Blogs and Wikis in the Classroom
(M-F 8:30-3:30)
Course Summary
Welcome to the world of wikis and blogs! In this course we will explore the ways Web 2.0 - the interactive web - allows us to publish, to learn from others, and to hold wide-ranging conversations.
Definitions:
Blog = "web log". Blogs allow you a simple means of publishing your thoughts, opinions, ideas, writings. Blogs can be public, encouraging comments from other readers, or they can be protected so that only those with permission can make comments and contribute.
Wikis are collaborative sites which allow any one (or any one with permission, depending on your choice) can edit and contribute. This allows collaborative work on projects and ways of accumulating collective knowledge.
Syllabus
Students will -
Explore a variety of blogs and wikis.
Practice writing in a blog and a wiki.
Develop a site to use with your students, applying the appropriate permissions for your situation.
Plan other applications for Web 2.0 capabilities in your curriculum.
Set up an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) aggregator to follow updates on your favorite sites.
Set up a Blog or Wiki to use with your students this fall.
More details in syllabus.
Outside Resources
Materials from Harvard
More student Web work – In this Harvard Education Letter article on effective use of computers, education writer Colleen Gillard argues that the “digital divide” is no longer an issue of access to computers – virtually all students can find their way to a machine in their school, library, or neighborhood – but one of facility using Web tools. She urges teachers to dive into the world of blogs, wikis, and podcasts so their students will be powerful users of computers and the Internet. A sidebar in the article shares some sites created by students:
“Better Teaching with Web Tools” by Colleen Gillard in Harvard Education Letter, May/June 2007 (Vol. 23, #3, p. 4-5)
Here are some Blogs to explore:
The Collaborative Corner
Just about everyone who is on the lecture circuit has a blog these days. Here is Dan Pink's blog.
Dan Pink
Here are some wikis to explore (besides the one you're reading right now! ;-)
The School Computing Wiki has become an international project. Teachers from all over the world are contributing their knowledge to this page, making it an immensely valuable resource to all seeking information and ideas about technology and schools.
School Computing Wiki
The Flat Classroom Project is an excellent example of global partnership. The Flat Classroom project is a genuine assessment project between Julie Lindsay'sgrade 11 ITGS class at International School Dhaka(ISD) in Bangladesh and Vicki Davis' 10th grade Computer Science class at Westwood Schools in Camilla, Georgia.
The Flat Classroom Project
And, of course, there is Wikipedia, the famous site on which is collected the knowledge of everyone who wishes to contribute!
Wikipedia
Blogger.com - Free, comprehensive, and easy-to-use blog site. Start one today
http://technologypd.pbwiki.com/web20+workshop
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