Blogs, Websites, and Wikis – oh my!

Definitions (written by Jennifer Kyrnin):

Wiki - “A wiki is a Web site that is managed by its readers. Readers are invited to login and edit any page of a wiki to make the whole more inclusive and correct. Wikis are a way to take the anarchy that defines the Internet and give it form and substance.”

Blog - “A blog is short for Weblog and is a Web page that has short, frequent updates made to it. Similar to a Web journal or "what's new" page.”

Website - “A web page is a document written in HTML and meant to be viewed in a Web browser on the Internet or World Wide Web such as Netscape, Internet Explorer, or Opera.”

So what do I use?

        Start off by taking a look at this article written by Jennifer Kyrnin. She does an excellent job of explaining the differences between the three, and notes that all can be useful depending on any given context. She also explains that the importance is not the specific tool used, but rather if it is an effective way to communicate your information. Consequently, I believe that they all have a place in the classroom depending on the scenario. Since students are all unique, perhaps they would appreciate different communication tools!

Classroom Website VS Professional Blog

Classroom Website	Professional Blog
Created primarily for student and parent use (basic or simplified language) Includes classroom information Newsletter Calendar Homework Spelling Words Timetable Updated at the end of each day Student input is taken into consideration regarding what is posted (ex. Mme can you post a link to _____ on your website?)	Evidence of professional learning Made for my personal growth and benefit Updated regularly Complex writing although written with clarity Driven by my personal inquiries and learning goals Contains websites, links, and resources that I can refer back to in the future

Why the separation?

The primary reason for the separation between my classroom website and my professional blog is that they are both used for two individual reasons. My classroom website is geared towards students and parents, and my professional blog is for my own personal growth as an educator. While I hadn't originally planned on my students being aware of my professional blog, several of my students were able to find it when they Googled my name. Consequently, I ensure that my professional blog is kept exactly that, professional.

Parent Open House

Blogging in the Elementary Classroom

A Primary Perspective

When working with young students, blogging takes on a different approach than writing mature, lengthy and detailed blog posts about critical subjects on a consistent basis. However, blogs can still be a creative and beneficial learning task for primary students. Some popular items that I have seen included on a primary blogs include:

• Pictures
• Captions
• Audio recordings
• Student writing
• Videos
• Collages and much more!

I believe that young students should be encouraged to keep a blog since it teaches them at a young age that they have a voice that is valued. As written in Bill Palmer's article, student voice reinforces that “what students have to say matters.” Through blogging, students can also learn about the different voices and perspectives of their classmates which can act as a catalyst for peer discussion. This is especially valuable in the primary years since students learn how to respect their peers and justify their own opinion through conversation.

Since I am not yet a “primary pro,” I found a great video from an experienced teacher that contains information about primary blogs in the classroom. Check out the first 2 min 30 seconds of the video below to see how a primary teacher uses blogs in her classroom. In the video, the teacher demonstrates how she has a unique blog set up for each of her individual students. She then elaborates on the purpose of her blog – creating digital portfolios to showcase student learning. I believe that this is an excellent way to use blogs into the primary classroom as they help to monitor and keep track of student work and progress throughout the year.

On the other hand, it is important to note that students should not be blogging or accessing the internet without a working knowledge of online safety. The teacher must be very careful about what information is shared to the public, and should definitely send home a letter informing the parents about the blog and getting their approval before making it active. Unfortunately, this could cause tension if only certain students are allowed to create a public blog and others are not.

A Junior/Intermediate Perspective

In the older classroom, blogs can become more complex and personalized with respect to the individual students. Students can embed PowerPoints, upload pictures of work they are proud of and post constructive comments on the work of their peers. This peer and self-assessment is beneficial for students since it helps students build critical thinking skills and encourages higher order thinking. With my own intermediate students, I use the website Kidblog since it is easy for students to use and is set up so that the teacher can moderate all of the student blogs (approve comments, share posts etc) from a designated “teacher account”.

Upon further research, I found that blogging can also be easily implemented into daily classroom routine. For example, Ms. Kooner's blog shows how she incorporated blogging into her Daily 5 literacy program (reading and commenting on a blog and writing a blog were optional stations). I believe that this would be an excellent addition to my own Daily 5 program as it would be highly engaging for students and they would build literacy skills. The primary drawback I perceive to adding this centre would definitely be the lack of available technology as my classroom only has 2 computers which would not be sufficient for student need. However, students could work on a rough draft of their blog in a writing booklet and then post their work to a blog at a later computer time.

Final Questions

There is SO much more that I could write about and discuss, however I do not want to pretend that I have all the answers! Consequently, I will close this blog with some questions to consider. Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts :)

-Is blogging a fad? While students currently get enjoyment out of blogging, will they dislike it down the road?

-How do you ensure that you are using blogs as a tool for learning (ie the task isn't to create a blog post but rather the task is to communicate your findings about a certain topic through the vehicle of a blog)?

-How can teachers help students drive their own learning? Being the guide on the side instead of the sage on the stage is quickly becoming the role of the teacher. What role does technology have in this?