Blog #8

Reading 1
The World Wide Web: Databases
Using a database to assist your classroom can be very helpful. In this article it talks about how you can use them to post homework questions to a database that is similar to a discussion board. I have used a system similar to this in one of my classes where we were required to summaries our readings each weekend. I think that this helped to ensure that the students were completing their reading assignment and also sometimes the discussions would go beyond the original question and this would show extended learning on the subject. Being able to communicate with your students from a computer allows more of a connection between teachers and students. If a student is sick or misses school they can still get the information that they missed by going to the classroom website. Security is always a question for these sites but if you are careful as to what information you include and do not post any identifying item online (use a pin name instead of a students real name) than you should be able to avoid and compromising of the site.

Reading 2
Database can be used in every subject that is taught. Any collection of data can be organized and put into a database. Depending on what kind of database you use will determine what the child can get with the information. If you use a classroom database in your science class the students would be able to see what results the other students got from their experiments as well as their own. When writing a paper you can use a database to organize facts that you come across in your readings. You can also have the students work as a group to complete the information for their database. This can teach them how to collaborate with their fellow students.

Reading 3
One thing about databases is that you can enter all your information and then have the computer manipulate it into very different conclusions. A lot of the time you will see connections that might of otherwise gone unnoticed. It is almost like you are working with the words best organizer as your work partner. You figure out what questions to ask and which ones are relevant and the computer organizes the information for you in a split second. Databases help students realize what information is important to a particular assignment. It helps them begin to sort information and pick out key points when they are gathering information.

Databases
When you look at the possibilities for using databases in a classroom they are endless. Not only can you track each current student you can also track how you are doing as a teacher year after year. Databases organize information that in the past would have taken hours or even days of work. You can even see how other teachers are doing in comparison to your class if they also post their databases. It is wonderful for collecting information on students before a parent conference or a meeting with principal for your review. Understanding that each year will be different when you teach, databases can help you see when you need to change your teaching strategies. You can keep track of the types of learners in your classroom and make sure you car using techniques that will create a community-learning environment for each student. Mainly a database will keep you organized so you and mineralize the time you spend on paper work. Any time that you are able to free up to spend with your students is necessary to try to accomplish. Databases also make it easy to learn about your students. You can look at their personal habits to see if there is any correlation between their work progress and say their sleeping habits or possibly the time of day they are in your class, and even medication the child is taking. You can make whatever alterations necessary to help insure the success of your classroom. You can be sure I will be using databases in my classroom to help me manage all my information.