Blogging, Wikis and RSS in Education

1. Blogging, Wikis and RSS in Education Addressing the Challenges of New Literacy

2. Blogging and Literacy • Technology has also added a new type of literacy to consider. Sometimes referred to as digital fluency, this type of literacy refers to the ways people become comfortable using technology as they would any other natural language (Huffaker, 2004). Some scholars suggest digital fluency will be another prerequisite for sociability, lifelong learning and employment opportunities (Resnick, 2002). The uses of educational technologies have a two–fold advantage: They can promote the types of literacy traditionally encouraged in learning, as well as the digital fluency needed to prosper in the digital age. • Blogs represent a perfect medium for literacy. Authors must read and write as they would on paper, while increasing their comfort with computers and the Internet. Because blogs do not require exceptional technical skills, but still offer the opportunity to "tinker" using Web programming languages for customization, blogs remain equitable for all age groups and both genders, and still provide a medium for learning programmatic skills.

3. Blogs: • encourage computer literacy skill development • Develop Interest for students, teachers and parents • Have a built in audience for the students writing • Give students the opportunity for self-expression • Provide individual writing practice as well as communicative opportunities • Motivate students

4. How to use and find Blogs • You should use blogs for what they are good for - Blogs are by no means the answer to everything, they are very strong alternative communication tools but if you want to build quizzes, run polls, have near-synchronous conversation, do listserv-y kind of discussion or strictly manage just about anything then you’ll probably want to look at another tool. Use blogs to assist people to publish work, represent themselves online, interact with their peers as part of an organic community and manage their own digital content and identity.Use proven and effective blogging tools - When you decide to set off on your blogging journey don’t, please don’t, do it with some ‘tacked on solution’ to a large and established Learning Management System. Blogs are just as complex as any other form of software and you want to get the tools off people who know what they’re doing. You probably wouldn’t pick up an office suite from Macromedia, would you… Look at all the options and chose a proven path, there are lots of them.

5. Wikis • According to Leuf and Cunningham (2001), creators of the original wiki concept, “a wiki is a freely expandable collection of interlinked webpages, a hypertext system for storing and modifying information – a database, where each page is easily edited by any user with a forms-capable Web browser client” (p. 14). Content can be directly linked to that found in other wikis (interwiki) and in Web documents. • Browser-based access means that neither special software nor a third-party webmaster is needed to post content. Content is posted immediately, eliminating the need for distribution with the associated risk of virus transmission. Participants can be notified about new content, and they review only new content. Low graphic use results in pages that load quickly. Access is flexible – all that is needed is a computer with a browser and Internet connection. Modular construction means that wikis can be simple or complex to meet user needs and skill levels.

6. Wikis • Are similar to blogs • Are more collaborative than blogs • Can be edited by anyone • Also have a built in audience • Are easier to use than blogs • Usually use email to announce changes