After going to http://www.dictionary.com/ and defining the intinal term i feel a bit more confident in commenting. It is interesting to note the explosion in blogging and podcasting as opposed to discussion board.
It is interesting to see the expansion of every ones blogs and comments and i know which one i prefer but are they really the same thing. I think the comparison between wiki and LMS mirrors this exact argument. One is alot more structured and linear while the other's advantage lies in the potential of where it can head.
Steven Downes in his article educational blogging openly suggests the tool is wonderful. Blogs, podcasts wikis all have a web 2.0 feel where there it little restrictions on where the 'student'/participant can go. It is almost refreshing to have this educational freedom in schools these days. This could be why it is so popular with younger children. Their minds think more laterally before the weight of the world or school crushes their infant souls.
It is also very interesting to note that in the Steven Downes article that a major by-product of blogging has been the sheer increase in student writing. As someone who has taught yr 9 boys English anything to get students to jot down their ideas and thoughts has to be a positive thing.
(It's not bad in 4 year old boys as well as my son can show!!)
4 comments:
Hi Sam. I often note in the literature that Web 2.0 tools, being newer, always seem to be tagged as something positive. In contrast, older tools such as discussion boards are often accompanied with negative connotations. It does raise questions such as is newer better?, or are older tools/means of communication now obsolete simply because a new tool has arrived on the scene? (note that I deliberately didn't use the word 'replace' here.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for exploring these new technologies, but I do err or the side of caution. Just because a particular technology exists doesn't mean that it's the best or most appropriate solution. Using technology just for the sake of it is missing the point in my book. Maybe it's because I deal with school-aged students rather the adults?
In response to Steven Downes' article, I've found something interesting this year not with blogs to foster writing, but LMS discussion board. I established a year 9 bookclub through Blackboard and the boys have taken to it like ducks to water. The interesting thing is that I simply can't get girls to respond! Girls want to talk to me face-to-face about books they're reading, but many of the boys love the discussion board environment. Their discussions have been eluminating to say the least, and I mean that in a positive sense!
Wow
Thanks Sam
This really helped clarify my thinking in regards to Asynchronousoptions. I agree also there are lots of tools out there but it should not be about learning new tools but about how these tools can help us engage and educate our students in the most creative, informative and collaborative ways.
I guess we all need to play first to get our heads around what opportunity each tool offers and true to the nature of teachers they then create good learning opportunities.I guess it is that old age question too that will long be debated eg phonics or whole language or a mixture of both...we need to remember what it is we are trying to teach or what environment we are trying to create. As to the girls and boys issue...it seems no matter how much we try to not differentiate ..there seems to be a natural style that genders prefer...althoughthis is not always strictly true....what we do know is we need to find ore than one way to teach the same thing for all out students.
Guess thais why teaching is so difficult... and so exciting and challenging!!!
Wow
Thanks Sam
This really helped clarify my thinking in regards to Asynchronousoptions. I agree also there are lots of tools out there but it should not be about learning new tools but about how these tools can help us engage and educate our students in the most creative, informative and collaborative ways.
I guess we all need to play first to get our heads around what opportunity each tool offers and true to the nature of teachers they then create good learning opportunities.I guess it is that old age question too that will long be debated eg phonics or whole language or a mixture of both...we need to remember what it is we are trying to teach or what environment we are trying to create. As to the girls and boys issue...it seems no matter how much we try to not differentiate ..there seems to be a natural style that genders prefer...althoughthis is not always strictly true....what we do know is we need to find ore than one way to teach the same thing for all out students.
Guess thais why teaching is so difficult... and so exciting and challenging!!!
Personal preference maybe the only thing that splits the applications. I also agree that you need not use technology for the sake of it and have noted in another blog that I have been at two schools that have implemented an LMS just for the sake of it without any clear idea of how the school would use these systems.
I also read with interest Jenny's comment on boys discussing reading on a discussion board. Is it that the boys see this as a 'cool' way to discuss their ideas? Perhaps it is that the boys can think about how they are going to formulate their comments and then post rather than feel 'on the spot' with a face-to-face environment. Hopefully it isn't that the boys feel anonymous and therefore free to express ideas. Whatever the reason it is amazing to hear of Year 9 boys engaging in reading and then in the discussion of their texts. This is something that I would never have done and wouldn't have happened when I was at school. Great work Jenny!!
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