-based learning. What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of this approach?

4. Becoming Informed About the Job Market

There are dozens of sites on the Web that feature job listings and other employment resources for teachers. Although you are probably not yet available to take a teaching job, that does not mean that you should simply ignore these resources either. For this exercise, we suggest you use one or more of the following sites (you may use other sites if you prefer -- check this chapter's Web links for alternatives):

K12jobs.com

Education World Employment Listings

The Teacher's Employment Network

Teachers @ Work

Start your future job search now by perusing these sites and bookmarking your favorite job descriptions (try to collect at least 10). Which jobs did you bookmark? What characteristics do they have in common? Which jobs are you not interested in? What do they have in common? What has this process taught you about yourself?

5. Developing a Portfolio

This chapter introduced you to the concept of the teaching portfolio. The Webster University School of Education maintains a collection of on-line resources for teachers who want to know more about electronic portfolio construction. Click here to visit this site. Summarize the various electronic and on-line tools you can use to build your portfolio. How can the Internet help you to create a more powerful portfolio? What portfolio artifacts can you prepare and preserve online? What are the advantages and disadvantage of on-line or electronic portfolios?

6. Is Computer Technology Worth the Effort?

Using the following online resources for reference, write a brief paper that answers the question posed at the end of Chapter 13 -- namely, "Is computer technology worth the effort?" Wherever possible, use specific examples and research findings to support your position.

The Association of Curriculum and Supervision has a special report on technology at Smart Brief

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology (U.S. Department of Education)

Learning in the Real World

7. Wiring Up Schools, Charging Up Teachers

In this activity, you will begin to sort out the technological sophistication of the K-12 schools in your area. First determine which schools sponsor Web sites, and which do not. To do this, you may contact each school directly and/or use the following directories.

Yahoo! K-12 School Directory (by U.S. state)

Education World's School Directory

Then visit each site to assess its effectiveness and learn more about the sponsoring school.

Which schools and communities have the most effective Web pages? See if you can determine the reasons for these differences. For example, is one committed, technologically savvy teacher (or student!) responsible for the school's impressive Web site? Is there special funding from public or private sources? Is the school a magnet for technology? How is the relative wealth of the community a factor in the technological capabilities of the school?

For more on equity in educational technology, check out The Digital Divide from the U.S. Department of Education.