Blogs and Wikis in Education Project

One of the coolest things about using blogs is that you can insert links into your text that will take the students to what you are talking about. You can just make your words into a link and that way they can explore it whenever they want to. Depending on their learning styles some students may want to read the article then go and explore the links or other students may want to explore the link before they read more about it. Blogs allow the students to choose what makes the most sense to them. It is nice when schools have blogs, this way both the parents and the students can stay easily informed. I know that it is expensive to make paper newsletters and to mail them all out. Blogs would be a way to avoid these extra costs. By having students write their own blogs it makes them feel like their writing is important and significant. It is worth "publishing" online. If blogs can make students want to write and be encouraged to write than why wouldn't we want to support it.

An RSS reader is something that automatically tracks updates on websites. I think it makes sense to be to think about it as the live feed on facebook. Basically it keeps you updated on what is going on, on the websites that you wanted it to watch. Another example of this is ebay when you watch things and then it lets you know if other people have bidded on them. An aggregator is the system that keeps track for you and relies the information. Linux is an example of an aggregator.

A con of using blogs and wikis in education is you have to be careful not only what you post but what your students are posting as well. It would be bad if the students posted inappropriate things on their blogs or wikis. A lot of supervision is needed to make sure that they only serve educational purposes. Another con is that you have to have the resources either inside the classroom or outside for students to be able to use both blogs and wikis.

There are many more pros in blogs and wikis than cons. It gives student the opportunity to write freely and in a comfortable setting. It may also validate their work and make them feel like it is more important. Another pro is that is a jumping stone for more technology. If students feel comfortable blogging then they might shortly feel comfortable making websites, etc. Technology is a big part of our everyday life and all ages should be able to use it. Blogs may be a good first step for our younger students.

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom

MI Blog Post Project: For the MI Blog Post project, you will create a new post on your blog site and title it “Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom”. Then, within this blog post, discuss your new knowledge and relate it to the following 5 issues:

1.Discuss which of the multiple intelligences you have strengths in and then discuss some of the core characteristics of that (or those) intelligences. Discuss which of the core characteristics best describe you and your learning style.

The intelligences that I was strongest in was linguistic and intrapersonal. For both of these I scored 100 meaning that I agreed with every statement that was on the inventory. Some of the core concepts of being linguistic are that you are able to understand language both verbally and written. Being linguistic means that not only can you understand the rules of language but you can express yourself in both written and verbal language. Intrapersonal traits focus more on feelings and emotions. People who are intrapersonal are always aware of the feelings and thoughts towards something and whether or not what they are participating in is ethical or not. I think that the core characteristic that best describes me and my learning style is in the linguistic category. I have always been able to express myself in all aspects. This has affected how I have learned because I can ask clear questions and express my feelings clearly in written work.

2.Discuss what students with this type of intelligence enjoy, are like, or tend to do within classroom settings.

Students with linguistic intelligence tend to enjoy keeping journals and having oral story time. Show and tell is an example that would fit into this category as well. On the other hand, students with intrapersonal intelligences like the opportunity to explain how they are feeling or their thoughts about a certain subject. They, like linguistic students, enjoy keeping journals.

3.Discuss how you will support this type of intelligence within your classroom and within your teaching.

Looking over many of the intelligences keeping a journal is on the list of a good classroom activity. I would like to have my students keep daily journals. We have learned previously, that this is also a good idea because it lets you into the student's life so that you can see the whole picture of their life. Another important event to incorporate into classrooms is opportunity for public speaking, whether the student is reading a story, talking about his/her feelings or reviewing something they have learned. It is important for students to feel comfortable talking in big groups of people.

4.Discuss what technologies stimulate this type of intelligence.

Some examples of technologies that will stimulate both linguistic and intrapersonal intelligences are pen/pencil and paper. They can use these items to journal write. Linguistic students need opportunities to have pen pals either online or snail mail, it will give them a chance to write and have people read this writing. Intrapersonal students would enjoy things like self-assessments and surveys because it looks to their opinion and they get the chance to voice something.

5.And finally, discuss how you might impact student learning by applying your understanding of learning styles and multiple intelligences within your classroom.

The way that I can impact my students the most by applying my understanding of learning styles and multiple intelligences is putting value in each and every learning style and intelligence. In most classrooms, you will encounter at least one student from every aspect of the different learning styles and it would be an injustice to that student to not teach with their learning style just because it might not be mine. It is important to recognize and work in a way to teach every student and to reach them.