· A weblog is essentially a live web diary that can be accessed on the spot through the internet. There are various ways to blog. Here are some examples: to create a blog to list helpful websites for a topic, to keep a personalized online diary to share inner thoughts with others or to create a dialogue about a topic, and to communicate with students or other professionals. Blogs are interactive and often receive commentary back and forth from the viewers/followers. There are also many other ways a weblog can be created. Blogging is becoming the new way of communication of the 21st century.
· There are many teachers in the 21st century that are implementing weblogs into learning and teaching. Teachers may use weblogs as a pathway to gathering students’ knowledge and thoughts on a specific topic. Teachers could create blogs that are linked to the lesson of the day and expect students to respond with their thoughts, reactions, or ideas. This opens up a discussion with the other students. This also may benefit the “quiet” student who doesn’t like to respond in class but may excel at blogging. Blogging could also be informative to teachers to help share ideas with each other. Sometimes the classroom may only allow a limited time for teaching and learning; therefore using a blog creates more time for students and teachers to interact informally and express their thoughts.
· In the district that I work in, we are allowed to post student work on the district website as long as their last names are not visible. In addition, the individual schools ask the question each year in the registration packets that goes home at the beginning of the year. The questions include our internet policy, our video policy and posting to the internet. The parent decision is then input into PowerSchool. The questions are pretty non-defining from my point of view, so I always question if it is ok to post work on the website.
· The new literacies are the new and improved technology tools that can be integrated into the K-12 classroom to enhance learning and teaching. There are an abundance of ways to use these new literacies and teachers must educate themselves on these new tools to educate our children of the future. We as teachers must be able to implement technology into creative ways that are age appropriate to help enhance learning success. These new literacies are very effective if implemented the correct way and will help students identify questions, navigate the web to find answers, enhance critical thinking, evaluate and synthesize information, and help communicate with others. Integrating technology into the classroom for teaching, learning, and parent/community communication is a vital piece of educational success.
Two websites that I use often that support the new literacies in my first grade classroom are www.starfall.com and http://mrsmcgowan.com/index.htm . These are just two and I find these websites easy to navigate and also very child friendly.
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