Final Blog Post: Week 8

Reflection:

After going through each part of the GAME plan process, I have had a lot of successes with my students in regards to technology integration. We have slowly started to change the way we do our daily journal writing. Three days a week, students respond to a journal prompt via their personal blogs. The other two days students continue the traditional journal entries with a hand-written response. The students were very eager to take part in this and were excited to express themselves by making their blog page their own. It has been difficult as each of the students is on a different page with previous exposure to computers and the Internet. With the help of my high school aides, I have been able to pair students who needed more help with a high school helper to help navigate or post to a prompt. I have found that this change doesn’t just happen overnight. We started off slow with this integration where students were able to navigate the site as a whole group and explored different options.

Impact on Instructional Practice:

One of the biggest things that I learned is that it’s okay to depend on your students for help. I have to say that they catch on and might know more of the ins and outs than I do, even at a young age. My students have been so cooperative with each other in this process and their excitement for learning has really been prevalent. I have also learned that integrating technology is crucial in order for students to start preparing for their futures. Even a little integration will help prepare them for what’s out there.

Adjustments:

As a result of my learning from this course, I plan on integrating technology daily into my lessons. I would like to integrate a new program or technology each month to my students. This sounds like a big task to complete, especially with 2nd graders, but it is my hope that I can do what is needed in order to expose them to experiences they might not get elsewhere. I will also give my students the reins and have them research a program that we will use. This will allow them to take hold of their learning and become experts on the technologies that we will utilize.

Using the GAME Plan Process with Students: Week 7

As part of my original GAME plan, I chose the following NETS-T indicators to focus on:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.

All of the NETS-T standards and indicators lend themselves to an easy adaptation into the elementary classroom. With the integration of nearly any technological device, students can accomplish the indicators desired. I found it easy to integrate the above indicators into my blog project. Students were able to express their creativity through designing and making their blog posts their own. The 3rd standard I have listed probably takes the most effort to achieve.

In order for teachers to model digital-age work and learning, we have to be up-to-date with the latest technology developments as well as how to use them in the classroom. It can be frustrating at times to try to accomplish this. However, I have found that leaning on your students for help and understanding isn’t all that bad. Why not make it a learning experience for both sides? In my experience, students are more engaged and interested if the teacher is also engaged and interested. This can be done by allowing students to explain how a technology works or the ins and outs of different programs.

The NETS-T standards and indicators should be part of our required curriculum in order to achieve the ultimate goal: Involve students with the latest technologies to assure successful futures.

Revising the GAME Plan: Week 6

What I have learned….

So far, I have learned that in order to integrate technology effectively you have to be patient. This quality is true to every teacher. I don’t believe you can teach if you do not have a great deal of patience. I have found that having students complete blog entries requires a little deeper level of patience than I have yet to experience. There are constant questions and confusion when trying to do online journaling. However, I do have to thank some of my more experienced students in taking time to help those who are struggling. When beginning this blogging experience, I started with the basics. I did a class demonstration of a blog I had created and went over all of the aspects it offered. Students had a chance to interact with this program via a Smartboard and went over the navigating tips for those who lacked the knowledge needed.

Goals….

As far as my goals are concerned, I am still working for a successful week in student blogging. I would like for students to be able to navigate and successfully respond to the journal prompts throughout the week. I would also like students to begin to respond to their classmate’s postings. However, I feel that this step should wait until students are more comfortable with this type of communication.

I would still like to set the goal of more parent communication through the blogging experience. I would like to get letters sent home that states what the students have been doing regarding their blogs and how the parents can interact with this experience. I would like parents to have the opportunity to respond to their child’s blog by being able to post comments at home. Students could then respond to their parents comments throughout the week. This would allow for a nice school-home connection.

Learning Approaches….

