After viewing a few of the sites listed on the class wiki, two things have resonated with me:
1.) Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts are tools with the potential for not only enhancing and magnifying authentic classroom projects but for motivating and engaging students in thier learning.
2.) Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts have the potential to be used as irrelevant, confusing, and negligible tools which could be detrimental to the overall learning experience.
The key word is "potential." Some of the sites I looked at on the web were spectacular. For instance, one AP English teacher's blog was an avenue of communication for posting class assignments and announcements, as well as a place where specific students would post their notes from that day's class to share with classmates. But this use of the blog as an organizational tool of communication was effective because of the blog's layout. It was easy to navigate and was not too sloppy. An even more creative example of how to use this tool was in one classroom's use of character and author blogs. I came across Henry David Thoreau's blog and it was neat, organized, insightful and creative. It was everything I would expect Thoreau's blog to be and it got me thinking about the different characters from literature whose blogs I wish I had access to...and I am already contemplating an English class project for student teaching :)
The wikis were also used for spectacular purposes when they were done well. One wiki I came across was being used as a class website, and included places for each student to create his own profile, spots for classroom articles completed by the students, and brilliant use of peer editing. The Wikis with pictures and that were used for class projects were also impressive. One Wiki was used as a Holocaust project, where students were creating their own stories using actual persons involved in the Holocaust acquired from external sites on the web. It reminded me of a more elaborate and updated version of a WebQuest.
The impressive thing I found about the podcasts was their simplicity, their use in collaborative activities, and their appeal to the students. We emphasize in education that students need to find their own voice, and podcasting makes that inevitable. One girl from Mr. Sprankle's class, for example, used the podcast to persuade other students not to smoke. They seem perfect for enhancing discussion, and even more important for displaying student work outside of the classroom. Parents have direct access to the work their children have done and other students from all over the world can listen to the final product.
But alas, amidst these great examples, I clicked on an educational blog that was pretty poorly laid out. There was extensive text in small font and many extra links, often that led to nowhere or led to pages with very little text or elaboration. This was the case with a few of the wikis I came across as well. There was so much information that I thought if I was a student I would immediately be turned off.
I think if teachers are going to use these tools, they should seriously consider some concepts of Web design. There are certain principles of graphic design that can make or break the success of a Web site. We all know this because we have been on the web, done a google search, came across a site with way too many animated graphics or entirely too much text and hit the back button. If teachers are going to use Wikis and Blogs, appearance and presentation are essential. It requires planning just as everything in teaching does. You cannot quickly make a wiki or blog and say, "this will be great, because I am using technology!" and let that be that. Teachers should consider Wikis and Blogs in the same way they would consider using a worksheet, a graphic organizer, or a text. Those materials have to be appealing and they have to be beneficial.
Blogs and Wikis have the potential to be used for amazing purposes and can most certainly enhance learning. But if they are going to be used, teachers should take the time to plan. They should make sure the sites are well organized and done well, or they should not use them at all.
1.) Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts are tools with the potential for not only enhancing and magnifying authentic classroom projects but for motivating and engaging students in thier learning.
2.) Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts have the potential to be used as irrelevant, confusing, and negligible tools which could be detrimental to the overall learning experience.
The key word is "potential." Some of the sites I looked at on the web were spectacular. For instance, one AP English teacher's blog was an avenue of communication for posting class assignments and announcements, as well as a place where specific students would post their notes from that day's class to share with classmates. But this use of the blog as an organizational tool of communication was effective because of the blog's layout. It was easy to navigate and was not too sloppy. An even more creative example of how to use this tool was in one classroom's use of character and author blogs. I came across Henry David Thoreau's blog and it was neat, organized, insightful and creative. It was everything I would expect Thoreau's blog to be and it got me thinking about the different characters from literature whose blogs I wish I had access to...and I am already contemplating an English class project for student teaching :)
The wikis were also used for spectacular purposes when they were done well. One wiki I came across was being used as a class website, and included places for each student to create his own profile, spots for classroom articles completed by the students, and brilliant use of peer editing. The Wikis with pictures and that were used for class projects were also impressive. One Wiki was used as a Holocaust project, where students were creating their own stories using actual persons involved in the Holocaust acquired from external sites on the web. It reminded me of a more elaborate and updated version of a WebQuest.
The impressive thing I found about the podcasts was their simplicity, their use in collaborative activities, and their appeal to the students. We emphasize in education that students need to find their own voice, and podcasting makes that inevitable. One girl from Mr. Sprankle's class, for example, used the podcast to persuade other students not to smoke. They seem perfect for enhancing discussion, and even more important for displaying student work outside of the classroom. Parents have direct access to the work their children have done and other students from all over the world can listen to the final product.
But alas, amidst these great examples, I clicked on an educational blog that was pretty poorly laid out. There was extensive text in small font and many extra links, often that led to nowhere or led to pages with very little text or elaboration. This was the case with a few of the wikis I came across as well. There was so much information that I thought if I was a student I would immediately be turned off.
I think if teachers are going to use these tools, they should seriously consider some concepts of Web design. There are certain principles of graphic design that can make or break the success of a Web site. We all know this because we have been on the web, done a google search, came across a site with way too many animated graphics or entirely too much text and hit the back button. If teachers are going to use Wikis and Blogs, appearance and presentation are essential. It requires planning just as everything in teaching does. You cannot quickly make a wiki or blog and say, "this will be great, because I am using technology!" and let that be that. Teachers should consider Wikis and Blogs in the same way they would consider using a worksheet, a graphic organizer, or a text. Those materials have to be appealing and they have to be beneficial.
Blogs and Wikis have the potential to be used for amazing purposes and can most certainly enhance learning. But if they are going to be used, teachers should take the time to plan. They should make sure the sites are well organized and done well, or they should not use them at all.
posted by Krista | 1:20 PM
1 Comments:
The Thoreau blog is an interesting idea. Clever.
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