Entry #7

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.

Entry #4

This week for class we spent time discussing the use of blogs, wikis, and feeders in the classroom.  I have personally used wikis and blogs on my own but I haven't had the opportunity to use them with my students yet.  I am very excited after reading all about them in Hicks(2009) I now see that there are so many opportunities to use the wikis and blogs.  I like the idea of students being able to communicate and construct their own meaning online. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to work on a project online where they research and collaborate. 

I have never worked with RSS feeder or even heard of them for that matter.  But I think that the concept of students being able to choose topics they are interested in and have many different sources brought to their fingers tips is wonderful.  These many different sources can be used as a teaching tool for students.  The ability to figure out if something is a worthwhile piece of information is an important skill that they will always need.  I also like how the feeder can bring different points of view of the same topic to you,  it pushes students to think outside of their own worlds and learn about others and their experiences. I think that giving students the ability to use the RSS feeder is a useful teaching tool however; I do struggle with giving students so much freedom on the internet. There are so many things out there that are incorrect of misleading or inappropriate for students.  I’m just not sure how we give them this freedom while still keeping on top of what we’re doing.

I am very excited to introduce digital writing workshop but I have so many reservations of giving students that kind of freedom on the internet.  There are so many things on the internet that students can get into that I don't think that students should be exposed to.  The internet also creates an issue of anonymity that allows people to give their point of view or say things that they may not say normally face to face that could be hurtful instead of helpful.  I think that these are hurdles that we will all have to cross with the introduction of so much technology into schools.  I think that this will have to be a continued discussion as we experiment with our students to find out what works and doesn't work.