Next time I integrate a new form of technology, I would like to take more time learning about what the technology is. For example if I was introducing blogging again, I would like to show more examples of different types of blogs completed by students of the age of the class so that they have a better idea of what is expected. I would also like to take more time to show what all blogs offer – in regards to uploading images, videos, etc. As of now, students have a very vague concept of the blogging experience and I would like to expand that to show them what else it offers.

Evaluating My GAME Plan Progress: Week 5

After having my students journal via blogging for a week, I have found myself full of excitement. Not only am I getting the results that I envisioned, but the students are more motivated and willing to express themselves more openly via their blogs. When students completed their daily journals with paper and pencil, they held off on their writing. They did what was needed to get by. Now, they are given twenty minutes (instead of ten) to get a response posted in their blog. More time is given for them to navigate and upload images as necessary. Students are more motivated and excited about this experience so they are putting more into it. Students are writing (typing) more than they ever had through their old journals.

My goal of having students utilize digital tools and reflect is being accomplished. Students are becoming familiar with technology that they have yet to be exposed to which is creating a more successful learning experience. My students now have skills that will help them as they progress towards their future careers.

With each blog that students complete, they are following a given prompt that they must reflect on. This prompt is either a reflection of a personal experience, a learning activity being done in the classroom, or their thoughts/opinions on a particular idea.

My upcoming goal is for students to create aggregator accounts where they can follow two of their classmates blogs. They will be required to share a response with at least one member three times a week. This will be a way to share ideas and thoughts with each other through a blogging experience. The only downside to this is students are having to get comfortable with the idea that their journals are now public to the rest of the class, where before only the teacher was required to view the entries. For the most part, students are okay with this idea and are excited about reading and commenting on their peers’ blogs.

Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress: Week 4

Over the past two weeks, my students and I have been working on the following two goals:

1. Promote student reflection using collaborative, digital tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

2. Strengthen collaboration with students and parents through the use of digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

These goals were part of my original GAME plan to get students more involved with technology and to communicate more effectively with parents. To do this, I am having student’s complete daily journals that are done through their own personal blog. These blogs are made public so that parents are able to view and comment on them.

For the most part, blogging has been a new concept for my students. We have started with the basics as a whole group and have viewed, commented, and created a blog as a class. This past week, I had students create their own accounts and they have played around with the styles and options on their blog site. After the Thanksgiving holiday, students will make their first online journal post. I will be sending home a hard copy of a newsletter and an electronic copy letting parents know of the change in our daily journaling exercises. Parents will become aware of their child’s URL address and will be encouraged to read and comment on their posts.

Students are quick to adjust to change. I have found that they are very eager to learn about new technologies and find it much more exciting than doing journals by hand. I hope that this excitement carries over to other areas of the curriculum as I plan to continue to integrate more and more types of technologies. There have been many questions and I thank the students for their patience and persistence in discovering the blogging process.

It is my hope that after a week’s worth of blogging, I will have students complete a survey that gives me a glimpse at their thoughts on completing their journals electronically or by hand. After students get used to this process, I hope that they will begin to feel more comfortable with the technology and begin to tune into their creative side, adding more images, changing font styles, and commenting on each of their classmate’s posts.

Carrying Out My GAME Plan: Week 3

Resources:

In order to carry out my GAME plan, I will need to develop surveys for students to complete after they have completed a week’s worth of journal entries. This will allow me to get a feel for the students overall attitude with completing electronic journals versus handwritten journals. The surveys will be completed by the use of clickers where students will be able to respond anonymously. I would also like to find blog entries that are similar to the project my class will be working on. This will give the students a better feel for the assignment and ways to express their creative side.

Additional Info:

A criterion sheet should be created that the students will follow while posting to their blogs on a daily basis. The sheet will be turned in at the end of the week and will act as a check sheet for each student. There must be a total of five blog postings that follow the grammatical expectations for 2nd grade. There will also be a requirement of at least two pictures/images that they imported to a posting(s).

