Blogging & Twittering

In trying to get quickly submerged in parts of "Technology" that I was not accustom to using, blogging and twittering I have learned "do have educational value" and have varying degrees of effectiveness. Right out of the gate they are increasing the attention and interest that the learners are putting into learning, which is a huge thing. Technology provides attractive and fun tools for kids to learn and educate themselves. These products can also provide real world experiences, which is invaluable in surviving todays environment. The other big fact is that learners are more in charge of educating themselves, by putting the learning in their hands and their voice.

I only knew of personal blogs on topics of interest of the authors wishing to share thoughts and info with others. I was amazed as to the different ways teachers, instructors and the learners can utilize blogs in educational settings. Teachers can use it to assign homework, communicate with parents on activities, classroom projects and provide feedback to students quickly on projects/grades and written responsive communication with students. Students can use it as an organizer for projects, assignments, thoughts, ideas, interests, hobbies and after school clubs. Blogging gives an avenue for students to express ideas that otherwise may stay in their brains untapped. Students find that blogging significantly changes their lives by allowing them to publish their ideas in a medium that appears to have some permanence and may find its way to another student or individual with the same interests. Blogging not only sparks enthusiasm for writing and the communication of ideas but also bring about an opportunity to educate about safety on the Internet. Better to educate about that early and correctly than to have kids finding out on their own the dangers. Teamwork and a learning community are two other aspects that can be demonstrated and learned through blogging. These are two very important life lessons that kids should be learning early on in education.

What are you doing? That is a questions I ask myself often. I would never assume that anyone really cared what I was doing. I was very surprised by what I viewed on twittering and its use in education. It was used in a history class at the University of Texas in Dallas to get a larger lecture class of 90 students to participate in class discussions. I have been in very large classes and felt like I have not had a voice. This really seemed to work even for the shyer students. The Language arts teacher at the high school in Minneapolis is using it to engage students and is sneaking in all the foundation skills she feels is crucial to learn and the kids are loving class instead of dreading it. Very different from when I went to school. I was very impressed with the "Many Voices" project and thought that this one in particular demonstrated: fostering community, collaboration, creativity, global awareness and teamwork. I have been following a science teacher at The Toledo School for the Arts for awhile as I am interested in that type of education and I think he is a source of inspiration for many. I have been wanting to and did hit "follow" for Edward Norton. He is also a major inspiration. I love Apple and all their dedication to self education, so I am following them. And, of course, education on nutrition is very important, so I am following Whole Foods recipes.