Blogs and Wikis in Education

1) Identify and describe 3 interesting/innovative ways blogs and/or wikis are being used in K-12 classrooms.

One way that blogs and wiki’s are being used is a form of resource for students. Teachers can make sites that have other resources linked to it for students about any subject they want. Another way that they are being used is a form of communication for teachers and students/parents. Students can check their teacher’s blogs/wiki’s to be updated on information. Lastly, teachers are posting collaborative projects on the blogs/wikis. Students can go on the website created by the teacher to see the projects, rubrics, etc for projects.

2) Describe how you might use RSS readers/aggregators within a classroom setting.

A RSS reader is a browser add-on program that is designed to gather and display blogs, posts, and other web content according to what the user is interested in. I learned that when you surf the web, the RSS reader tracks what you look up and gathers background as you are surfing the web. When a new article or message of potential interest is available the RSS reader pops up and lets the person know. An aggregator is a software which aggregates web content such as news headlines, blogs, messages, etc in a single location. It reduces the time and effort needed to regularly check websites for updates. I learned that this would be useful when a student is researching information and when they have looked through enough, they will point them to new information. Instead of the student taking a lot of time to look for information, these will allow the students to get fast and accurate information on their subject/topic.

3) Describe at least 2 pros and 2 cons of using blogs and wikis in education.

The first pro would be the fact that students can access the blogs and wikis outside of class. If a student needs to know what their homework is or needs to look at something on the website, it is just a click away. Another pro would be the fact that teachers can make learning fun through technology. Instead of having to do boring assignments through a book, a student can go to the website, and click the resource sites the teacher has recommended for them to go to. It is more interactive.

The first con would be the fact that if a teacher posts something for the class on their site, some kids could not have computers at home to access the sites. This would leave the kids behind the other students just because they don’t have the opportunity to have a computer at home. Another con would be the fact that technology doesn’t always work. Sometimes there are errors on the website or the website is down so the students can’t always access the site.

Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activities

Post a 3-5 paragraph summary of the 3-5 ideas you explored for how you could use Concept Mapping within your future classroom. Give your specific examples.
Concept Mapping is a great idea for a classroom. I fell in love with this idea after first using it. You can do a variety of different things with Concept Mapping in a classroom. One idea would be in reading and writing. Kids can strengthen their word recognition, vocabulary and comprehension. Children can also develop critical thinking skills for stories using this Concept Mapping idea. A child can have a book and learn about the different parts of the book, the main characters, the setting, and what happens in the story. Here is an example I made:

Another idea would be for math. This would be good for children to learn math by using visual math tools to build problem solving and reasoning skills. Students can build number sense, spatial reasoning, and the understanding of the four basic operations. Here is an example I made:

Another idea would be for science. Students could explore the relationships between animals, bugs, birds, etc. They can also learn about the classification of certain things. Here is an example I made:

Another idea would be for social studies. This concept mapping idea can help kids understand history, geography, civics, and economics. They can make connections between historical events and learn differences between cultures. Here is an example I made:

Discuss what you see as the impact of the use of Concept mapping within your classroom might have on student learning? Give some details to support your statements. Students learn a variety of things from concept mapping. They learn how to compare and contrast, group certain ideas, they can learn about books from making maps, etc.

1. Discuss some criteria that you would use to decide whether or not Concept Mapping activities would be part of a lesson for your students.The biggest thing would be whether the kids would learn from concept mapping or not. If the kids just get confused from the mapping concept then it would not be useful to have in the classroom for that certain activity. Math could be a hard subject to use concept mapping with if you are teaching harder activities. It would be a good idea if a child is a visual learner! This is a great idea for children who learn better by pictures rather than words.

TeacherWeb Reflections

1. Describe and discuss the impacts your use of a class web site like the one we created on TeacherWeb might have on student learning, on student engagement, and communications with students and parents.

TeacherWeb can have a big impact on students and parents. TeacherWeb can help students with their learning. A lot of times children just go home and don't do their homework because they forget what they are supposed to do that night. With TeacherWeb students can see what they need to do that night for school by checking the Teacher's website. It also impacts students' engagement. Students can get to know their teacher by their TeacherWeb. They also can be interactive in a blog on the teacher's site. They can discuss how they felt about a subject and give the teacher feedback. TeacherWeb also impacts communication with students and parents. Students and parents can be kept updated on certain things in the classroom on the teacher's site. Parents can contact the teacher through this site. They can also see what their child is supposed to do at night for homework or see how their child is doing in school by checking their grades. It is important for the parents to be involved in their children's schooling.

2. Identify and discuss what you see as the two biggest advantages of designing and using a classroom web site within your teaching activities. Also, identify what you see as the biggest disadvantage of using a class website for instructional activities and why.

One of the biggest advantages of using a classroom website would be teaching kids to use technology. Technology is such a large part of life and it is important for students to understand how technology works. Having students navigate through the class website is a great way for them to understand websites. Links to other educational sites are important to have on the class website. These links are beneficial because not only does it allow more resources for students to use but it gives students active involvement in using technology.

The other advantage is the communication between the parents/students and teacher. Posting information about the class is important because it allows the students and parents to see what is going on within the classroom and what the students need to do. The teacher can post information about studying and how the parents can help the students at home. It allows the parents to contact the teacher as well as get to know who the teacher is.

The biggest disadvantage would be the fact that not all students have access to computers at home. Many people do not have the privilege of having the technology some of us have. Having a classroom website would only benefit the students with access to computers. It would leave out students without computers which would ultimately be unfair and not beneficial to those students.