Here's where our class will be viewing linked material and discussing some emerging technologies we might use in our classrooms, now and in the future.
Let's start by reading "What Is Web 2.0 Anyway?" at http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding/page4758.cfm How would you use some of these tools in the classroom? Do you think any of these tools would be easy to integrate into any of the subjects you teach? Why or why not?
237 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 237 of 237Although I want to involve my class parents as much as I can, I agree with you Bridget that responding to parents blogs could turn out to be very time consuming.
*Jenny
In response to the idea of having parents communicate via a blog: Would there be a separate blog solely for the parents, or would it be included directly with student comments? I think it's a great idea, but I can't decide whether it would be more beneficial for parents to communicate separately or not. Also, I know of a district that does not allow "written contact" between parents and teachers in the form of E-mail. I love the idea of blogging between parents, students and even administrators, but it leaves a few questions to answer before jumping in.
This article Web 2.0 was very interesting. I have never blogged before and it was very interesting to view the helpful ways this type of internet use can be useful to students and teachers. Although I personally feel that most blogs may not support factual information, and this may not be a good thing for researching students, most certified websites would provide useful information. I found in very interesting that this article allows shows you that tagging is an easy way for students to locate information, and track it through their school years via tagging and be able to reflect back on what they have already learned.
I agree with Maria, in stating that it is very difficult to locate certain information, however Web 2.0 shows many different ways of finding the information you need.
I also agree with Saira U., in stating that, it may be easier for someone, especially with lack of communication skills to overcome their lack of skills and be able to express what they are thinking through blogging.
-Megan D.
After reading this article, I was intrigued by all the many ways that Web 2.0 could be used in our technological world today and in my own classroom. I liked Patrick's idea of opening another line of communication for the shyer students in my class. It can be amazing to see how differently a child can communicate through written words rather than orally. In response to Jeanine, I do agree that, in this day in age, there is so much information that we expect at our fingertips...it may be better for students to learn more about researching or using a library before we introduce them to Web 2.0. Web 2.0 could be a way of 'spoon feeding' students information and spoiling them in a way. Once they are met with a truly challenging topic to research, they won't know how to obtain information because of the ease they were used to with Web 2.0
Tom L.
I believe computers will take over the classroom. Web 2.0 seems like a useful tool that can make sharing and researching information much easier. Group projects, personal research, and assignments will all utilize this new trend in computer technology in order to enhance the school experience. I am not a big computer person, but as time moves forward the use of computer is inevitable. I will definitely be using this in my classroom.
-Mike
oops i forgot to comment on other students blogs. I agree with chritsine's comment on the "tag tool". For english students this is a great way to compare and contrast different ideas about writing or just find useful information on a topic. Pat's comment on shy students could not have been more dead on. Also i feel a lot of times, for me, it is easier to express my emotions(in a positive way) when i write an email to someone about an important situation. I feel you have more time to think about what you have to say and you are able present your feelings in a more thorough and level headed manner.
-Mike
I honestly cannot say I enjoyed reading this article, but there were definitely some points of interest in it. Having bookmarks and tags are a great way to help ensure students are researching from sites that a teacher has already deemed valid and other colleagues can contribute to the types of information that is directed to that page. Also, I have encountered the problem of finding a good website for something and then not being able to find the same site again later. Blogging is something I would definitely try to use in a classroom. They can be great ways for students to informally respond to something, such as a reading or a question posed at the end of a lesson. Instead of writing an essay on his or her own, students can engage in conversations expressing their viewpoints and also can defend and question other students’ thoughts on the matter. Blogs are a great way for a special needs student who has a hard time responding in class during debate because now that student can read what his or her classmates are saying at his or her own pace. Many times when students cannot participate in oral debates and discussions it is because they have a hard time processing the information as quickly as their classmates and therefore fall behind in the conversation and then become confused. With a blog, all of the discussion is there to look at and it is not a rapid-fire interaction so students have a chance to read the post, process what is being said, and then has time to formulate a response. I think Web 2.0 would be a valuable thing for educators to learn about and use it in their classrooms.
