Warming up but . . .

So I'm beginning to become accustomed to this whole blog thing. I've been experiementing with a few templates available by the host, but I'm beginning to desire a more personalized blog. My frustration lies in the fact that I don't know how to write HTML for blogs and can't seem to find a guide to learn how to do it.

Chapter 3 - Weblogs: Get Started!

So my initial response to the title is, "Good, I'll learn how to best use blogs". Well, not quite. It is a good beginning though. I did notice some recurring themes in the chapters, start small and model for students. I think as teachers, we focus on these two things with more traditional assignments, but sometimes neglect to do them with technology. So now the important question, why? Is it because we feel students already now how to do something, or we don't know how to do something so we leave the trial and error up to the students? I think maybe a little of both. At any rate, Richardson makes a good point with starting small, especially his practical plan for first time users. I also noticed another topic that has now made it into the first three chapters; safety. I beginning to think that of all the technological tools out there, blogs may pose the greatest risk to the students. Why is this? What's the difference between this and discussion boards, chat rooms, or other used tools? Just thinking here, maybe it's the fact that blogs are used for a more personal nature. Your thoughts? So just how personal should school affiliated blogs be? Should parents be involved in the discussions? Would that shut down the kids? Apparently, I have more questions than answers after reading this chapter.

Chapter 2 - Weblogs: Pedagogy and Practice

In the past, I have experimented with blogs but have never really dedicated myself to them. There are a few I have enjoyed reading, but none with which I have involved myself in discussion. After reading Richardson's exposition on weblogs, I understand why. I was looking at blogs to fulfill a purpose for which they are not designed. I've always viewed blogs as another information gathering point. I missed the boat. After seeing the uses highlighted in this chapter, it is evident that blogs are built for interaction. Now, that interaction can take on various forms, but that's the point I have missed in the past. Richardson likens them to conversations between the author and the readers. Simple, yet not simplistic. Just as a television interview or conversation with a group takes serious preparation, so does blogging. I did not realize how much forethought the author must have depending on how they want the conversation to go. The added benefit blogging has is that the conversation can be linked to resources via the Internet. Richardson does caution about what resources blogs are linked to (validity issues and the like). In terms of student use, they are already attracted to different forms of blogging through the use of myspace, facebook, xanga, and others. I think the big attractor for them is the freedom to express themselves and their ideas in the least restrictive environment. This thought could easily be harnessed and narrowed to fit within a topic related to academic courses. Student involvement in blogging promotes critical and analytical thinking, creativity, exposure to other perspectives and thought as well as information, and reflection (20). Richardson explains several different ways schools can use blogs. The form that strikes me most is using blogs as a class portal. It seems somewhat difficult in design, but using blogs to extend the class beyond the wall in terms of curriculum, management, assignments, assessment, and resources interests me. Simply posting these things is not that difficult, but using blogging as the medium peaks my curiosity. A second area I would be interested in further examining is using blogging for management and articulation. Richardson gives the context of using blogs to update websites for departments. When I think about the other teachers in my department, a sense of discouragement comes over me. For many of my colleagues, technology is not only the unknown, it is the unwanted; it is very much the, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", attitude. I would interested in trying this use of blogging, but getting my co-workers on board may not be so easy. In terms of pedagogy, the world pushes more and more towards globalization. Common sense says, if students are going to have to work in that environment, why not teach them that way. Richardson's views on blogging support that view. Well then, based on my experience, most teachers don't have common sense. Oops, did I just say that. That was an inside thought, ignore it. Maybe teachers in large part don't support it because they are ignorant of it. Again, this can be likened to my TV comment from my last post. Okay, so let me be transparent. I don't use a blog with my students. Why????? Well, aside from the few system restrictions placed on such use, I guess I've never seen good use of them to inspire me to want to use them. How sad is that? I have to see someone else's good use rather than create my own.

Chapter 1 - The Read/Write Web

As much as I love technology and using technology, I'm an immigrant user in a native user's world. In my eight years of teaching, I've seen many a student use the internet to do many different things. Doing them well, that's a different question. With today's students being raised on the Internet and similar technologies and today's teachers being mostly ignorant of these technologies, there has grown to be a digital divide. As a result, student's aptitudes for learning aren't being addressed by teacher's instructional strategies. To further complicate the issue, new technologies are being developed everyday. Will Richardson introduces several of the newest, most popular technologies, and their application to education. Nowadays, teachers need to be bloggers, wikis, and consumers of RSS feeders. What are these? Well, except for blogging, I don't exactly know. When I do, this will be the first place I announce it. Regardless of what they are, there is a common concern for all technologies, student safety. Of course, these concerns were present when Television his the educational scene. In a world of online predators, fishing, spam, and identity theft, students must be protected from these potential dangers. This responsibility falls primarily on the teacher using the technology. The best way to do this is debatable. So much so that many school systems avoid the debate by banning the use of such technological advances. I guess the question I want answered is, how do you do all this? Learning what something is is easy, learning how to best use it is much more complicated.