I am going to be honest here, I have never used a blog until this class. I absolutely love it. It is so convenient to state what you think and comment on what others think. And the RSS feeds what a wonderful creation! So, easy to get the information that you need and have it delivered to you instead of having to search for it.
I had a hard time at first figuring out how to set it all up but now I absolutely love it and I am learning and having a good time now.
Which part(s) of Dale's Cone do you thing each tool (Blog, RSS) lends itself best to and why?
I would have to say that blogging falls into all the categories except for the last three because those are actual experiences.
My reasons for these are
- Verbal Symbols - You can use podcasts
- Visual Symbols - You will have text out on your blog
- Recordings, Radio and Still Pictures - All of these items can be put on a blog
- Motion Pictures- You can post videos to a blog
- Educational TV - You can link up to TV episodes or other educational tools
- Demonstrations - You can upload demonstrations to be viewed on a blog
RSS falls into Verbal, Visual, Recordings, Radio and Still Pictures, Motion Pictures, Demonstrations.
My reasons for these are
- Verbal Symbols - You can link to podcasts
- Visual Symbols - You can link to any webpage with text
- Recordings, Radio, and Still Pictures - All of these items can be found through RSS
- Motion Pictures - You can get video RSS
- Demonstrations - Possible due to the RSS
Being able to use blogs within a classroom setting should help out a lot. Some students don't feel like they can speak up in a classroom and with this blog they would be able to. The RSS feeds would also help out in the fact that information can be brought to the student and keep them up to date on the latest and greatest of each of the different topics they are wanting to learn more about without getting lost in all of the information that is available and become overwhelmed. By being able to use the RSS feeds it could eliminate the need to go and look for a book and read the entire book when with a feed you can search within it for certain topic or word and find it easily.
Reflection on WIKI
I have never used a Wiki before until this class and it seems like an obstacle to get started. Being that neither Nicole or I can edit the class wiki, maybe it is just an operator error on our part but I can't figure it out! Besides that issue Wiki's seem pretty neat and an easy way to communicate with a specific group. This tool would work great in a high school setting for a group project. You would not even have to meet up you could simply communicate through the Wiki. Like Nicole said though you would have to assume that all the students had Internet access away from class and I doubt that would be the case. If I was a teacher and I could assume everyone had access to the Internet though, I would definitely utilize this tool to its fullest capacity.
4 comments:
I have been familiar with blogs but never really had my own before either. I like them too! I am looking for alternatives for online discussion in my classes and may just have to use blogs to fill that need.
I completely agree that blogs could help shy students participate. My students seem to really like using a discussion board in class. In fact, almost everyone participates.
Melissa,
I echo your statements concerning the RSS reader. I too did not know anything about them at the start of the week and now I can see their value and mass appeal.
Your idea about using a blog for quiet students is a good one. It would work real well if the students could leave their comments anonymously, as long as it didn’t get out of hand. An anonymous comment or feedback blog would also work well for students to give an instructor feedback while the class is progressing. The instructor could possibly adjust the course outcomes if students are struggling with a particular concept.
Jeff Tyler
P.S. are those Boxers or American Bulldogs.
Melissa, I am so glad to know that I am not the only one that has just had their first experience with blogs and RSS's.
I agree, I love the blogs and the ability to share as if you were almost face to face. I am trying to get into the RSS's a little more. I do love being able to get quotes of the day in an instant though :)
Melissa,
I really liked some of the points that you brought up with how you plan on using RSS readers, but especially with the blogs. I have never thought about how an online discussion can help those that don't feel comfortable in face to face conversation.
I did mention this in week one blog, but in my previous line of work, I had quite a few High School aged employees that struggled in conversing with customers over the phone, or in face to face contact, but would seem to communicate a lot more via text messaging and online chatting. In that regard, I would think that it would be beneficial to offer a variety of ways for student participation, but don't forget to encourage the face to face as it teaches some very important life skills that they will need!
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