Jen S
I agree with Melissa in that the article explained terms I have heard of before but never knew what they meant. She is right in saying that teachers should be up to date on technology so they can hone their teaching styles to keep up with their students and the changing world around them.
-Jen S
I have to agreed with Jeff and Christine in saying that that involving parents in a blog is a fantastic idea. I have to send weekly emails out to parents, but a blog would be a much more interactive way to communicate with parents and for them to see what is going on in their children’s school lives.
Jen S
The article was interesting to read. It gives me some ideas for special education. Some students may have a speech and language delay or some other learning disability that might make it harder to communicate at a desk with a teacher in front. However at home in front of a computer would provide an entirely different opportunity to communicate. I agree with Kristin's point about it giving parents an opportunity to communicate too. It could give a consensus about the moral in the class as perceived to the parents. Also, Deanna says that teachers need to stay updated on these technologies. I support her position, however there are too many teachers of which schools do not have the means to enable this. I guess its wishful thinking. David B
I enjoyed reading this article. I didn't realize how many different web devices there are. These can be great tools and I think well organized professional development workshops for faculty members would enlighten and inform many teachers of the many applications web 2.0 tools can be used for in and beyond the classroom.
To me, this article was very interesting and grabbed my attention because I had never heard of Web 2.0, or any of the terms used along with it, before. Using blogs would be good for teaching in that it would keep the students up-to-date on assigments and projects. The teacher could integrate it into their lesson plans as something the students would have to check/read everyday. The RSS is an unbelievable tool, that could be good and useful for the teacher to use. Although I do think Web 2.0 is a great thing, since I'm going for Childhood Education, I don't think I would use any of these tools in the classroom. I would aim these tools more for high school or middle school aged children to use.
- Genevieve B.
I found this article to be very interesting. I have never blogged before, and I had little knowledge of it's advantages. I have come to learn that as technology users, we should be able to be active in contributing our own information and opinion. That is exactly what Blogging allows us to do. When incorporating blogging into teaching, I feel that it is a great way to get students involved. Students are able to share their opinions and knowledge on certain subjects and topics that they may be too shy to voice in class. They are able to agree and disagree with others and could possibly engage in debates with opposing classmates. I feel that if blogging were to be incorporated into the classroom, it could be counted towards class participation, allowing some shy students to boost up their average.
-Kristin A
This was a very informative article and really showed me just how much our world of information technology is continually changing. Some of the tools I would use in my classroom but others may be to advanced in an elementary class. I felt that the "blogging" was the major aspect of this article and it really shows just how quickly we can discuss or learn about any topic at any given time. I would love to use this in my classroom with upper elementary grades. This would be a great way to get feedback about what they think of my class and have open communication between all of the students. The other tools may come in handy when teaching the process of researching and then applying that research to a project. Reading about 2.0 was informative, however, I am very interested in putting some of things I read about like RSS and Widgets to use with my own research and internet use in the future.
-Theresa Klee
I agree with Mike that computers are going to take over the classroom and we need to be as tech savvy as we can to continue being the best teachers for our students. Like Bridget and Jenny said, responding to parents blogs may be time consumingand could end up being more of a hassel then a help. Like Tom said, I think 2.0 shows an easy way of doing things and students need to know that there are more ways of researching a topic then just "googling" it. Books are just as important as computers to learn new and insightful information.
I thought this article is very important for people nowadays because computers are becoming the center of everything. While reading this article, I noticed that some of the things written in the article I have heard before, including "blogging". While other terms I have heard not yet learned about, including AJAX. This article really cleared up any prior confusions I had about technology and technological terms. I agreed with everyone that said how important it is to know about these terms dealing with computers because computers and computer based programs are being used more and more in schools. I look forward to learning more about technology and how I can incorporate it into my own classroom.
