Chapter 2 Weblogs: Pedagogy and Practice

1. Chapter 2Weblogs: Pedagogy and Practice Kippa Madden-Caine

3. What Is A WEBLOG? • Easily created, easily updated web sites • Allows an author or authors to publish instantly to the Internet from any connection

4. What Is A WEBLOG? • Comprised of reflections and conversations • Can be shaped into whatever YOU, the author, want them to be • Engages readers with questions, ideas and links

5. What Is A WEBLOG? • Demands interaction • Asks readers to think and respond

6. What Is A WEBLOG? A Weblog is also a Website • graphics • photos • video • audio files

7. What Is A WEBLOG? • Being used by more than 180 million people • 2 new blogs are being created every second

8. Weblogs in Schools • Class Portals • Online Filing Cabinets (for students work) • E-Portfolios • Collaborative Space • Knowledge Management • School Websites

9. E-Portfolio • Collect work to highlight • Select best works • Publish results

10. Class Portals • Communicate Information • Archive Course Materials • Saves time i.e. Not having to make duplicate copies of previous handouts • Cuts down excuses i.e. I didn’t know “that” was due today?

11. Class Portals • Information and Course Materials • curriculum • syllabus • class rules • homework assignments • rubrics • handouts • presentations

12. Parents Are Happy Have the ability to access class materials love the transparency

13. Online Filing Cabinets ----->>>>>>>

14. Online Filing Cabinets Students can post work online for peer and teacher response • Creates space for online portfolio of work • Creates digital filing cabinet to archive work

15. Advantages

16. Studentsneverdisplace their work The dog never eats it; it’s either in their blog or not!

17. Work is organized in one place Weblogs are searchable; students can locate assignments or posts easily

18. Shared with others invested or interested in students progress Parents, counselors, mentors and peers can follow along as students posts their work

19. Collaborative Space Students collaborate with others online: • Each other • Scientists • Authors • Other Professionals

20. Knowledge Management and Articulation School Committees/Groups • Archive minutes • Share links • Continue dialogues • Store documents and presentations Districts • Share best practices • Lesson plans • Worksheets • Projects

21. School Web Site All Departments could have their own site • Club Activities • Sports Teams • Student Government Bodies

22. Pedagogy of Weblogs What can Weblogs do to improve student learning? Why should teachers consider blogs as tools to deliver their curriculum?

23. Constructivist tool for learning • Student and teacher content created is on the World Wide Web • Relevance of work no longer ends at classroom door

24. Expand the walls of the classroom • Students have ability to connect outside of classroom via e-mail and chat groups • Collaboration is more accessible and diverse

25. Archive the learning that teachers and students do Histories of work are: • Organized • Easily Searchable • Easily shareable

26. A democratic tool that supports different learning styles • Some students may be reticent and to shy about speaking their ideas. • Can lead to a greater sense of participation

27. Enhances development of expertise in a particular subject • Teach students the new literacy's needed to function in the information society that continually expands

28. Connective Writing • Read carefully and critically • Demands clarity and cogency • Done for wider audience • Links to sources of expressed ideas

29. Connective Writing Forms of blogs: • Reactions to topics discussed • Posted links • Reflective writing • Summarized/annotated writings

30. Connective Writing Writing vs. Blogging Writing Blogging Continues Outside Conversation Synthesis • Stops • Inside • Monologue • Thesis

31. Pedagogy of WeblogsHow is this genre introduced? Scaffolding Blogging • Have students find interesting and relevant sites of information • Teach students how to write about what is found on sites • Teachers recruit an audience to interact with students

32. Pedagogy of Weblogs Blogging Across the Curriculum • Collaborate with subject-specific experts • Archive learning • Share results of experiments • Publish student work Blogs as Resources (Credibility) • Find out information on author • Find out reputation of blogger; their personal agenda • Read blog rolls and links • Develop standards for sources

33. Pedagogy of Weblogs Classroom Use of Weblogs

34. Classroom Use of Weblogs Use by teachers: • Reflect on teaching experiences • Keep logs of teaching-training experience • Teaching tips for others • Learning experiences from other teachers • Exploring teaching and learning issues Use by class: • Post prompts for writing • Provide examples of classwork, activities or games • Post photos and comments on class activities • Showcase student art, poetry and creative stories • Gather and organize Internet resources Use by student: • Post prompts for writing • Provide examples of classwork, activities or games • Post photos and comments on class activities • Showcase student art, poetry and creative stories • Gather and organize Internet resources

36. The End…