The "big idea" of the first three chapters in the book "blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms" by Will Richardson, in my opinion, is this:
CHAPTER 1:
The traditional definition of literacy: the ability to read and write might be better defined as to include all aspects of the read/write web.
Three supporting statements for chapter 1 are:
1. Practically everything we do today revolves around the web.
2. Students today are brought up in a technology based society. This is what they know.
3. As exciting and important as it is to use this read/write web in classrooms, we must keep our children safe while engaging in these activities.
CHAPTER 2:
Blogging allows students to reach beyond their typical classroom constraints and works well for all learning styles. They are a great constructive tool for students.
Three supporting statements for chapter 2 are:
1. One way to use the read/write web is by creating weblogs which are easily created and updated by the author(s) from any internet connection.
2. There are currently many ways in which classrooms are using weblogs (i.e. class portals, collaborative spaces and school websites).
3. Not only are blogs great tools for writing-based classes, teachers are using them for many other classes such as biology and mathematics.
CHAPTR 3:
The art of blogging needs to begin with the teachers. Millions of children are already using blogs, however, not always in the most productive ways.
Three supporting statements for chapter 3 are:
1. In order to become familiar and comfortable with blogging, the educator must first use blogging himself/herself.
2. One important aspect of blogging within the classroom setting is keeping the student safe by educating them on the best blogging practices.
3. Creating a simple blog is quite a simple process and can be shared between the teacher and students.
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After reading these Chapters, what ideas came to mind for how blogs can be used in your work? Are blogs already a part of the zoo professional culture? I wouldn't be surprised. Educational settings such as schools (and definitely higher ed) are usually the last to explore these new tools.
ReplyDeleteBlogs are definitely not very common in the zoo field. However, some zoos use a general blog to promote their zoo. Woodland Park Zoo has a great Blog. I do not know of any zoo educators who use a blog. I am interested and will do some searching to find out.
ReplyDeletehttp://woodlandparkzblog.blogspot.com/
Our research indicated that the best uses of blogs for educational purposes have yet to be created. Sadly, these tools enter into the school setting long after students have been using them at home. Students see these tools as beneficial in their out of school life but not as educational tools. Then when teachers finally do get on board....well then the blog or other tool...is used in a very uncreative way.
ReplyDeleteTeachers need to find creative ways to use these tools, but without understanding about the tool, this is unlikely to happen. One of grad students is a Tech resource teacher in a middle school. A group of teachers came to her and said they wanted to use Facebook for an assignment. When she asked them why, they responded that they thought the kids would think it would be cool. In a school system which doesn't even allow student email accounts, it would be very difficult to justify the use of social networking software with that kind of reason. They didn't have any educational goals, couldn't match the features of the tools that promote thinking and learning with those goals, etc.
Often this is the case when it comes to integrating technology into curriculum. The tool seems really cool, kids like to use it....but the tool becomes more of a gimmick rather than a learning support. We've seen this happen over the years (Larry Cuban's Teachers and Machines is a good resource).
How do we solve this problem? Good staff development and teacher education...opportunities for teachers to learn about the tool by using the tool :)