Definition: A web page that provides frequent continuing publication of web links and/or comments on a specific topic or subject (broad or narrow in scope), often in the form of short entries arranged in reverse chronological order, the most recently added piece of information appearing first. Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science by Joan M. Reitz Blogs vs. the Rest Although both are powerful communication tools, blogs offer written content and may contain images, links, or even videos to support the content, whereas a vlog uses a video to tell a story instead of textual content. Discussion boards allow for participants to comment and start threads on new topics, whereas blogs are typically seen as a kind of ongoing journal. Advantages and Uses: Blogs allow students to take control of their learning, promote discussion, offer separate viewpoints on controversial topics, and more all while reinforcing reading and writing skills. Weblogs, however, are typically single-user or a primary author platform. Building a blog allows students to house and access learning for future use while promoting creativity. Why Weebly? Originally, I had chosen EduBlog as it was easy to create and navigate, however I was unable to figure out how to publish. While reading Norman's excerpt on affordances, he made the point when it comes to technology that "When (there is) trouble...it is the fault of the design." While searching through other blog sites such as Medium (www.medium.com), it offered similar design features as Weebly but was much more difficult to navigate. Although I really liked Tumblr (www.tumblr.com) because it allowed selections based on the user's interests, Weebly is a weblog I feel is easy to navigate and would be easier for student's use. Blogs in the Classroom Immediate thought would be to allow students access to an online journal, however that feels like it's more of a substitute on the SAMR model, and not hitting the more transformative areas for instruction. However, I do think it would be a great way to organize student writing from the beginning of the year to the end, allowing them to see their own personal growth. I feel like it would be a great tool for students to publish their writing, allowing for feedback from others, as well as educate others on a particular topic. I could also see using Blogs to house student work. Students can input pictures as well as videos to explain a particular assignment and reflect over their work. Vlogs have always been helpful during math as students share and vocalize their learning. FlipGrid is one of my favorite tools for students to use. TPACK Content: I could see an impact on using Blogs especially cross-curricular. For example, text structures such as cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem/solution, etc could be connected to events in history and Social Studies. Students could use Blogs to think about different sides of issues. For example, they could discuss the causes and effects of the Texas Revolution. Students could also read blog posts by others to see and understand multiple sides of an issue. Pedagogy: I feel like using a multitude of blogs (vlogs, glogs, or other) allow for different types of learning to take place. I see using these resources as a way for students to encompass the many different approaches they’ve taken in the classroom and out to learning a skill. Reading/Writing learners are obviously targeted, but kinesthetic learners now have an outlet to document the learning that’s taken place hands-on in the classroom, while visual and auditory learners can use blogs in the same way but add pictures, recordings, and sounds to keep their knowledge long term. Technology: For a resource to be considered transformative, it must allow for creativity, evaluation, and analyzation. Blogs do exactly this. They allow students to creatively design their page, while allowing others to analyze and critique their work. Sharing their work with others will allow students to be evaluative of their own and make changes as needed. Obstacles There are some formatting and publishing issues with this particular blog that can be played with and figured out. Other challenges that may be faced in the classroom is students’ ability to remain professional in their comments. It's important that it’s monitored by the teacher; however, I feel like these instances would be seldom and could be addressed one-on-one with students.
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