David E. Walker, Ed.D. Bloomsburg University of PA

 A third grader’s response:

“Sees the day!”

 Let us “Seize the day” by working cooperatively in four groups to provide our answers to the following essential questions: 1. Why is reflective thinking significant to learning? 2. How does networking with others improve understanding? 3. Why should professors promote the use of technology tools like, Blogs, Wikis, Voice Thread, Podcasts, etc. ? 4. What methods do you employ within your lessons that promote the use of critical thinking skills?

Embrey (2002) defines a blog as “… a cross between a diary, a Web site, and an online community” (p. 7). Winer (2002) provides this definition: “A Weblog is a kind of continual tour, with a human guide whom you get to know.”

Dave Winer, 51, pioneered the development of Weblogs, syndication (RSS), Podcasting, outlining, and Web content management software; he is a former contributing editor at Wired Magazine, a research fellow at Harvard Law School, an entrepreneur, and an investor in Web media companies. A native New Yorker, he received a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin and a Bachelor's in Mathematics from Tulane University. He currently lives in Berkeley, California.  "The protoblogger." - NY Times. NY Times  "Helped popularize blogging, Podcasting and RSS." - Time. Time Retrieved February 21, 2009 from 02/21/daveWinerBio.html

According to Martindale & Wiley (2005), the blog framework generally includes:  Automatic formatting of content in the form of “headlines,” followed by “entries” or “stories”;  Time- and date-stamp of entries;  Archiving of past entries;  A function to search through all entries;  A section associated with each entry where readers can post comments on the entry (p ).

 Encourages the development of student- writing skills  Promotes the use of reflective analysis  Assures readings are completed and contemplated  Demonstrates the use of networking and collaborating with fellow learners  Develops intellectual interactions

 Assesses the depth of student learning  Instills the use of 21C technology  Facilitates communication among all participants  Develops a community of learners  Provides a forum for disseminating information

 A clear mission encourages productive dialogue and transparent learning for all of the participants.

Within their blogs, I have requested that students in three different courses create Reflective Dialogue Entries (RDEs) that contain: 1. A summary of the reading; 2. A selected quote, justification for the choice, and an analysis of the words; and 3. Three reflective statements related to their learning from the course, conversations pertaining to course content, and life experiences tied to class topics.

 Student teachers are expected to select experiences, problems, solutions, insights, observations, projects, etc. and write journal- like entries.

 All blog participants are required to read and respond to at least one other person for each entry. The RDEs are more complex, and I have found that numbering the various components assists students in organizing their thoughts. I encourage students to select different people to respond to as often as possible.

Post on September pdf (RDE #1 from Teaching of Language Arts) Post on October11, 2008.pdf (RDE #6 from Teaching of Language Arts) Post on October (D&I).pdf (RDE #8 from Diagnostic and Inclusionary Practices for Literacy)

Post on February (Student Teachers).pdf (Blog #5 from a student teacher with two responses, one from a fellow student and one from me.)

Blogging for Understanding References

 Please feel free to visit my Faculty/Staff Web site and retrieve further information from this workshop at: (All conference information is under the link of the same name.)  My contact information is:

Thank you, David Walker