Blog C

I see several possible educational values of blogs in the classroom. Collaboration is one of the main points. Students can share their views on topics and ideas. Blogs are great for daily writing and allow the students and teacher to see their progress in their writing or deal with shortcomings. Blogs can be used outside of the classroom to allow students a forum to showcase their writings or views and find others sharing their same interests. The teachers role in the blogging process should be one of facilitation and monitoring. The teacher will lead the students to the topics they want them to address and monitor the bogs making sure they stay on task and do not venture off topic. Students should be active participants in the blogs making posts and editing their writings, they should actively read the posts of other students and make comments or engage the other students in discourse. In order for blogs to be effectively integrated into classrooms there needs to be more information presented to students, parents, teachers and school districts. Instead of always showing the possible dangers of blogs, show the positive ways it can be used in the classroom. Case studies of best practices using blogs should be presented to county administrators showing effective uses of blogs in classrooms. Parents need to be shown how to access and monitor blogs because they will be vital in the monitoring of the blogging process. Teachers have to be given thorough in service, along with ongoing support in the blogging process (which is fairly simple). Blogs are a free tool therefore school districts can place more money in professional development for their teachers.

Blog B

I did not realize you could add images and videos to your blog, that was a nice feature I discovered. Images can set the mood and tone of your blog and I have always appreciated setting the tone for a literary work. What stands out most about this blogging experience was the honesty of my teammates and seeing them struggle with many of the same issues I am dealing with. Blogs are a place to store shared or oppossing views to ideas you have.

Blog A

I learned I took my time to formulate posts and responses because I realized I had my peers viewing my work along with my instructor. This made me take ownership and pride in the work I was presenting. I have to admit, I enjoyed seeing my work in a blog format, I almost felt like a columnist for a major publication. I also was suprised at my ideas when I saw them in print. It had always been my beleif that diaries or logs were young girls to write about their crushes, not a place for me to record my thoughts or reflections.

Web 2.0

Have you seen some of the Web 2.0 tools out there? I really love it but the only issue I have is; how do you use it in the classroom? I have been in the process of finding case studies or pilot programs dealing with Web 2.0 or as it is sometimes called Classroom 2.0. I am having some difficulty with locating information. This shows me two things, Web 2.0 is in its infancy and has few restrictions or rules, and it is unlimited potential for Web 2.0 use in the classroom.