A REFLECTION FROM WEEK 3
By way of introduction to this weeks reflection, I wanted to share a conversation I had over the weekend with my Mother.
Me: I have to do a blog reflection each week for one of my subjects at Uni.
Mum:
Simply put, a blog is a web log. Here's what I think...
Blogs can be used as a repository for information. Users have the ability to embed media such as PowerPoint (uploaded through online tools such as SlideShare or authorSTREAM), YouTube clips, online quizzes, podcasts, animations and images, and can hyperlink to external sources such as websites or wikis within a single blog posting.
Glencoe Online (2000-2005) provide four basic functions of blogs when used in a classroom context:
- Classroom management
- Collaboration
- Discussions and
- Student portfolios.
They suggest that "class blogs can serve as a portal to foster a community of learners. As they are easy to create and update efficiently, they can be used to inform students of class requirements, post handouts, notices, and homework assignments, or act as a question and answer board".
Here is an example of a blog used effectively to promote higher order thinking and encourage creativity. This posting would strongly reflect Connectivism, with other postings taking a more Behaviourist approach. It is worthwhile considering the affordances of blogs as engaging outlets for extension students, or as remedial tools (additional activities to reinforce concepts) in the context of a lesson or even homework. It is clear that the design of the blog and the way it is scaffolded can be used to address each students individual learning needs.
References
Glencoe Online. (2000-2005). Using the blog in the classroom. Retrieved from: ttp://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47
Images in PMI table courtesy of:
Hi Susan.
ReplyDeleteI like your PMI list. It is very detailed and has given me some things to consider.
I know that you intend on being a Business/Maths teacher once you graduate. Do you think blogs would be a useful learning tool in either of those subjects?
By the way, have you shown this blog post to your mum? ;)
Hi Leah,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments!
Please refer to my Week 4 postings for the practical applications of images and audio in a maths/business teaching context.
Can you think of any ways blogs could be incorporated into my already digital pedagogy?
PS - I think some things are best shared only between peers...is there a way to restrict your blog to a specific audience or do you think that would defeat the nature of the beast?
S