Steps Taken:

Thus far, I have been able to introduce the idea of blogging to my students. We have looked at the blog site they will use to create and post to. The students are becoming familiar with how to use the site through the use of an example blog and its posts. My upcoming steps are to have each student create their own blog and have it ready to post to when we come back from Thanksgiving.

The Game Plan: Week 2

My Personal GAME Plan
G: Set Goals
A: Take Action
M: Monitor
E: Evaluate and Extend

After looking over the NETS-T (National Education Standards for Teachers), I have chosen two indicators I would like to work to improve proficiency and confidence with.

NETS-T Indicators:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.

Set Goals:

1. Promote student reflection using collaborative, digital tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

2. Strengthen collaboration with students and parents through the use of digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

Take Action:

1. Students will be required to write in journals using the computers, rather then a paper notebook.
2. Students will communicate ideas, opinions, and suggestions through a collaborative classroom wiki page.
3. Through the class wiki page, students and parents will be able to access support and ideas to help students at home by keeping a weekly agenda of what is going on in the classroom.
4. Parents with access to the Internet will be sent resources to help their child via electronic sites, journals, or activities.

Monitor:

To monitor my progress, I will have students complete an anonymous survey with the use of clickers. Students will answer questions related to the classroom wiki page as well as their daily electronic journals. I will also monitor the class site for parent comments.

I will assess student learning through formative assessments that students will complete twice a week.

Evaluate and Extend:

As a whole class, we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of completing journals via the computer. We will also discuss the wiki page and offer suggestions for improvements. Students will have an opportunity to voice their opinion and work closely with the technology to make necessary changes or improvements.

Collaboration will take place with other professionals who employ this form of technology in the classroom to get their opinion on student successes and failures.

Reference:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Class Reflection

Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology has allowed me to discover new technology possibilities that I could bring to the classroom. I have also had the opportunity to learn new ideas on ways to integrate technology with the help of my classmates and professor. I have learned about the importance of preparing students for their future in this technology dependent society.

The Personal Theory of Learning that I developed during the first week of this course, I believe, still successfully represents my beliefs as an early childhood educator. Learning is a social activity. Students should be interacting, sharing ideas, and learning from each other. With this said, students should be the ones enveloped in technology. After analyzing the use of the Smartboard during the day, I have realized that I spend the majority of the time interacting and working through problems or work. It is my hope that I can transfer this responsibility to my students and have them more involved in the explanation part of assignments or class discussions.

An adjustment I would like to make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration would be to allow students more opportunity to work one-on-one with different technology tools. This method may take more time during the day, but overall well worth it. Students need to be given these opportunities at school because some may not have access at home. Two tools I would like to use with my students would be spread sheets and Voice Thread. Spread sheets would allow students to be able to organize their thoughts in a visual table or chart. Voice Thread would allow students to take their written work a step further by using their stories as a script where they can choose images to represent their ideas.

Two long term goals:
1. Include at least one form of technology integration each day for instructional purposes.

• Assign a technology tool for each day of the week – Monday: Smartboard; Tuesday: Wiki. Students would be able to learn the ins and outs easier and would be able to receive one-on-one assistance as it would be used in class discussions or demonstrations.

2. Use a variety of technology. (Currently I am mainly using a Smartboard and have not integrated a lot of variation in technological tools.)

• Give students a checklist of products that they would complete over the courseof the year – use a word document, wiki, Voice Thread, spreadsheet. Students would be able to choose a tool to illustrate a project but must complete the entire checklist by the end of the year.

Voice Thread

Here is a link to my first Voice Thread assignment where I was to think of a need, problem, or situation I am confronted with in my classroom or school today. One issue that I currently have in regards to technology is the lack of computers and their functionality. Click the link to find out more!

The Computer Issue

Connectivism and Social Learning

Cooperative Learning is the major component in social learning. Our class explored the social learning theory with regards to how students learn. I believe that an effective, successful classroom is one where students are communicating with one another and they are actively engaged in their work. A quiet classroom, to me, is one that little learning is occurring. Yes, there is a time and place for students to work independently, such as silent reading or test taking. However, the majority of the time should be spent questioning, analyzing, and talking with peers. Students are able to build upon key social skills that they will need by involving themselves in small or large group discussions.

