The Great Divide

A concept from page 542 jumped out at me when I read Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds(Steinkuehler & Duncan, 2008) this week. The divide between the have and have-nots is overshadowing the divide developing between the do and do-nots. Online writing can be powerful learning tools. Don't we owe it to our students to show them online tools like blog writing and discussion forums? If they are not shown these types of tools, they will be missing out.

We Blog...

If you are interested in learning more about research being done on blog use, proliferation, or the general effects they might have, click here! A second "webliography" can be found by clicking here. There are several studies to fulfill your curiosity.

I was curious about the effects that blog writing might have on my science students, and have consequently elected to conduct a study examining this principle.

The video below does a good job explaining blogs.

Introduction

Web 2.0 technologies have opened up a whole new world for education; teachers and students alike. The two way communication and interactive content of technologies such as blogs far surpass the stereotyped social technology that some people label them with. Blogs allow group communication and collaboration, homework help from peers and teachers, a comfortable environment that students are already familiar with, and much, much more. In fact, according to this EdWeek Article, 50% of 9 to 17 year olds discuss education topics when using technologies such as blogs, cell phones, etc. It is time we recognize and discuss the educational benefits of blogs!

Another New Blog is Born!!!

Here is where we can discuss the educational benefits of blogs. Add your email address to the comments section to become an author. Also, please email me to let me know you are interested in being added as a contributor.

biology_educator@yahoo.com

Cory