Download - Blogs & Wikis
STAT21 & ESA2
SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2009
Blogs & Wikis
ESA Region 2
Learning Targets
Learn K-12 applications for using blogs & wikis
Create a blog & a wiki. Learn the basics of these applications.
Be able to identify the differences between blogs & wikis. Know which application to use to support your instruction.
Did You Know 4.0
When it comes to technology….
“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION
ICT LITERACY ( INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY)
21st Century Skills
•THE SUM OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
•FROM HAWAIIAN WIKI -WIKI , WHICH MEANS “QUICK”
•FIRST WIKI WAS CREATED IN 1995
•A WEBSITE WHERE ANYONE CAN EDIT ANYTHING ANYTIME THEY WANT
Wikis
What is a Wiki?
Wikipedia – what an inspiring project!
2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake
76 word post on Wikipedia appeared 9 hours after the earthquake
24 hours later: 400 edits & 3000 words48 hours later: 1200 edits & 6500 words6 months later: 7000 edits & 7200 words
The power of the collective human knowledge!
If anyone can change it, how can it be reliable?
There are vastly more editors who want to make it right than those who want to make it wrong
Alex Halavais experiment: 13 errors on various posts were all corrected within 2 hours (Halavais, 2004).
Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, has called Wikipedia one of the most accurate encyclopedias in the world (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs).
Safety Issues – what about vandalism?
Each page on a Wiki has a “history” tabEasily revert back to a previous page versionYou may want to monitor wiki entries as a group
(Wikipedia)Giving students editorial control can instill a
sense of responsibility and ownershipWiki projects typically work best when teachers
let students manage the content on the site Some wiki sites feature password & login systems
– edits may be restricted to “members only”
The Wiki Revolution
Wikirecipes wikitravelwiktionary wikinews wikispecieswikiquotesAnd on, and on, and on
•COLLABORATIVE AUTHORING TOOL (21 S T CENTURY SKILLS)
•WEB BASED, CAN BE A CCESSED FROM ANYWHERE WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION
(WEB 2 .0 )
•MAY BE STUDENT DIRECTED OR TEACHER DIRECTED
• PEER EDITING AND WRITING
• EPORTFOLIOS
Why Wikis?
STUDENTS PUBLISH CONTENT, DEVELOP COLLAB ORATIVE SKILLS
STUDENTS HAVE TO READ CRITICALLY TO F IND AREAS WHERE INFORMATION IS MISSING OR
DISORGANIZED
STUDENTS NEGOTIATE WITH OTHERS TO AGREE ON CORRECTNESS, MEANING, RELEVANCE, AND
MORE
STUDENT BEGIN TO TEACH EACH OTHER!
The pedagogy of Wikis
EDUTOPIA VIDEOEVEN THOUGH THE WRITING IS NOT
THEIR OWN, THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT AS THEIR OWN BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE
ABILITY TO EDIT AND MAKE IT BETTER – THIS IS A HUGE SHIFT.
Collaboration
Wikis in the Classroom
Online texts for curriculumResource to showcase best practicesUse amongst teachers or district to share
informationStudents create their own wikipedia (future
classes may edit)A multicultural cookbook
Wiki Examples
Collaborative storytellinghttp://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com/
Kids teaching
supplemental informationhttp://misterhale.wikispaces.com/Integrated+Math+-+4th+Bl
ock
http://cwasse.wikispaces.com/4th+%26+5th+Grade+Reading http://technology-standards.wikispaces.com/
How might you use a Wiki?
Discuss with a partner some ideas you have for using a Wiki in your classroom
PLEASE, GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE PAGES I CANNOT EDIT,
THE COURAGE TO EDIT THE PAGES I CAN, AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE
DIFFERENCE
The Wiki Prayer
Let’s get started!
www.wikispaces.com
www.pbwiki.com
SHORT FOR WEBLOG
FIRST BLOG(S) WERE CREATED AROUND 1997
(CNET, MARCH 20 , 2007)
TWO NEW BLOGS ARE NOW CREATED EVERY SECOND
YOU CAN CREATE A BLOG IN UNDER A MINUTE!
Blogs
Blogs in Plain English
•S T U D E N T S W R I T E B E TT E R W H E N T H E Y H AV E A R E A L A U D I E N C E
• P R O M O T E O P E N D I A L O G U E W H E R E S T U D E N T S S H A R E K N O W L E D G E A N D R E F L E C T O N A T O P I C
• C O M B I N E S T H E B E S T O F S O L I TA RY R E F L E C T I O N & S O C I A L I N T E R A C T I O N
•P O W E R F U L M E D I U M F O R I N C R E A S I N G A C C E SS & E X P O S U R E T O Q UA L I T Y I N F O R M AT I O N
• E L L S T U D E N T S
• B L O G G I N G A C R O SS C O N T E N T A R E A S
• C O M M U N I C AT E W I T H PA R E N T S U S I N G A B L O G
Why Blog?
