I think this standard wants me to recognize the importance behind using technology to

enhance student’s learning through effective teacher instruction. Additionally, it is important to

understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate activities for either elementary

or middle school children. When technology is inappropriately used within a lesson plan, it

simply distracts from the major concepts. Thus, not only must the Web 2.0 applications be

appropriate for 5th graders in my lesson, but they must also be appropriate for social studies,

more specifically relative to the American Revolution. I also think it wants me to recognize that

the lesson must sufficiently credit the associated documentation since particular applications may

be copyrighted.

The artifact I chose for this standard is a lesson plan incorporating a Web 2.0 application

within it, appropriately chosen for elementary school children. For the lesson plan, I explored

numerous Web 2.0 applications that could be used with social studies lessons. There were a large

variety of applications available, including both concept maps and timelines. In the end, I chose

to incorporate both of those options into a lesson plan reviewing the American Revolution. By

using both concept maps and timelines, not only will students be able to review the major events

of the American Revolution through different methods, but teachers will also be able to assess

the students differently. While some may do exceptionally well on one of the assignments, they

may not be able to relay their knowledge as strongly through the other assignment, yet as a

teacher, I will still be able to learn where each individual students’ comprehension stands

currently. Overall, through the lesson plan, I have “explored, evaluated, and used

computer/technology resources including applications, tools, educational software and associated

documentation” in order to support my instruction revolving around a review of the American

Revolution.
 Through my research into Web 2.0 applications, I was exposed to a wide variety of

interactive applications and educational software that could be used to engage students even

further in the learning process. I now have a better understanding of the variability among web

applications and tools. Not only would incorporating Web 2.0 applications boost the appeal of

the lesson to elementary school children, but it also has the potential to make grading simpler

and more environmental friendly. However, I do realize, as a prospective teacher, that it would

be crucial for me to remain up-to-date with technology in order to use computer and technology

resources to the best of my ability.

By exploring technology resources for social studies lessons, I feel more prepared to

teach and learn in a diverse society. While many people may interpret ‘diverse’ as an ethnically

and racially diverse environment, I have interpreted “Diverse Society” in terms of varying

learning types for students, such as auditory versus visual learners. The wide variety of computer

and technology resources offer multisensory applications, reaching out to all students. More

specifically, the concept map and timeline applications primarily reach out to visual learners. It is

important for me to understand that students learn in different manners in order to prepare myself

in the best way for a diverse group of students. I look forward to using this knowledge in my

future and am confident that my future experiences will furthermore building upon these

understandings as well.