2. Most Useful Tools: Blog
I think all the tools I learned about are very helpful and can be
used in different ways in the classroom. Wiki, web publishing ,
RSSS, and blogs are all ways that can help me become a
better teacher and I plan on incorporating some of this
technology when I teach from now on.
I had taken on online class on Wiki so I was a little familiar with
it. I had no idea about all the work that goes into creating one.
I appreciate that I have all these online resources all in one
place and I can update it from any computer. Before my wiki,
“bookmarking” it was my only way to remember and access
them.
Originally, I had no interest in “blogging” because I didn’t see
the point of it. After taking this class, I realized I was wrong,
3. Reasons Why Educators Should be Blogging
For Students:
O Blogs are fun! Many of your students likely already keep a
personal blog. Using a blog in the classroom will help students
relate to the lesson.
O Blogs can stand in as online student journals for a variety of
classroom modules.
O When used for group work, they can foster collaboration and
team-building skills.
O Blogs can be used to encourage discussion anytime — whether
in or outside of class.
O Students can use blogs to develop online portfolios of their work.
O They provide another outlet for different styles of learning
4. Reasons Why Educators Should be Blogging
For Teachers:
O Personal blogs — or professional blogs that include personal
information about the teacher — give students a way to get to
know the teacher better.
O Blogs give teachers more autonomy, allowing them more
possibilities for their lessons, including podcasts, videos, photos
and more.
O Blogs can provide a record of what was done in class. Can’t
remember how you handled this section last year? Check your
blog.
O Blogs can be used to facilitate classroom discussion
O Blogs offer a community of experts to offer advise, share tips,
and commiserate over experiences.
O Teachers can learn more about Web 2.0 tools and become
more comfortable and familiar with them through the practice of
writing a blog.
O Blogs highlight valuable resources that educators can use both
in and out of the classroom.
5. Ten Educational Blogs
O Edudemic (Social Media)
O Flipped Learning Learning (new ways of teaching)
O Free Technology for Teachers Technology for Teachers
(free resource)
O The The Innovative Educator Educator (creative
teaching press)
O Mindshift (research, policy, and cultural issues)
O The Organized Classroom Blog Organized Classroom
Blog (tips for primary-grade management and
effectiveness)
O Stephen’s Web (online media in education)
O Technology with Intention (tech integration)
O Try Curiosity (library issues and literacy-related news)
O ZDNet Education (tech reviews for education, ed-tech
business news)
6. Success and Challenges
O Fear of starting each new
project.
O Spending too much time
on one project.
O Hyper-focusing and
overanalyzing everything.
O Not being able to see
other classmates work.
O Doing something you
don’t know how to do
O Not having technologically
savvy teachers around
that use these tools….yet
!
• Able to do online class,
teach during the day and
be an attentive mom to my
22 month son.
• Learn at my own pace and
within my “available” hours.
• Created my amazing
projects using technology.
• Less anxious about
technology and online
classes.
• Can use the tools and skills
in my classroom.
7. Experience with Moodle and
Online Learning
O 24 hour access to
course content.
O Work on your on
time – any hour.
O Learn at your on
pace.
O Use multiple
devices to update
projects.
O Using e-learning as
a student.
O Immediate feedback
and comments from
teacher.
8. Collection of Alisha Guest’s Work
O Wikis: a website that allows collaborative editing of its content and
structure by its users. I created a Wiki so that I could put all the
additional online math resources I use in one place – books, worksheets,
videos, and online games.
http://msguest.wikispaces.com/
O Web Publishing – Glogster
a Web 2.0 tool that allows users to create virtual posters combining text,
audio, video, images, and hyperlinks and to share them with others
electronically.
http://alishaguest.edu.glogster.com/idioms/
9. Collection of Alisha Guest’s Work
O Blog - a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run
by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or
conversational style. I used my blog to post many of my technology
projects.
http://kidblog.org/MsGuestsClass-4/
O RSSS
Really Simple Syndication, uses a family of standard web feed formats to
publish frequently updated information: blog entries, news headlines, audio,
video. I put screenshots of my RSSS in my blog.
http://kidblog.org/MsGuestsClass-4/