• TRULY A CONSTRUCTIVIST TOOL
• CAN EXPAND THE WALLS OF THE CLASSROOM
•BLOGS ARCHIVE LEARNING (FACILITATES REFLECTION AND METACOGNITIVE ANALYSIS)
•DEMOCRATIC TOOL THAT SUPPORTS DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES
•ENHANCES THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXPERTISE ON A TOPIC
•TEACHES STUDENTS NEW LITERACIES (RESEARCH, ORGANIZE , SYNTHESIZE)
The pedagogy of Weblogs
Blogging across the curriculum
Science experiments run concurrently with different sites around the globe (Epals)
Language students (and Ell) can create conversations with native speakers
Phys Ed can log and analyze their workouts/diets
History students can construct sites for ancient civilization/conflict study
•ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUBLISHING•HTTP: / /WWW.GRANDVIEWLIBRARY.ORG/FOLD/GRANDVIEWNEWS.ASPX
•STUDENT JOURNALS•HTTP: / /SDSTAT21.EDUBLOGS.ORG/
•TEACHERS COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS
•DAILY CHRONICLES OF CLASSROOM
•COMMUNITY ACTIVISMHTTP: / /MONTROSE.COMMUNITYBLOGS.US/
Examples of School Blogs
How one history teacher uses blogs
FIND A PARTNER – DISCUSS HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE A BLOG
TEST IT OUT BY PLACING YOUR IDEAS ONTHE FOLLOWING BLOG:
HTTP: / /ESA2TEACHESBLOGS.BLOGSPOT.COM/
What ideas do you have for using blogs in your
classroom?
Blogging Is… Blogging isn’t…
Links with analysis Reflective, metacognitive
writing on practice without links/commenting
Links with analysis & synthesis that show a deep understanding of the content being linked to
Extended analysis & synthesis over a long period of time (builds on previous posts & links)
Posting assignmentsJournaling (this is
what I did today)Posting links
Blogging is conversation
Introducing blogs to students
Elementary: (Teachers may need to do the writing) Ask authors, scientists, politicians, parents to join into conversations about ideas. Students can ask questions and reflect on answers.
Middle School: Students as “experts” on topics – compare and reflect. Structure ways to include reader response
High School: Extended studies and reflections upon a topic. Incorporate feedback from readers, synthesize information from a # of different sources, advance new interpretations of the topic
Evaluating Blogs
Even the New York Times can get it wrong
Bloggers will fact check your ____! (The Dan Rather incident)
How do you tell what is reliable when essentially every source can be incorrect?
Blogs are essentially unedited content
Evaluating Blogs
Find out about the authorWho owns the site? (internic.com)Technorati.com - type in URL , how many links?Take a look at the author’s blogroll (the list of
blogs the blogger links to)Find out as much as you can about the blogger’s
personal agenda (read through other posts)Do they seem credible? Is there an obvious
political bias? Is something being bought or sold? Are others commenting?
Reflective/Journal Blog Class Blogs
Reflect upon your teaching experiences
Keep a log of teacher training experiences
Provide some teaching tips for other teachers
Describe how you use a technology in your own class
Explore important teaching and learning issues
Write about something you learned from another teacher
Post class-related information such as calendars, events, homework, etc.
Communicate with parentsPost prompts for writingProvide examples of
classworkCreate an online book clubPublish examples of good
student writing done in class
Classroom uses of Weblogs (more ideas…)
Blogging with Students
Start by posting homework assignments and relevant links
Get the students reading blogsGood blogging starts with good reading!Let the parents know you have created a siteModels & examplesLet students respond to postsGive each student his/her own blog
Technorati
A search engine for media including blogs, photos, videos, and audio.
If you want to create more visibility for your blog, you may submit your blog to the technorati database.
A microblogging site140 char maxEmail or text messages to
phone. Messages are sent to all who
subscribeMessages are called “tweets”
Let’s Get Started!
www.blogger.com
www.edublogs.org
http://classblogmeister.com
WRITING PROCESS: BLOG•REFLECTIVE
•COMMUNICATIVE•CANNOT BE EDITED BY OTHERS
COLLABORATIVE WRITING: WIKI•CAN BE EDITED BY ALL
•PEER REVIEW•COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE•CHANGES ARE TRACKED
To Blog or To Wiki?
CREATE AND ADHERE TO SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY POLICY
REVIEW THE ENTIRE POLICY WITH STAFF, STUDENTS AND PARENTS
COMMUNICATE TO PARENTS WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHY
TEACH ETHICAL AND LEGAL BEHAVIOR FOR SOCIAL SOFTWARE USE
Safety & Privacy
Thank You!
www.edec.org/esaMelissa [email protected]