Sally Phillips on Technology Integration in the Classroom

Blog #6 Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts - Publishing to the Web

Until about a week ago, I only had a vague idea of what any of these things were, and I certainly had very little idea of how they could be used in the classroom. What interested me about the strategy of students actually contributing to the Web is that is will help promote reading and writing skills.  As teachers, we are all charged with helping to build these skills in students regardless of what we teach.

Description

From an article titled, ?The Educator?s Guide to the Read/Write Web,? by Will Richardson, (Educational Leadership, December 2005, pp 24-27) I learned that there are currently 3 tools for publishing to the Web ? blogs, wikis, and Podcasts. 

A blog?short for Web log?is a written commentary, or observation, or reflection from an individual that is published on a personal or group Web site. It is as simple as typing.  Graphics and audio can be added; other people can read your blog; and others can publish comments.  It allows for a free exchange of ideas. 

A wiki is a Web site that allow people to freely enter information, and for other people to freely edit it!  The result is a group of people, sometimes students, collaborating to build a bank of correct information about a particular subject.

Podcasts are small audio/visual presentations that are available for download to computers and Mp3 players through a tool called an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) aggregator.  Many of these Podcasts are produced commercially, delivering the news, weather, sports, stock reports, celebrity news?whatever.  Individuals can subscribe to receive the Podcasts whenever new information is available.  Podcasts can be created by anyone?even students. These Podcasts can be saved, like a bookmark?and the bookmarks themselves can be published!  This is social bookmaking; allowing you to make use of the collections of others on particular subjects.

I am confusing myself!

Findings

            Aside from describing the particulars about each of these tools, the Richardson article focuses on the benefits of student participation in this more public arena.  It has been proven over and over that when students know that their work, in whatever form, is going to be viewed by ?real people,? (Teachers are not real people.) they take more care to produce work that is well thought out, organized and factual.  Traditionally, reading and writing has been confined to the classroom.  Maybe a student?s work gets published in a school publication, but that?s all.  With these new tools, student writing can move to a higher level.  A student?s writing can solicit response from anonymous others who may challenge or support the work.  Richardson suggests that the tide is turning, and that educators need to consider structuring curriculum to help students develop skills with which to manage the exchange the wealth of ideas and information on the Internet.

Reflections

            I am more inclined to consider blogs and wikis for my class, as they would not require any additional equipment.  We have plenty of computers.  I can see my Apparel Development students blogging weekly about their work on their projects.  I already have them do this on paper everyday, but very abbreviated.  I think it would be good for them to know that someone out in the world could read what they wrote, and possibly comment.  It might be a good idea to work with other teachers in the county who are teaching the same course and let the students read the blogs of students in the same course. If nothing else, it would give them a chance to publish their work, anticipating someone else would see it.  I like the idea of a wiki as a tool for my students to build the information that they need for the course.  I feel like I am repeating myself, because the concept map accomplishes sort of the same thing, and I blogged on that already.  The wiki would require students to actually be able to contribute and correct incorrect information. They could build wikis for each of the curriculum sections?their own wikipedia. Perhaps we could collaborate with other schools.  It would be available for them to use at home.  We could pull it up and discuss it in class.  I am assuming that the writing and editing is anonymous.  That would be best.

Since I am about at the limit of what I know about these tools, I had best stop blogging. 

            It excites me to have some new ideas that might help with these critical skills of reading and writing.  It excites me to have some new ideas about which the students will be excited.  That is half the battle!   

Posted at 09:43PM Jun 20, 2006 by PHILLIPS, SALLY in General  |  Comments[0]