What are your early impressions of using a blog and what was your experience using an RSS Reader this week? Any surprises, pleasant or otherwise?
This is the first time that I have put together a blog like this. I have been a part of the Facebook world for a while now, and in many regards is a simple networking blog. I think that there are many similarities, but for purposes in writing reflections and responding to them, having a blog will be good. As with most new programs, they take a little bit of figuring out, and organization is always the last thing that I get. Getting content on a website or a blog is not all that difficult, but making it look efficient and clean is a bit tricky. Hopefully that will progress over the next couple of weeks!
In regards to RSS feeds, I have actually been using a handful of them through Yahoo. I find that it saves a lot of time if you know what you want to see. For me, I know that every morning I like to read about the local Detroit teams, and catch up on local news. It works so that as I check my e-mail, I also can see if there are any new articles of interest. It helps because it centralizes most of the sites that I normally visit, and it saves time.
Which part(s) of Dale's Cone do you think each tool (Blog, RSS) lends itself best to and why?
I found this to be a somewhat tricky question. I believe that both tools can be used in different ways, so it has to depend on the avenue of which it is being used. I think that blogs in themselves is a visual avenue for teaching, but provides multiple opportunities in other areas as well. If I were to use a blog (which I hope to) in my music teaching, there would be links in it to recordings of music we perform, there would be movie or youtube clips of performances (could fall into demonstration category as well), and a discussion forum. I believe that a positive use of blogging is the additional communication that it offers outside of the classroom, not only for students, but also for parents. Ultimately, I believe that the content that is placed in the blog, and how it is used determines how it fits in with the Cone.
I think that RSS feeds fit in with the visual end of the Cone as well. When I am on my Yahoo home page, I always glance at the sites that I have on my feeder. If I see something that looks of interest, then I open it, and if it doesn't appeal to my sight, then it stays closed.
Considering Siegel's concept of "computer imagination", what do you think would be at least one "imaginative" educational use of each tool (blog, RSS) that takes advantage of each tool's inherent strengths? That is, what do you think you and/or your students could use these tools for that they might not be able to do with other more simple or low-tech tools? Or, as Postman might ask, what is a problem to which each of these tools is an answer?
I think that a strength of blogging is the fact of communication, particularly outside of the classroom. The difficulty in it is two fold for me. First, not all of my students have access to internet at home, and second, all blogs are blocked through our filter at school. I would like set up a blog for my musical ensembles, as it can be a beneficial resource for them and their families. Concert dates, recordings of music, links to important sites for research, and forums for conversation with students and parents.
In regards to RSS feeds, I could see it being used if I could find an online journal that students would subscribe to. The benefit is that it saves on copying, and as new articles are posted, the students will recieve them. However, the same issue comes up as not all students have access to it, and I am certain that Postman would question the need it.
Questions that I have in regards to the use of RSS and Blogs in K-12 education
1. How do you deal with the issue of some students not having access to internet.
2. While many students have knowlegdge of blogging beyond my comprehension, how do you deal with those that don't. If my content is music, but if I end up teaching mostly the technology end of it to those struggling students, am I then taking away the content that should be learned? How can that issue be best dealt with? Just curious about that one.
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Knowing that all of your students don't have Internet Access can make using technology like these a little tricky. I struggle with it myself as a computer teacher. I know some teachers check out the laptops and give class time for reflecting. Others give students a week or so to accomplish a task like responding to a blog, knowing some students may have to stop in the library. It's not really all that different than requiring a research paper. I remember having to go the library after school to check out books and things of that nature.
Blogs are blocked at our school too which makes using these a bit irritating. however, if I contact my tech department I could get my blog unblocked. Most schools have the capability of unblock websites including one blog address.
I do not think you should spend a lot of time teaching technology. Most students would be able to figure out how to use a blog in a class period, if that. Personally, I feel technology is supposed to aid instruction not take away from it. If you could make a lesson more efficient and complex using technology then I say go for it.
You could also do something like add a homework assignment to makeup losing one day of class.
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