The authors of our class book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, discuss the idea of cooperative learning. They noted, “When students work in cooperative groups, they make sense of, or construct meaning for, new knowledge by interacting with others” (2007, p. 139). Students need to be able to work together to solve problems. Most jobs of today involve communicating and working together to come to a consensus or generate new ideas. One idea that I hope to take from the authors is web site creation. Allowing students to work cooperatively in small groups to create a website based on a project or idea will allow them to learn to express themselves in a positive, sharing environment.

Resource:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Constructivism in Practice

This week our task was to explore the constructivist learning theory and strategies to use in the classroom that highlight this approach. The constructivist theory is based around how students understand and store information. An area we were asked to look at was “Generating and Testing Hypotheses,” from the book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. The authors noted, “When students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content” (2007, p. 202). Having students predict possible outcomes is very important in an elementary classroom. Not only does this allow students to share their thoughts and opinions with one another, but it allows them to think critically through their thought process.

With the help of technology, students can work with spreadsheets that may allow them to successfully organize their thoughts. Using a spreadsheet could be done as a whole group via the Smartboard, individually, or in small groups, depending on students’ comfort level. This will create a more exciting atmosphere where students want to think outside of the box and push their thoughts to the next level. The constructivist approach to learning would be highlighted because students comprehend all possible information, storing it into a spreadsheet, and are generating all possible outcomes.

A website that the authors gave, Explore Learning, would be a great tool for students to become familiar with. It takes the idea of generating and testing hypotheses to the next level. Students are able to interact with a more exciting learning approach that allows them to think critically.

The ideas behind the constructivist learning approach is something I try to incorporate into my daily routine as far as pushing students to think critically and to challenge themselves. When students have a way of organizing their knowledge on spreadsheets or tables, they are more likely to understand the information they are taking in.

Resource:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Cognitivism in Practice

The authors of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, have brought more ideas to the cognitive learning integration for the classroom. Technology is such an important aspect that should involve every student, each day that they are at school. When the school is able to provide them with technology, they will be more prepared for their future in our technology dependent society. However, integrating technology in the right way is important for student success and positive outcomes that they can take with them each year.

Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers are great tools that help students organize their information in a more easy-to-follow format. It also helps those visual learners because they are now able to put in information or data that they have found using a concept map or spreadsheet.

The authors share a website that I would like to integrate into my classroom, BrainPOP Jr; they said it is “an online collection of short animated films for students in kindergarten through 3rd grade” (2007, p.85). It has a lot of great features that cover all aspects of the curriculum and range from difficulty. The only downside to the site is it does require a subscription, but I feel would be a great tool to have in the classroom.

Summarizing and note taking, according to the authors, “focuses on enhancing students’ ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form” (2007, p. 119). After teaching students the ins and outs of effective note taking, they will be more prepared to find the important facts of a story, discussion, or new concept. At an elementary level, students' note taking basically consists of being able to find facts that are important for a book report or area of study for a unit. The authors give several hints to help elementary level students summarize information which include, “Take out the material that is not important to understanding. Take out words that repeat information. Replace a list of things with a word that describes the things in the list. Find a topic sentence.” (2007, p. 121). These helpful hints will aide students to organize information in a way that they can understand and that they find important, which plays into the cognitive learning approach.

There are lots of great ways to integrate technology into the classroom in an educational format. Giving students the opportunity to explore new educational sites, programs, and/or virtual field trips, allows them to have a structured environment that promotes success. Students will be more excited about summarizing a book or to learn about a particular culture. They are more excited because they are using technology and techniques that fits their preferred learning style.

