ipods & blogs. what is an ipod? in 2001, apple released a new technology called ipod

Technology for the ClassroomiPods & Blogs

What is an iPod?In 2001, Apple released a new technology

called iPod

iPods in the ClassroomQuick Overview of Educational Uses for iPods

“Blog” DefinedNounShort for “weblog”Online diary, often updated daily

Details & PrevalenceBlog sites began gaining popularity in 2002

One estimate* had over 40,000 new blogs going up in January of 2002 alone

Blogs began as a place where people would share details of their daily life or focus on a theme (cooking, crafting, wine tasting, politics, etc…)

*Wired Magazine, Feb. 2002

Death of the Blog?Wired magazine

reported in 2004 that the blog is dead.2003-2004 Myspace &

Facebook were blamed for the “death” of the blog

No!Despite the creation of Myspace and

Facebook, Blog Herald (2005) noted that there were over 70 million blogs in existence, 63 million of which were on the 8 most popular blog sites (to be discussed later)

The United States is leading the world in blog production, followed by South Korea, Japan and France.

However…Current junior

high/high school students are not aware of how to use an independent blogi.e. not the blogs

found on Myspace

Why am I telling you this?Due to the prevalence of blogs in the early

2000s, many educators have incorporated blogging into their curriculum.

It is a fast and easy way to disseminate information to students

It is an easy way to allow students to review and comment on other classmates’ work

And…?And, due to the students’ lack of knowledge,

it is our responsibility to introduce them to this technologyIntroduce educational applicationCultivate comfort & proficiency

Blog Application in the Classroom

Classroom Application #1Teacher homework/class activity blog

Growing in popularity amongst private schools on the mainland

Each teacher has a page, which is linked to the school’s website

Parents and students can use to keep up with homework

Classroom Application #2Class-specific assignments

Growing in popularity amongst graduate professors

Allows educators the opportunity to incorporate technology into a specific class

Allows students to see other classmates’ work and respond to each assignment

Students’ PerspectivesTop 10 Reasons Students Like Blogs

Specific examples

Classroom Application #1A Virtual Classroomwww.mrsarceo.wordpress.com

Classroom Application #2Twentieth Century Historywww.20thcenturylhs.blogspot.com

Blogs of InterestTechnology in the Lutheran Classroom

So, how do I make one?There are several free blog publishing tools

availablewww.blogger.comwww.wordpress.comwww.xanga.com *www.livejournal.com*www.blog.com

In my experience…I have used several of the top blogging sites

Classroom application #1 WordPress

Allows “pages” so that you may have one for each class

Classroom application #2 Blogger

Provides an easy to read format with a side bar (or two)

Easy to follow along with others’ blogs, for commenting

Time to look at our handouts.

Other Interesting Siteswww.amandaarceo.wordpress.com

The site I created for this workshop. I plan on submitting it to my ning profile so other Lutheran educators can access it.

www.techlhs.ning.comOnline network of Lutheran educators wanting

to increase technology use in their classrooms and schools.

Perry Bresemann's Profile2009 Lutheran Educators Conference Speaker