- Jackie C
I really enjoyed reading this article because I didn't know just how much goes into technology based resources such as the Internet and blogging. I have never blogged before and so I was very interested in learning about the various attributes blogging has not only for a company or organization, but that could be incorporated into the classroom environment as well. In terms of using blogging in the classroom setting, I think it would be a great advantage to have students begin a blog in which they share their stories of the past week or month. So many children are captivated by technology as their source of entertainment and I think blogging would be a great way to incorporate school and learning into their day to day activity outside the classroom. I think blogging would be a great way for students to communicate with other students in their school at different grade levels, talking to each other about what their class learned the past week or what exciting activities, games, or projects they participated in. I also think that blogging could be a great way for teachers to communicate with students things such as homework assignments, or posting test dates. Maybe blogs could also be used one night a week for homework help, maybe having a teacher blogging with a student steps to solving a problem if a student is having difficulty. I also agree with Bridget and Jen that although blogging could be a great way to communicate with parents, it may also be very time consuming. However, I think if there was a way to establish blog communication to maybe one time per week, or maybe every other week it would still allow for another means of easy communication. Before reading this article I was unaware of things such as tagging and social bookmarking. I found it very useful that a person could tag a link or page which they thought to be beneficial, and so they could tag it in order to organize and quickly find various website links or photos. In regards to tagging and blogging, I think if a teacher could not blog herself with students to help students with homework, maybe he or she could post a tag for various sites that offer homework help either during specific times or 24/7. I also agree with Kristin A and Theresa K that blogging could be a great and useful way for students to communicate ideas not only to each other but to the teacher as well. And also, that blogging would be a useful means for a teacher to receive feedback from students on various lessons taught. Overall, I found this article to be very useful and informative. I hope to learn more about the technology discussed in this article as well other types of technology resources that like Jackie C could also incorporate into the classroom.
Deirdre F.
The way people use the term Web 2.0 it sounds like it would be one particular thing or idea. As explained in the article it is basically how technology and the internet can work for a person. As a teacher, I believe that blogging is a great tool to use in the classroom. (I actually had to keep a blog for one of the classes at Molloy.) Along with having a private journal for the students, I think students should be able to use blogging as a tool to communicate to their classmates. This way all students can comment and read about the ideas of the other students. I also think that having certain websites bookmarked benefits many people. If a school uses it and gives all staff access to it, everyone would be able to get different ideas from other teachers reliable sources! This was a great article to get ready for the technology class.
-Jaime S.
This article on “What is Web 2.0 Anyway?” has been a great resource to catch up on the advancements of technology. I have never blogged before so I learned a lot reading this article such as different terms that are associated with Web 2.0. As time passes it is very apparent that technology is playing an increasingly bigger role in everyday life. With this being said teachers to be and teachers who are already established should make it their goal to understand the tech savvy world that they are surrounded by. Blogging in the classroom would be a very interesting idea because it will allow individuality and creativity to flourish. It could also bring the students together because they are sharing their thoughts and ideas among each other. If I were to teach older children in the elementary spectrum I would try to incorporate the use of blogging but I don’t think this would be beneficial for the younger grades.
Monica V.
This article is very interesting and better helped me understand what Web 2.0 is and how it is changing technology. Incorporating Web 2.0 in the classroom will be something that will not only get the children involved and more interested in the lesson but will also allow them to learn to use technology in an educational manner. One way I believe Web 2.0 can be incorporated into the classroom is by making a class blog. As a class we can post upcoming events, important reminders, homework assignments, and even completed projects of children that were well done. This way the blog can be viewed at home by parents and by loved ones all over the country to see what their children are doing. I think at first it might be difficult to get everyone excited about this incorporation because some families may be slightly scared by technology. However, in the long run I believe it will very beneficial for the children and families.
Emily G.
This article was very interesting because computers and technology are being incorporated into the classroom more each day. I believe Web 2.0 tools are would be more useful for teachers rather than students, only because students are becoming more computer friendly and may be distracted more easily if given an assignment in the classroom to use the computer. By giving them a computer at hand in the classroom will take away from the focus of the lesson and make it more complicated for the teacher to keep the attention of the students. This has proved to be an important and useful tool for teachers and can further the education of the students by giving them a visual to compare their notes to. If they are given an assignment at home, these tools can be useful for them to better in-depth understand what they are reading.
Joe T.
I would be able to use Web 2.0 to integrate current events and other political/historical topics in the classroom. Homework no longer could be just a handout. Web 2.0 enables me to interact with my future students beyond the classroom. For example, we could post pictures from a class field trip on flickr. My future students can recall the field trip anytime with just the click of a mouse. I think these tools will be easy to integrate into the subject I will teach as Social Studies is always being updated by current events and findings and Web 2.0 will allow me to teach different topics easily and effectively with Blogs and other Web 2.0 tools.
