Blogs & Wikis in Education

1) Identify and describe 3 interesting/innovative ways blogs and/or wikis are being used in K-12 classrooms.
After exploring a collection of the types of blogs and wikis that are out there, I have realized that all of them have an intended purpose. The way that they are being used in K-12 classrooms vary depending on the teacher and the subject. A teacher can use a wiki to present a lesson or assignment for the students. This way students can access all that is needed to complete their assignment or project from home, assuming they have computer access. Another way that wikis can be used in the classroom is in the form of a study guide. On the Welkerswikinomics website, http://welkerswikinomics.wetpaint.com/, there are study guides, lecture notes, and the full lessons all about the economics course. This is a great way for students to study as many are already on their computers in the evening and hate cracking open their textbooks. If all the information for studying is online, I believe that their studying time and habits may improve. One other way that wikis, and more specifically blogs, can be used in the classrooms is to have it set up as a journal for the students. The teacher can have the students create their own blogs that they will write on throughout the school year. This technological tool would replace the traditional notebook and pen method.

2) Describe how you might use RSS readers/aggregators within a classroom setting.
I could use RSS readers/aggregators as a ways to keep students informed on the most recent hot topics of health and fitness. I would have the students look up substantial websites like the mypyramid.gov, american heart association, or like sites, and have them create a feed for those sites. Then everyday the students would go onto their feeds to see if there are any new articles that are interesting. Once a week they would write a review on one of the articles that they have read that week.

3) Describe at least 2 pros and 2 cons of using blogs and wikis in education.
One con of using blogs and wikis in education is that not all students have computer access from home. If the homework is posted online, it makes it difficult for those students to complete it! Another con of using blogs and wikis in education is that it forces students to be submerged in technology, a concept that some look down upon. It takes away the ability to "connect one with nature" and such. But it is inevitable as techonolgy advancements only keep growing, forcing even the elderly the rely on technology.

One pro of using a wiki/and or blog in education is that it promotes sustainability. Instead of passing out handouts, a teacher can post the handouts and notes online. Students can also submit their assignments through the wiki and keep a journal on their blog. This cuts down the amount of notebooks a student has to buy, saving paper and money! Another pro of using wikis and/or blogs is that it propels them forward into the technology era. While I just said this is a con, it is also a pro. A middle school student who is already learning about wikis and blogs, will be ahead of the curve when compared to a college student, like me, who is just now learning about wikis and blogs. The age we live in is all about being able to get ahead and advancing faster. Being able to use a wiki and blog will help students now in their classes and in the future when their jobs. Students might be expected to navigate a wiki or post a blog for their company.