This week I
chose to explore blogs, wikkis and websites and their practicality and uses in
the classroom. I already have a decent understanding of websites, but I have
only recently been introduced to blogs and wikkis and how to implement them as
a learning tool within the classroom. This was mainly due to the fact that I am
currently implementing a series of lessons using a Weebly site, which I
created, for a cohort of year four students. I found this as an advantage
because I have had the chance to personally implement this technology in the
classroom and discover the positives and negatives of using this technology. This
blog post will analyse blogs, wikkis and websites and their place in the
classroom.
Blogs
A blog is an
online personal, or small group, journal or diary. The user can add entries via
text, add links and embed artefacts. Blogs can be customised to each users'
personal taste and are intended to be seen by the public or a specific group of
people. The blog entries appear in reverse
chronological order with the most recent entry appearing first. People who read
your blog can comment on your entries, sharing their thoughts and ideas. Blogs
have various uses in the classroom and can be used for students’ creative
writing, assignment construction, brainstorming and sharing their thoughts and
opinions on a particular topic. Or alternatively, a blog could be created by the teacher
for the classroom, in which students could comment on. I have recently been
using a blog to add entries, such as this, on my learning throughout Managing
E-Learning. Here is a link to my blog: http://jessemiller182.blogspot.com.au.
Below is a
PMI on using blogs within the classroom.
|
Positives
|
Minus
|
Interesting
|
|
· Engage students
· Improve writing skills
· Encourages experimenting and risk
taking
· Can enable students to express their
thoughts and opinions and receive constructive feedback from peers
· Enables higher order thinking
· Promotes ICT learning
· Internet safety
· Global connections
|
· Students may write negative comments
· Devices may not work, or there may
be limited access to devices
|
· Not only can blogs be an avenue for
teaching literacy skills they can also be used for teaching maths.
· Improves social skills
|
Wikkis
A wikki is an
online space where users can add information and allows collaborative
modification. Users can remove or edit information at any time and the wikki can be
continuously under revision. Users can embed artifacts and insert links. Students can use them in the classroom to
collaborate on a project or engage in an activity, which is appropriately
scaffolded and engages higher order thinking. I recently engaged in a wikki,
which used the de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats model to address a particular topic.
Here is a link to the wikki: http://debonoshats.wikispaces.com/Group+10.
The activity which I completed on the wikki was thoroughly engaging and it was
also good to see the other responses and opinions on the wikki. A wikki using
this sort of activity which has been scaffolded correctly and promotes higher order thinking would be very useful
in the classroom, providing the students have been taught the correct rules and
etiquette, or Netiquette. Below is a PMI on using wikkis in the classroom.
|
Positive
|
Minus
|
Interesting
|
|
· Engage students
· Improve writing skills
· Encourages experimenting and risk
taking
· Students can view others opinions
and arguments.
· Promotes higher order thinking
· Promotes ICT learning
· Internet safety
· Global connections
|
· Students can accidently erase others
work
· Students may not follow rules and
etiquette
· Devices may not work, or there may
be limited access to devices
|
· Students improves their
metacognition skills (Wikkiclassroom Technology, 2015)
|
Websites
A website can
be can be created and used by the teacher for the students to access and work
through a unit of work. There are a plethora of sites which one can easily
access and create their own free website such as, Yola, Wix and Weebly. I used
Weebly to create a website in which my year four learners could access and work
through a series of lessons on designing an eco friendly garden. Here is the
link to my Weebly website: http://jessemecofriendlygarden.weebly.com. The site
provided clear instructions for the students as they worked independently and
collaboratively throughout the unit of work. The site included embedded YouTube
videos, links to other websites and, links to pdf worksheets which I had
created and uploaded to the website. I provide minimal guidance during
instruction and gave the learners the chance to work through the unit at their
own pace (to a degree). Below is a PMI chart on using websites, such as Weebly,
as a teaching and learning tool within the classroom.
|
Positive
|
Minus
|
Interesting
|
|
· Engaging for students
· Minimal teacher instruction
· Students develop their use of ICT’s
· Further engages ADD/ADHD and ASD
learners
· Enables higher order thinking
· Improves ICT capabilities
|
· Students can go off task while
online and it can be hard for the teacher to monitor each student
· Devices may not work, or there may
be limited access to devices
|
· Websites can be extremely engaging
and beneficial for students who may generally lack interest in class or who
are considered learners in need of support.
|
After
implementing the unit of work, which was carried out by my year four cohort
using a site I created on Weebly, it was clear that the students were engaged
in higher order thinking. Using the websites for teaching purposes allows the
teacher to scaffold activities for students to gain the appropriate knowledge
and comprehension on a particular topic and eventually evaluate and create. I
also found that after using a wikki and a blog I was engaged in higher order
thinking and cognitive constructivism. Using a blog, wikki or website in the
classroom appropriately ties in with the SAMR model and can enhance and
transform lessons. “The SAMR model,
developed by Dr Ruben Puentedura, aims to support teachers to design, develop
and integrate learning technologies to support high levels of learning
achievement” (Queensland Government, 2015). Below is a table, which illustrates
how using blogs, wikkis and websites as a teaching and learning tool run
parallel with each level of the SAMR model.
|
Substitution >>
|
Augmentation >>
|
Modification >>
|
Redefinition
|
|
Students
search the internet for information on a particular topic. Published work can
be printed rather than handwritten.
|
Images,
YouTube links and graphics can be embedded to the site. Students improve
their writing through word processing tools.
|
Work can be
done outside of class time. Writing tasks can be collaborative.
|
Students
can share and collaborate information online. Teacher and students
collaborate with other classes.
|
Conclusion
In conclusion
the use of blogs, wikis websites in the classroom can be immensely beneficial for
students' learning and integrates technologies, which promotes higher order
thinking and creates high levels of learning achievement, providing the teacher
carefully monitors and scaffolds activities. Although, I think that using blogs
and wikkis could be more beneficial than websites within the classroom as they allow for more
collaboration and sharing of ideas, which promotes cognitive constructivism.
Students must be taught the correct way to behave online and have a sound
knowledge of the appropriate rules and etiquette before using these
technologies as a learning tool. Before engaging in Managing E-learning I was
very hesitant to use technologies, as I didn’t understand the power they can
have to engage and teach students a vast array of skills. The positives of
using these technologies vastly outweigh the negatives and wikkis, blogs and
websites should be used to as an advantage in all modern classrooms.
References
Classroomconnections.eq.edu.au,.
(2015). The SAMR model: engage in deep learning and authentic contexts.
Retrieved from https://classroomconnections.eq.edu.au/topics/pages/2013/issue-7/samr-learning-technologies.aspx
Wikiclassroomtechnology.wikispaces.com,.
(2015). WikiClassroomTechnology - Advantages and Disadvantages of Wikis.
Retrieved from http://wikiclassroomtechnology.wikispaces.com/Advantages+and+Disadvantages+of+Wikis
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