- Sean S.
The article "What is Web 2.0 anyway?" was informative and helpful. I have blogged in the past, but Web 2.0 shows how I will be able to use some of these tools in the classroom. Especially since technology is making its way more into the classroom. As future teachers, we must be kept up-to-date with new technology. Kids become more excited and fascinated when technology is involved with learning. Blogging will be helpful in terms of keeping teachers connected with the students even after the school day has ended.
I agree with Monica on how blogging in the classroom would be interesting, but maybe not beneficial to kids in the younger grades. Then again, younger and younger kids are becoming more tech savvy.
With the blogs, as Emily G. pointed out, it would be beneficial for parents to be involved in a classroom blog. Many parents today are so busy working long shifts to be a hundred percent aware of what is going on in their child's classroom. With a classroom blog, parents would have more of an ability to keep connected with the school and teachers even with crazy work schedules. RSS feeds would be helpful with this. More and more parents are now acquiring smart phones that can receive RSS, so they will be able to get updates on the classroom blog, which could include important events and reminders. To some this may not seem very exciting, but its a big step in keeping students, teachers and parents connected.
-Katherine T.
This article was very helpful. Since the world is becoming very dependent on technology it is nice to know that there is a website that helps society. I feel that this website can be very useful for teachers as well as students because it allows everyone to interact with each other whenever they can since everybody has different schedules.
This is an interesting and information packed article regarding the new era technology of
Web 2.0. I can appreciate sites that allow users to contribute information to the site and enhance it through shared ideas. I think that utilizing the keywords to find information more expediently, is also a helpful tool. I would like to be able to develop use of this website for elementary school students and introduce them to this innovative technology that would assist them in developing their research abilities.
This article is highly informative and interesting. The world is constantly changing and emerging technology is all around us. The integration of technology into the classroom setting almost seems inevitable. However, integrating new technology is not only costly, but time consuming. Communication via blogs would be beneficial for constant contact with parents; however blogging about students would provide no privacy for individual students and parents. As a high school educator I believe that it would be beneficial to integrate these Web 2.0 technologies whenever possible, as the integration of technology in the classroom proves to be high beneficial for all students.
-- Bethany H.
I enjoyed reading this article because I found it to be very informative. I believe some of these tools that were listed would be useful in the classroom. For one, blogs, bookmarks and other tools can help students that may be having trouble searching the internet on their own. I think the Web 2.0 tools can be a positive was to learn because it is a change, and it is very much interactive for the students. Web 2.0 can alsp connect people and businesses around the world.
I particularly liked the bookmarking. I find it useful because at Molloy we use mybookmarks.com, and this helps me when I am teaching, doing projects, and creating lesson plans. It give me create ideas as well as good resources. There is so much useful information that can be found when using bookmarks. Students can use bookmarks to research rather than using search engines like yahoo or google.
AJAX is also useful because I like googlemaps. I think it is accurate and fast loading.
The only part of blogging and using web 2.0 in the classroom would be that there need to be defined rules. If students are blogging for homework, they need to know that the teacher will be updated on who is writing and what is being written. It should be understood that the students must use appropriate lanuguage.
Overall, I like the Web 2.0 article, and I think it would be useful in the classroom because our students are growing up with technology, and as teachers we need to use it to keep them stimulated. I think the students are able to learn from one another, and they would be able to see/understand other students' perspectives on a particular subject.
Christina A.
After reading this article, it shows just how influential technology is to society and the future of education. It is important to use these Web 2.0 tools as another way to teach students as let them express themselves. For example, blogging is an excellent resource for students to discuss topics they are learning in school. I think this can apply to any and all subjects as well.
Secondly, the RRS tool can be used in a classroom where current events are a part of learning. There, students can read and reflect on the latest headlines and news in a fast and easy way.
I believe it is not only important, but necessary for teachers to be up to date with technology and what it has to offer. Many of our adolescent students are ahead of us in the world of technology and we need to keep up. The internet can have a vast influence on children and teachers should show them how to use it in a thoughtful and productive way.
