DR. STRANGEBLOG Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love classroom technology

Start with your learning objective, then decide what kind of technology will facilitate that goal. Let the PEDAGOGY drive the TECHNOLOGY

Blogs and wikis are both social software that allow people to communicate and collaborate online. Classroom Technology

What are blogs and wikis? A blog is a chronological website, where users post content and can respond to other peoples content.blog Real-life example: Online magazine and newspaper sites NYT City Room Blog A wiki is a collaborative website, where users can create their own pages and revise and edit other peoples work.wiki Real-life example: Wikipedia Sample Wikipedia Page

Blogs and wikis can be used as: Discussion boards Group work platforms Study guides Individual student journals Online/dynamic glossaries Archives for readings Online peer review tools Research organization resources

Both blogs and wikis: Are searchable Have a variety of privacy settings Require students to create a (free) account Allow multiple users to post and respond to each other Have stable page options where you can post course documents Are easily accessible on the internet

Which one should I choose? More authentic More hierarchical More aesthetically pleasing, more visual options Recommended platform: Wordpress.com Student accounts are easier to set up Easier to post Designed for collaborative work Recommended platform: Pbworks.com BLOGSWIKIS

Blogs and wikis can be used for one-time or ongoing assignments, low-stakes or high-stakes writing, and for individual, small-group or whole- class activities. The Benefits of Blogs and Wikis

Reading Response Assignments Ensure that students are prepared for class Encourage critical reading Anticipate questions that students have before class, inform your planning Show students how they can collaborate to better understand the readings Improve discussions by using online posts as a springboard for in-class discussion

Group Assignments Track each groups progress Intervene if you are concerned before other problems develop Provide students with a way to work together remotely or asynchronously Encourage commenting and interaction across groups Help students to organize materials effectively

Specific Assignments Utilize the vast archives of materials available on the internet to enhance course materials Insert a sense of play or whimsy into more traditional assignments Target different learning competencies Encourage a consideration of audience and tone Hone students online research skills Connect with experts

Dynamic Documents Create web spaces where students can continually add links, excerpts, images, etc. that relate to course materials Keep an ongoing class glossary for key terms Provide students with a place to keep digital research materials Encourage students to post links to articles or web sites that are relevant to the course Enhance textbooks/readings with multimedia examples Record class discussions/post class minutes or lectures

Individual Student Sites/ePortfolios Encourage students to develop passions Institutionalize self-reflection Make students aware of their online presence and illustrate how they can control and shape it Teach students valuable digital skills Meet students where they are Connect your course with what students are doing in other classes, outside of class Facilitate student ownership over their own learning

General Benefits Increase student engagement in the course Improve student understanding of the material Inform your planning Quickly assess student needs (pre- and post-) Make your course more relevant to students lives Bridge the gap between class periods Encourage formal and informal collaboration Provide scaffolding for larger assignment Drastically increase amount of writing students do

Want to integrate technology into your course? Heres how. Next Steps

First ask yourself: What are your course objectives? How might a blog or a wiki help your students achieve these goals? What kinds of assignments do you already have that might work well or better on a blog or wiki? What kinds of new assignments could this technology help you develop?

Implementation and Logistics: How will you use the blog/wiki in your course? How much will it count in their grade? How will you grade it? What do you want students to write about? How much should they write? When should they post and respond to each other? How (and how often) will you respond?

Keys to Successful Integration Transparent objectives: WHY? Clear and specific expectations: WHAT? Flexibility: WHAT IF? Feedback: WELL DONE!

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