Resource:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Behaviorism in Practice

The behaviorist learning theory is reflected in several of our teaching strategies and practices on a daily basis. According to the behaviorist learning theory, students and teachers follow the reinforcement and punishment techniques in the daily management plan. The authors of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works correlate two strategies to this behaviorist approach including reinforcing effort and homework and practice.

The reinforcing effort approach looks at how students learn, what interests them, and realizes that every student may have a different learning approach that is more successful to them. According to Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, “The instructional strategy of reinforcing effort enhances students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning” (2007, p. 155). When teachers are proactive about searching and implementing ways that work for students, students will be more successful in all areas of the daily routine. The authors go on to note, “Technology makes it easier for students and teachers to tract the effects of effort and facilitates more immediate feedback” (2007, p. 156). Reinforcing students for making an effort, working collaboratively, and giving it their all will more than likely result in more positive interactions with the whole class.

The second strategy mentioned is homework and practice. Homework is a great tool for reinforcing a behavior or lesson outcome for the class. When students have comprehended the information discussed, homework acts as a reinforcer for the material that was covered. It was noted “Homework and practice give students a chance to review and apply what they have learned” (2007, p.187). When students are comfortable and confident that they will be able to complete the work they must do outside of class, they will become more confident on a day-to-day basis. Homework is also a great way to assess students’ understanding and gives the teacher an opportunity to reteach information that may not have been grasped.

Incorporating technology into behaviorism can be done by having students track information or to keep track of their progress throughout the year. Using technology allows for faster, more immediate feedback so that students know what they need to focus on and teachers can adapt lessons more efficiently.

Reference:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Reflecting on Technology Use

Previously, most technology use in the classroom was done via the Smartboard. I never thought of incorporating blogs, wikis, or podcasts into classroom activities. Students were excited about using the Smartboard to learn and it was a chance for them to interact with a new form of technology. On occasion, students did use our classroom computers to play educational games or to practice reading skills. With the help of this class, Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society, I am more prepared to integrate the use of blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other technologies into my classroom. With little adjustment to lessons, students can learn to utilize these new forms of communication that will be beneficial to them when they enter the working world. It is amazing to see how well students can adapt to these technologies once they are given the proper guidelines and instruction.

I am now more aware of how important it is for students to have access to technology in the classroom. A lot of my students do not have working computers at home and lack the interaction they will need in order to be successful in today’s society. It is my responsibility to allow students the opportunity to practice their 21st century skills using the newest forms of technology. I will continue to read news articles that provide information on new technology as well as tips and activities for some of the technologies we are currently using. I will also begin a classroom wiki and/or blog site. I will begin teaching my students the basic navigation skills and guidelines for successfully completing activities or assignments. By keeping current with today’s technologies and ways to integrate them into lessons, I will support student achievement.

One goal I would like to accomplish is to set up a classroom blog. This would be a site that would contain the weekly outline of activities going on in the classroom, daily homework reminders, and any activities students contribute based on different lessons. To accomplish this, I will first teach my students how to use a blog and practice posting and gathering images to put on the blog. I will then begin to integrate the use of blogs into daily lessons where students will have the opportunity to work in groups and individually to contribute to our site.

The second goal I would like to set is to place more emphasis on practicing key 21st century skills. Some skills that my students would benefit from are communication skills and critical thinking skills. When my students run into a conflict or are not getting along with one another, they immediately come to me for support. I would like to teach them the necessary skills for trying to resolve the issue on their own. If the skills I teach them do not work, then I would encourage them to come to me. It is important for my students to develop and understand how they can communicate effectively with one another whether it is via Internet or in person. I would also like my students to strengthen their critical thinking skills. Far too often, students give up on what looks to be a difficult task or assignment. I want to push them, especially with their abilities with technology, to really think outside of the box and to analyze different possibilities. Students need to believe in themselves and support their creativity. By incorporating activities that use 21st century skills, students will be able to practice and become more confident when communicating in today’s society.