-Michelle A
I thought that the article was very informative. It gave me a new view on using technology in the classroom. I would definitely use blogging in my classroom. As a science teacher, I would use a blog after a lab. I would have the students comment on what they learned during the lab, how the information they learned relates to what they are learning in the classroom, and ways they believe that the topic could be further studied. I want to learn more about web 2.0 so I can figure out other ways to use it in my classroom.
-Lauren G.-
Using 2.0 tools can be very effective in the classroom to research various topics and keep the students up to date with current events. A teacher culd easily use RSS in the classroom by having a different student each day or week use this tool and report to the class what the news headlines are. Then the class could have a group discussion about the topics or even write blogs about it on the computer. I think this is helpful in the classroom because all of the information on 2.0 tools are new and up to date, and readers can view story headline as soon as they happen.
-Diana M.
I agree with Jenny C when she said that blogging could be very time consuming if using it with parents. Also, you have to be sure that everyone has access to a computer if you want to make blogging a central tool of communication between the teacher and the students parents.
I also agree with Mike in that blogging as a homeowrk assignment is helpful in the classroom and saves the teacher from giving handouts. It also assesses the students knowledge of a topic because they need to use the information they learn and discuss it in their own words to classmates.
Diana M
This was a very informative and interesting article. I had heard of Web 2.0 but wasn't sure exactly what it was or if I was even using it. Little did I know I was using it on a daily basis. If used properly, Blogging, RSS and Tagging can be a great benefit for the classroom. They all make learning more interactive and gives the students a way to participate in classroom activities at their own leisure.
-Nick M. EDU 521
I enjoyed reading the article and was even happier that I understood most of it. During research last year my class learned how to blog. It is something I find interesting and it is a valuable tool for children while they are researching. As a teacher who is somewhat technologically challenged, I will be trying to utilize these methods with help from the computer department at my school. I love to learn with the students it makes it fun! RSS would be such a great tool for keeping up with current issues. I feel that students don't know current events the way they should.
I am going to keep investigating all the different tools Web 2.0 has to offer to better myself as a teacher and to add to my classroom for my students.
Lisa C.
I found this article to be very interesting. I feel this technology lets people become part of a community and share thoughts and ideas with one another. It also keeps people posted and involved with what is actually going on in the world and around them. I would use a lot of these tools to help with research in the class. For the blogging, the students can look up people that are influential in our lives now and read their thoughts and views on present issues. I agree with lisa that it is important to keep the children up to date with current events. I find the tagging to be a great idea. This will help not just in the classroom, but outside the class to get people to search for things easier and be able to go back and find their information again. The RSS is also a great tool and can be made just for the classroom. The class can make their own site, and I as a teacher, could put certain pictures and articles I found on it to help the children in certain subjects that are being learned in my classroom. I also agree with Nick who said that students can participate in this at their own leisure. I think it could be a great idea to have the children who are always done first, to search the blogs and the RSS websites.
-Kristin L. EDU 364.01
The article was very informative and simple to follow. It broke down the basics and purpose of the tech tools extremely well. I learned a few things myself and never thought of the advantages these tools (ex. blogging) would have in a classroom setting. It seems obvious from the article that web 2.0 tools are beneficial for teachers and have a positive effect on students learning. I agree with Lynne that some students may prefer using the tools and feel more comfortable. I can see it getting many more students interested and involved in the lesson.
-Frank_
I feel that nick made a great point that a lot of us use these tools on a daily basis but not so effectively or to fullest potential. easier access to reliable sources and sites is always a positive for both teachers and students. Everyone agrees that technology will continue to take on an increasingly larger and larger role in schooling in the future which is why its important to know how to use it correctly and efficiently.
Frank-
Web 2.0 seems to be a great tool for education. Web 2.0 makes it easy to access information and keep notified about current events. Before this class I never blogged but now I can see that it can be a great use in middle/high school classrooms. Class communication through blogging is an effective way to get the shyer students participate in class. I agree with a few people that blogging wouldnt be very useful at the elementary level. As always, teachers should monitor all discussion on class blogs.
Post a Comment