Throughout the semester we have been working with all different types of technology that can be used as part of a digital writing workshop in the classroom. The first thing introduced was this blog, I had never used a blog before this class and I am finding it to be an interesting way to reflect on what we are learning in class. Next Hicks (2008) introduces RSS feeders for doing research on the internet. Again I have never used this before but I like how it can keep kinds considerate on the topic they are looking for and help them the narrow down information. We were also introduced last class to the google sites. This is something that was completely new to me. I didn’t even know that google was capable of this. Creating my own site was easy and the interface was very easy to work with allowing for me to upload files and include different hyperlinks. This is something that I will definitely be using in the future whether it is a way to communicate with parents about the classroom or just to communicate with my family.
All of these technologies will be very helpful for me to create a strong knowledge base of a way to bring technology into my classroom when appropriate but I am still struggling with the idea of being able to use these things on an everyday basis like suggested in our class readings. I also like the idea of having a digital writing workshop but I’m not sure how plausible I think that is.
While I see all of these different technologies as valuable things to know about and valuable skills to have I am having trouble figuring out how I would apply them in a primary grade classroom. I know that students are very tech savvy and may already know how to use some of this stuff how can we use it with the younger students? Younger classrooms I have been in only have a few computers and getting time in the computer lab is hard because it is monopolized by the older grades. I guess I am struggling with how all of this can be applied for students who are still learning the very basics of writing and don’t have the skill set yet to create published work in the form of blogs or websites.
I know that all of this makes me seem like a bit of a skeptic especially if you look back at how I feel about using RSS feeders and the issues that it raises in the classroom. The use of internet changes how we teach and what we need to monitor to make sure the information is appropriate and relevant for our students. So I guess I am still having the same issue I was having with RSS feeders and online interaction as I think about how I would incorporate google sites as something my students would use.
Rianna, you seem to be a little stuck in this entry. I do not think Hicks would suggest that first graders need to learn how set up their own RSS feed. Obviously this is a skill more appropriate for students who have gained a certain level of competency with using the web and reading/writing independently.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I think he would encourage *teachers* of first graders to utilize RSS feeds in their instructional planning as a way to aid their own searching for valid and reliable information and/or websites they might want to use as a part of their daily instruction.