Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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!
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Writing seems to be an area that students struggle in. Many students do not like to write unless it is forced on them. Blogging is a fun way for students to write. Blogging engages the students more. According to "Blogging as L2 Writing: A Case Study" students wrote more when asked to blog then they would have if they were not. Most of the students also had an increase in their writing abilities. Although this was in a second language, imagine how students might benefit from blogging in English. According to eSchools, blogging has made students more engaged in learning. Students have enjoyed writing and write more because the audience is bigger. As many teachers know the more a student writes the better writer he/she becomes. Therefore, it is time for teachers to rethink their teaching strategies and integrate some blogging into their teaching.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I would love to be able to incorporate bogging into my classroom curriculum, but for high schools, it is near impossible to implement given my particular districts restrictions. At the school, I teach at, we are unable to give homework, which means blogging would need to take place during class time. In addition, I have three computers in my class and twenty-eight students; the ratio is not too good. When I did work at a school that allowed homework, the problem with using computers for anything, was that we had to allow in class time for any student that wanted to use school computers. What this meant is that every student jumped on the chance of getting out of class to use the computer lab to complete the assignment rather then complete it at home. I love the idea of blogging for educational purposes, but I cannot see how to incorporate on a wide spread basis at the high school level.
ReplyDeleteI totally see your point of view. I guess when I left this comment I was thinking of an unrealistic situation. At my school we do have access to computers; however, the sites we have access to are restricted. I would love to incorporate blogging and just the use of technolgoy into my classroom more. However, in order for that to happen I would want computers in my classroom for all of my students. That does not seem like it is going to happen anytime soon. My students can not stand writing so if blogging would help them enjoy writing I would gladly incorporate it.
ReplyDeleteBlogging seems like a great way to keep the learning happening after walking out of the school doors. There really needs to be a revolution in the way we look at technology in our schools. Think about the money that we spend on copies and textbooks. How much of what we spend today is really increasing student achievement?
ReplyDeleteMaybe a way to fix this problem is to work up a project with the computer teacher. Some schools require freshman to take a computer class. The blog could be part of that classroom assignment as well as the English, science, or history class. If some of the students do not have the class then they can be the ones to use the computers in the classroom. I like assignments that spand more than one class. But they do need to be coordinated.
ReplyDeleteI see alot of comments that mention allocating time for students to use computers. I realize that this is a major obstacle for educators. Even in the home envionmrnt many students do not have access to computers.
ReplyDeleteI think computer access should be a priority for educdators. As mentioned above they can provide increased learning after students leave the classroom for the day. I pose to the reader a few questions that you can elaborate on. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks ;-)
Does anyone know how to gain increased access to computers in the classroom? Are the district's really against computer use to the extent that it hinders our students? As educators how do you overcome these obstacles?
Christy,
ReplyDeleteI liked your comment that reads “Blogs allow group communication and collaboration, homework help from peers and teachers, a comfortable environment…” I think you make a good point that blogs and other new communication tools and technology can have a positive impact on students so long as the students and parents are recognizing the positives and not focusing on the potential problems. For instance, if a parent is unfamiliar with technology or perhaps is just unaware of blogs, the parent may not feel comfortable letting their child participate. However, if the long list of positive aspects including the peer-to-peer help, communication with the teacher etc, the parent would likely be supportive. It may also be of interest if the teachers encourage parent participation in a separate blog that was only meant for parent and teacher interaction. This could be a way for busy parents to still be a part of parent/teacher conferences (about basic issues, not anything too serious or disciplinary related), parent organizations and their meetings etc.
As I’ve said in other postings, I hadn’t used a blog before this class so I have learned so much about them that I find myself encouraging others to sign up and create a blog or participate in the one I have made. I have found that it is a fun way for people to get involved with a club even if they can not attend the meetings or events. I post photos of gatherings and announcements of upcoming events and it is enhancing the friendships and relationships with co-workers. We have something else in common besides work and everyone keeps saying “invite me to the blog… I want to see what’s going on and become part of the group.” And for most of the people who have joined, this is their first time blogging as well – so my experience in this class is having a trickle down effect with people I know outside of class.
Here are a few blogs I found that could help with specific subjects and may even be a good tool when students are using peer-to-peer tutoring:
ReplyDeleteESL/ELL: http://www.esltutoringblog.com/
Math: http://sdmath.blogspot.com/
Spanish: http://blog.teachstreet.com/meet-a-teacher/jorge-vera-native-spanish-tutor/