A blog is easy to set up and use. Learner managers would have to assist the younger primary years, however middle primary and up would find a blog easy to use. A blog can be as creative as the individual learner would like it to be.
A blog is an on-line space and usually has a single author; however other learners can connect and collaboratively contribute to the blog by posting comments. Learners when creating a blog have a sense of ownership which in itself can contribute to learning. Learners need to develop strategies to be self motivating to explore the vast amount of information available to them on the World Wide Web, analysis the information and incorporate this new knowledge into the blog in the form of text, video and/or images. Learners can use their own photos and videos created in class, taken during an excursion or during investigations. Blogs are an on-line space that learners can create, edit and individually design a journey of learning, eg time line for history a sequenced science investigation. Blogs can be visual and express an individual’s creativity. Blogs allow learners to link and embed other authors’ text, images, videos and ‘gadgets’.
They can create their own ‘textbook’ which can be viewed by their peers to extend their knowledge, assessed by their teachers at assessment time and a blog can inform parents and caregivers about their child’s progress.
Blog - PMI (Plus, minus and interesting)
I have found the experience alot of fun. At first I was a little worried as I mentioned in my first entry, however I now can see why people get “addicted”.
I have being using my blog as a learning file, to store new ICT skills and tools I have explored.
I have also found that I have gone back into earlier entries and added new information or changed information because my thoughts have changed due to more research.
Plus
Blogs are sequenced entries. Learners can use a blog to show sequence of an activity, for example a timeline of events (history), investigation and the steps taken to the end result (science). The learner manager with their learners’ can discuss questions to be answered to help scaffold the blog.
Blogs require minimum technical knowledge and are quickly and easily created and maintained.
Blogs can be worked on anytime, anywhere with a internet-enabled computer.
Blogs are very easy to use and edit and are flexible in design and can be change easily.
Blogs do not limit creativity, learners can be as creative as they like. Learners can personalise their blog and enhance the feeling of ownership.
Blogs usually have a single author which can give learners ownership of their journeys of discovery in which ever subject area they are investigating or reflecting on.
A blog gives opportunities for learners to read and write. Some students may participate more in class when given the opportunity to create a blog.
Blogs are interactive because anyone viewing the blog can comment, which then includes a form of collaborative learning and discussion enhancing deeper thinking. (See comment of danger below).
Minus
The minus side of a blog is that it usually would not be a collaborative activity like a wiki. It would suit some learners but it would mainly be a solo journey of learning.
A blog requires you to be on-line when creating, editing and viewing.
DANGER – anyone can comment on your blog, learners of all ages need to be taught the dangers of blogging. They need to be reminded more than once. (However, Learner Managers, parents and carers can view the blogs).
Interesting
I have had some help to attach/link some tools, however now that I have done it a few times it will get easier. I like being able to attach visual tools; scribble maps, photostory and prezi, all of which can be integrated into learning experiences for learners. I would like to be able to use “Missy the science dog” to engage my learners with missions of investigations. (My Voki of Missy the science dog is on the right hand side of my blog).
Did you know, as stated by Pingdom (2010) 152 million blogs are on the internet. (Retrieved from
http://royal.pingdom.com).
No comments:
Post a Comment