Profiling the Students of Today

I developed a podcast that recorded the responses of my students' digital abilities and learning styles. Some of the questions the students answered included:

How much time do you spend watching TV each day?
How much time do you spend playing video games?
Do you have a computer at home? If yes, what do you use it for?
Do you like the Smartboard? Why or why not?
Do you have a cell phone?

I included a demographic profile of my classroom population and compiled some of the student responses.

Here is a link where you can check it out!

http://podcastmachine.com/podcasts/3516/episodes/16124

Evaluating 21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website is a group of advocates for making sure students have access to the necessary skills to succeed in our society. As part of their mission they note, “Every child in America needs 21st century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers and leaders in the 21st century” (2004). This is a wonderful site that gives you the information needed to effectively integrate the skills into the classroom. After viewing the site, I feel that I am more prepared to teach my students necessary information in order for them to be successful as they become active members of society. As an elementary teacher, I believe that it is vital for students to begin looking at and understanding the framework The Partnership for 21st Century Skills presents. This framework includes: Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes, Learning and Innovative Skills, Information, Media, and Technology Skills, and Life and Career Skills. Though this may seem overwhelming for elementary students to deal with, it is something that should be introduced at a young age.

Something that surprised me on the site was their link to the Ohio standards and assessments. This information that the site gives you is improvements that teachers will soon see in their core standards. The 21st century skills that are vital for students to master are going to be worked into the new standards in the core subject areas. Another surprise was the number of resources available to aide in teaching the different parts of the 21st Century Framework. An easy to use resource that also incorporates information regarding Ohio is Route 21. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills says, “The goal of Route 21 is to provide an online interactive tool that demonstrates how 21st century skills can be supported through standards, professional development, assessments and curriculum and instruction” (2004). In order for students to be successful in today’s society, teachers need to be aware and educated on these essential skills.

After reviewing the site, I feel that there will be positive implications for my students and for myself as an educator. Now that I am aware of the key 21st century skills and how to incorporate them into the classroom, I can begin to better prepare my students for today’s technology dependent society. Though we are currently practicing some of the skills, I can introduce new activities that will better connect the content to today’s societal demands. Two areas that I would like to work on with my students are communication skills and social responsibility. It is important for them to realize the impact of having correct and effective skills in order for them to achieve their goals.

Resources:
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. 2004. http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

Route 21. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. 2007. http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/index.php

Daily Check

Something that I do not have, but hope to have in the near future is a classroom blog. One use students would get out of this blog would be to make daily posts about what they learned each day about a specific content area. The students would visit this area on the blog at the end of each day. The teacher would make a revolving list of students who will post to the blog after every subject. They will post two to three sentences that capture what the student learned in that subject on that day. Revisiting this blog at the end of the day accomplishes two objectives: it reinforces the daily lessons with the students (I would tell them this is what you tell your parents when they ask “What did you do at school today?”) and it gives me a chance to make sure students grasped the content covered. If a student would be off the mark on the goal of the lesson, I could ask the class to add to the particular statement to make sure the other students were on target. This allows me to do another small assessment before the end of each day. The blog also helps students with their reading and writing skills. Will Richardson, author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, notes, “Blogging can teach critical reading and writing skills, and it can lead to greater information management skills” (p. 36, 2009). With the daily check assignment, students would be able to practice writing complete sentences and using correct punctuation.

Allowing students to start off with this assignment will get them use to blogging. Will Richardson says, “Having small groups of students actually start creating posts to the same Weblog is a great way to introduce them to blogging and to help them understand the process” (p. 46, 2009). The students will be able to read other classmates responses and could comment or ask them a question as well.

The class blog is a good tool because it acts as a daily log that does not waste resources. It is also accessible from anywhere by anyone so parents, administrators, and the students could go and see what is happening in my classroom.

Reference:

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Welcome

Welcome to my Blogspot Blog! With the help of my Walden University Course: Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society, I hope to become more familiar with the blogging world. Throughout the course I will be updating my blog by adding new features and posts. Hopefully by the end, I will be current with the latest blogging jargon.