Brandy Burns

SLM521

Course Module

Interest Forums

 

 

 

Interest Forums - 30 points

 

Objective:  After completing this activity, participants will understand the purpose of interest forums on the internet, and learn how to access them and utilize them for daily living.

 

Objective: Participants will integrate appropriate interest forums in lesson planning and classroom activities.

 

 

Introduction: Do you have a certain affinity for Volkswagens?  Or are you quite keen on the art of basket weaving?  Do you often wish there was someone out there that shared your interest, yet your friends and family think you are a little over the top?

 

Interest forums exist on all sorts of interests, no matter how off-the-wall.  The purpose of this activity is to learn how to access forums and utilize them in the best way for your interest and lifestyle, so that they may be used as a tool for the classroom, basket weaving, or any other unconventional hobby you may have or wish to have…a stamp collection perhaps?

 

 

Reading: Read the following article to give you a brief overview of the purpose of the internet forum, as well as how to go about it.  This article is great for those of you who are new to this concept:  How to Use an Internet Forum - http://www.ehow.com/how_2299710_use-internet-forum.html

 

 

Activity: This activity's goal is to familiarize the participant with ways to use search engines to find interest forums of various topics.  The sky is the limit!  Be creative.  What was your favorite hobby in high school or college that you let expire because you lost the time?  Use this activity to help rekindle that old flame.  For educators, you may use your grade level or favorite subject area to search for forums that could appropriately supplement your classroom activities.

 

View the links below and visit the sites that are examples of forums.  Use your discretion when viewing these sites, click around and see what you like and what you don't, what is helpful and what is not. 

 

VW Vortex - http://forums.vwvortex.com/

          This forum is the place for Volkswagen enthusiasts to share experiences, ask and answer questions and indulge in all things VW!

 

U.S. Politics Online - http://www.uspoliticsonline.com/  

          This is a place to discuss politics and get things off your chest, or to become exposed to different sides of a debate.

 

Elementary Education - http://forums.atozteacherstuff.com/forumdisplay.php?f=8

          This site includes all elementary grades, subject areas and all things teacher. 

 

Dave's Garden - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/weaving/all/

          This forum is a basket weaving forum that shows new was to make and use baskets.  (I really was serious about the basket weaving!)

 

Then use some of your fine-tuned search engine skills to develop queries that will direct you to forums of your own interests.  Educators may find a grade level or appropriate subject area; others may rediscover that old long-gone hobby. 

Remember to try different search queries to get the best results:

·         Elementary education forums

·         Education forums

·         Stamp forums

·         Stamp-collector forums

·         Basket weavers anonymous forum

 

Often, you have to register in the particular forums in order to comment.  Feel free to do this in order to have the best experience possible. 

 

 

 

Assignment:  Your responsibility is to create a list of 6 forums that spark your interests.  Review the forums, click around, and find ones that best suit your personality and area of interest.  The first 5 forums should be suited to your personality and area of interest.  The sixth should be the wackiest, weirdest, or silliest forum you came across in your searches (please keep it PG-rated and appropriate!) 

 

 

Assignment Specifications: The entire list of 6 should contain a thorough review of the forum, the reason you picked it and/or your favorite aspect of the forum, if you would use it in a classroom activity or lesson planning and how it would be integrated or if it is for purely entertainment purposes, the date you visited the forum, and a live link and a visible URL.  

Please keep each review between 100 and 200 words.

 

Include appropriate clip art and photos to each forum review to enrich your searching and designing.

 

Remember to be concise in your descriptions and think about the do's and dont's of web pages we've discovered as a class.

 

Follow the rubric below for grading. 

 

Anything goes with this assignment.  Have fun!

 

 

 

Submission - Save your document as an html file and submit it to the class FTP folder, as well as create a link for your personal web pages.  Please email me the attachment as a Word document to notify me of your completion.  Also, post your hyperlink to the class discussion board so that others may view and comment your findings.

 

 

Rubric: Use the rubric to fully understand assessment.

 

 

Proficient

Emergent

Unacceptable

Reviews

 

6 reviews are exemplary, follows length guidelines and appropriate description.  Life applications are obvious.  Live links and URLs included

6 reviews are par, almost follows length guidelines and meets most content guidelines. Life application is murky.  Most include links and URLs.

Less than 6 reviews, disregarded length guidelines, unmet content guidelines.  No life application given.  Live links and URLs are missing or ineffective.

Clip Art/Graphics

Includes 6 or more appropriate clip art or graphics

Includes less than 6 appropriate clip art or graphics

Includes inappropriate or no clip art or graphics

Design

Information is interesting and applicable; page is attention-grabbing, uncluttered and easy to read.

Information is interesting; page is crowded and challenging to read.

Information is uninteresting, inapplicable; page is unreadable.

 

 

 

 

ISTE Standards:  This activity meets the following ISTE standards for teachers:

 

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

b.     develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:

a.      demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

(from site: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm)