During the course of CEP 810 and 811, I have gained so much understanding regarding both effective teaching strategies, as well as the integration of technology in a classroom.
Technology and Effective Strategies
Prior to my coursework, I really had no idea or any solid expectations about how implementation would look on a practical level. I expected to learn more about technology in general, but beyond that I just wasn’t sure. What I found, however, was that technology can be used to support instructional strategies on a very practical level and can become seamlessly integrated into the curriculum in many instances. Briefly, these are some of the areas where I envision using technology to support and enhance these strategies:
Cooperative Learning: supported by use of WebQuests, Blogs, Wikis, Word (for peer editing), PowerPoint and podcasts
Feedback: supported by Blogs, StAIR projects and Word
Scaffolding: StAIR, WebQuests, Inspiration/Kidspiration, PowerPoint presentations
Setting Objectives: Rubistar, SMART Boards, PowerPoint
Web-Based Technology
I really enjoyed creating my WebQuest because of its usefulness and flexibility of use. Students are able to research information on the internet in a safe and meaningful way. They are also able to synthesize the information by use of other forms of technology. It also uses strategies such as scaffolding and cooperative learning. So this idea of a web-based technology that combines all of these different elements together and can be shared and utilized in a variety of ways, is definitely a valuable addition to my tool box.
I also understand that there are other web-based technologies out there, such as the simulation used for the 24-hour lesson in CEP 810 that are very useful and can be easily accessed and used by anyone.
Personal Goals
I definitely met and exceeded my personal goals regarding the use of technology and its integration. I am now using blogs for my personal use because I see how beneficial that they are for reflecting and sharing ideas and thoughts with others. I created a wiki for my church as well, because I quickly saw the potential for its collaborative value, and I believe that it would help us stay connected outside of the weekly meeting. Just as I have many ideas as to how I am going to integrate technology in the classroom, I also have a more in-depth understanding for its use in my own life.
New Goals
1. To continue exploring the current technology that I’ve learned about and discovering more about how it works and how it can be used in a learning environment, as well as for personal use.
2. To practice using technology in meaningful and practical ways.
3. To seek to learn about other types of technology and how it can also be integrated.
Basically, I plan to do three things to accomplish these goals. One is simply to continue learning about them and their uses. I’m strongly leaning toward pursuing my MA in Educational Technology after taking these classes because of the discoveries that I’ve made regarding its use in the classroom and the future of technology integration. Next, I will continually challenge myself to think about new ways to use what I’ve already learned. Finally, I plan to practice using this technology and reflect on its use along the way.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Online Teaching/Learning
In a way, I was quite surprised in reading the Michigan Merit Curriculum Online Experience Guideline Companion Document and finding out that the requirement for an online learning experience will go into effect in the next school year. On the other hand, this guideline is a logical step given the number of opportunities for online learning that already exist in higher educational settings.
As I read through the document, I was impressed by the number of different resources that were included that qualified as online experiences. Some of the experiences that I feel could be effectively utilized in an elementary classroom are as follows:
WebQuests:
Having created a WebQuest and reflecting on its value, I can see that they have the potential to be an incredibly powerful tool for online learning. What's particularly valuable to me is the fact that the basics of a WebQuest are foundational to effective learning in any classroom, and so the technological aspect in a WebQuest can be shaped to fit with many other resources. For instance, the same WebQuest design was being used 15 or so years ago, but Web 2.0 had not yet been discovered. But now the Web 2.0 technology has the potential to be incorporated in a WebQuest to add even more substance. Because of the usefulness and flexibility of a WebQuest, along with the effectiveness of its design, I definitely intend on implementing the use of a WebQuest in my classroom.
Blogs:
Because I greatly value the importance of the learning process and its reflective nature, a blog is very appealing to me as an educator. I intend on using blogs for a variety of activities.
RSS Readers:
I think that RSS Readers have the potential to be a useful tool for students for organization of blogs, as well as podcasts and other pages that they might frequently explore (such as NASA's website).
Discussion forums:
Discussion forums are often used in an online learning environment. I definitely think that they can be used appropriately in an elementary setting to respond to others' ideas or to share resources. They can learn the importance of forums and how to use them so that they will be used to them by the time they engage in other online learning settings down the road.
The difficulty in using some of this technology will primarily depend upon the grade level of the students, as well as the resources available in a school district. Obviously, having 2nd graders create and maintain an RSS Reader might be unrealistic and unnecessary. Because I don't have my classroom yet, I'm not sure what would be most appropriate for my specific use at this time.
As I read through the document, I was impressed by the number of different resources that were included that qualified as online experiences. Some of the experiences that I feel could be effectively utilized in an elementary classroom are as follows:
WebQuests:
Having created a WebQuest and reflecting on its value, I can see that they have the potential to be an incredibly powerful tool for online learning. What's particularly valuable to me is the fact that the basics of a WebQuest are foundational to effective learning in any classroom, and so the technological aspect in a WebQuest can be shaped to fit with many other resources. For instance, the same WebQuest design was being used 15 or so years ago, but Web 2.0 had not yet been discovered. But now the Web 2.0 technology has the potential to be incorporated in a WebQuest to add even more substance. Because of the usefulness and flexibility of a WebQuest, along with the effectiveness of its design, I definitely intend on implementing the use of a WebQuest in my classroom.
Blogs:
Because I greatly value the importance of the learning process and its reflective nature, a blog is very appealing to me as an educator. I intend on using blogs for a variety of activities.
RSS Readers:
I think that RSS Readers have the potential to be a useful tool for students for organization of blogs, as well as podcasts and other pages that they might frequently explore (such as NASA's website).
Discussion forums:
Discussion forums are often used in an online learning environment. I definitely think that they can be used appropriately in an elementary setting to respond to others' ideas or to share resources. They can learn the importance of forums and how to use them so that they will be used to them by the time they engage in other online learning settings down the road.
The difficulty in using some of this technology will primarily depend upon the grade level of the students, as well as the resources available in a school district. Obviously, having 2nd graders create and maintain an RSS Reader might be unrealistic and unnecessary. Because I don't have my classroom yet, I'm not sure what would be most appropriate for my specific use at this time.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Google Applications: Google Wiki
Google Wiki is a simple and easy wiki in which to create, edit, and add information. The simplicity of page development, the ease of collaborative efforts by users, and the numerous uses make creating a Google wiki an attractive addition to a classroom.
What I love about Google wikis, aside from the concept of a wiki itself, is the ease of use. Creating and editing pages is simple. If students understand the basics of a word processor, they should have very few problems in editing pages. Also, there is a feature that allows users to embed Google docs into the page. When the docs are edited in the Google docs applications, they are automatically updated in Google wiki. Also, it is simple to add video, images, links, and numerous other gadgets that have been created.
There are areas where I thought that specific improvements could be made to aid in the ease of classroom use. First, when creating a site to begin with, I had to choose from a list of templates that were provided. The template itself was a replication of another wiki, and instead of just being a simple outline, it was quite extensive. I needed to go through and delete just about every table, unneeded page, image, etc before I really began my own creation. It was a hassle, and I wish that there were simpler template designs (and maybe there are, but I just didn't find them). I also didn't think that there were enough attractive template designs to choose from. Also, as a teacher, I would like to have the ability to see who has subscribed to the site and which pages they have subscribed to, but I wasn't able to find that as an option.
The following knowledge & skills would be needed for students to effectively use a Google wiki:
Knowledge about the use of Google docs would be helpful depending on the assignment or project
* An understanding of the basics of using a word processor, as page creation closely resembles creating word documents
* Knowledge concerning netiquette
* Ability to insert links and images
* An understanding of how to navigate in the site itself and to be able to avoid deleting others’ pages or information.
* A clear knowledge of what is and isn’t appropriate to edit, and how they know when they can and can’t do so
* They would need to learn the basics of how to create, edit, and save a page, and also how to add it to the navigation column and where to put it
Google wiki can easily be shared with others, however, the ability to share is only available to the owners of the wiki. The owner would just need to access the site management area and click on "sharing." They can then send an invitation to anyone to either own, collaborate, or view the wiki. In addition, however, in order for one to become a member of the wiki, they need to have a Google account created (or easily create one at the time).
Google wikis could be used to aid in the instruction of any subject matter where students have the opportunity to collaborate with one another. For instance, Google wikis could be used in an upper elementary school classroom in Language Arts. Students could conduct a book club by reading a book and then responding to questions and others’ ideas in the wiki. Students could also use it to piece together an online newspaper for their school or classroom.
By its nature, a wiki is collaborative, so it would be very easy to incorporate collaborative efforts. Students could be encouraged to work together to create any project that would normally be a group effort, and even some assignments that would normally be done individually. Here’s a list of some ideas that I’ve come up with so far: Individual students researching together for a specific subject (like a science fair project), students adding Google presentations that they have worked on in smaller groups on different wiki pages to have the entire class’ presentations in one area, students could create study guides for tests and use what others have included to help fill in gaps where they need better understanding, students could create a class encyclopedia together, etc.
A class wiki would need to be monitored daily to ensure that the application was being utilized appropriately. As a teacher, I would probably make the wiki less accessible by the public, in order to ensure the privacy of my students. Further, students would need to be generally monitored to have help and questions answered as they are creating their wiki. This is especially the case the first couple of times they are working with them, or with the younger grades in particular.
As an educator, I am very excited about the prospect of incorporating Google wiki into my classroom. I think that there is so much potential for collaborative learning to take place, and even for the students' creative ideas to be explored through this application. The benefits and uses are only limited by the imaginations of its users.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Web 2.0 Exploration
I think that both idea-based instruction and constructivism would fit well with blog use in the classroom.
Idea-based instruction focuses on using metaphors to relate to bigger concepts. A way to use a blog with this type of strategy would be to use it to further explore the metaphor and reflect on its implications toward the bigger ideas. First, they could revisit the metaphor. They could discuss how it works more in depth in relation to the concept, discussing comparisons. They could dialogue with other students in their meditation of the metaphor and share ideas back and forth. Then students could think about how that metaphor might apply to other things in the world and they could share those ideas with each other as well.
Constructivism could also fit well with blog use in the classroom. I envision a large amount of reflection, as students explore their own questions and begin to build understanding. They could reflect on and explore what they have already learned about a topic. Students would be able to reflect upon the learning process as they discover both new understandings and new questions about the world around them. They could explore ideas more fully by comparing different viewpoints with one another. The constructivist concept of engaging in dialogue to help gain understanding would be developed, as students are able to link to one anothers' blogs and comment back and forth. Because students are constructing their own learning, the ideas and reflections about the process are just as valuable as the final result. Blogging would be an excellent way of doing this.
I think that blogging would be more difficult in a didactic learning environment. In this teacher-led environment, learning is measured by the amount of material gleaned during the lessons. Students are then often required to practice whatever they have just learned. There really isn't a lot of room for reflection or the need to relate metaphors to bigger ideas. The concepts are told to the students, so the process whereby they would internalize the idea in order to construct meaning is all but eliminated. Through didactic learning, other technology could be used better such as word processors for writing papers or typing up their notes, or even the Internet for collecting resources for reports or projects. Blogs, however, would serve little purpose where there is little to no reflection or emphasis put on the process of learning itself.
Because I'm not currently teaching, I'm not really sure how blogs will fit into my classroom yet, but I do plan to include them. I am a very reflective learner, and I know that many students need to come to a better understanding of material in a way were this would be a useful tool to access. I would need to assess the availability of computers and then decide how often and to what extent that I would employ the use of blogs.
I'll just jump right into the exploration of how Web 2.0 could be used as a way to support spelling and vocabulary. I haven't even begun to think about this yet, so I'm just sort of going off the cuff here. Spelling and vocabulary are usually very practice-based. Traditionally, it is often taught by pretesting, writing or saying the misspelled words/definitions until they are memorized, and remembering them long enough for the test. Depending on the school and curriculum that may be used, it might be a necessity to work with spelling/vocab lists, pretests and post tests every week. So maybe I could use Web 2.0 to allow students to create a wiki where students compile a list of their spelling words and definitions. Using the strategies for spelling and vocab, they could each create their own page and then edit each other's pages...making corrections to the words or definitions that they already know and that were missed. They could be assigned to work with certain students. They could then look up unknown words, compare spelling and vocab, and make corrections to their own. This would still involve practice, but it would also employ the element of collaboration as well. Haha, this is really foggy in my mind right now, so I'm sure that the idea would need a lot of tweaking or maybe it wouldn't even work. But this idea of using Web 2.0 to support the learning of spelling and vocab is worth exploring further.
Idea-based instruction focuses on using metaphors to relate to bigger concepts. A way to use a blog with this type of strategy would be to use it to further explore the metaphor and reflect on its implications toward the bigger ideas. First, they could revisit the metaphor. They could discuss how it works more in depth in relation to the concept, discussing comparisons. They could dialogue with other students in their meditation of the metaphor and share ideas back and forth. Then students could think about how that metaphor might apply to other things in the world and they could share those ideas with each other as well.
Constructivism could also fit well with blog use in the classroom. I envision a large amount of reflection, as students explore their own questions and begin to build understanding. They could reflect on and explore what they have already learned about a topic. Students would be able to reflect upon the learning process as they discover both new understandings and new questions about the world around them. They could explore ideas more fully by comparing different viewpoints with one another. The constructivist concept of engaging in dialogue to help gain understanding would be developed, as students are able to link to one anothers' blogs and comment back and forth. Because students are constructing their own learning, the ideas and reflections about the process are just as valuable as the final result. Blogging would be an excellent way of doing this.
I think that blogging would be more difficult in a didactic learning environment. In this teacher-led environment, learning is measured by the amount of material gleaned during the lessons. Students are then often required to practice whatever they have just learned. There really isn't a lot of room for reflection or the need to relate metaphors to bigger ideas. The concepts are told to the students, so the process whereby they would internalize the idea in order to construct meaning is all but eliminated. Through didactic learning, other technology could be used better such as word processors for writing papers or typing up their notes, or even the Internet for collecting resources for reports or projects. Blogs, however, would serve little purpose where there is little to no reflection or emphasis put on the process of learning itself.
Because I'm not currently teaching, I'm not really sure how blogs will fit into my classroom yet, but I do plan to include them. I am a very reflective learner, and I know that many students need to come to a better understanding of material in a way were this would be a useful tool to access. I would need to assess the availability of computers and then decide how often and to what extent that I would employ the use of blogs.
I'll just jump right into the exploration of how Web 2.0 could be used as a way to support spelling and vocabulary. I haven't even begun to think about this yet, so I'm just sort of going off the cuff here. Spelling and vocabulary are usually very practice-based. Traditionally, it is often taught by pretesting, writing or saying the misspelled words/definitions until they are memorized, and remembering them long enough for the test. Depending on the school and curriculum that may be used, it might be a necessity to work with spelling/vocab lists, pretests and post tests every week. So maybe I could use Web 2.0 to allow students to create a wiki where students compile a list of their spelling words and definitions. Using the strategies for spelling and vocab, they could each create their own page and then edit each other's pages...making corrections to the words or definitions that they already know and that were missed. They could be assigned to work with certain students. They could then look up unknown words, compare spelling and vocab, and make corrections to their own. This would still involve practice, but it would also employ the element of collaboration as well. Haha, this is really foggy in my mind right now, so I'm sure that the idea would need a lot of tweaking or maybe it wouldn't even work. But this idea of using Web 2.0 to support the learning of spelling and vocab is worth exploring further.
My First Experience with Wiki Creating
Before I even got started with my sessions this week, I glanced through the week, as I normally do, to get a feel for what I should expect. The wiki assignments caught my attention, so I began browsing them right away. I watched the short YouTube video, and I got pretty excited. So far, I haven't really had any experience with wikis outside of my occasional Wikipedia exploration. I loved the idea of collaborating together to gather and share information. Aside from the potential educational use, I thought right away of creating a wiki for my church. Besides, I thought it would be good practice (which it was).
I spent the next three hours creating a wiki to be used in my church. Quick demographics: we are a smaller church that meets on the west side of Lansing. Although it is a fairly close-knit environment, we generally don't spend much time together apart from our once-a-week services. Like everyone else, we are busy with work, school, kids, and various other activities. I took one look at the format and realized that this would be a great way for us to connect and share our ideas on a regular basis. I linked a google spreadsheet with a directory that I had already been working on. I also linked the main website for our church, along with a "contributors' page," where I thought that we could create individual pages to share encouragement, or whatever we wanted to share. I loved the feature that I found on the pages in Google wiki. It was like a mini-blog that I added onto my page in order to post chronological events. I opted to make that wiki (and share it with some of the members in my church as I try to promote it) instead of contributing to the Idea Exchange for the EduTech Program. I would, however, be interested in looking into that potential. Here is a quick screenshot of the wiki that I made for my church (it's private, so no link...sorry):
After creating the wiki (and marvelling at my amazing work, lol), I decided to go ahead and edit a page on Wikipedia. I am not teaching, so I chose the district where my kids attend, I've worked in the past, and I'm currently volunteering. I decided against creating a page for the school where I volunteer, and instead I edited the high school page, updating some of the information that I saw that was outdated regarding a high school that they closed last year. Here is a screenshot of the editing I did, along with a screenshot of the page after editing:
Next, I decided to create a wiki for teachers, students, or even parents to potentially contribute to that would generate pages of learning and activities that students could refer to over the summer. It has pages for summer reading lists (according to grade level), writing activities, science experiements, fun and games, and staying active. Here's a link for the wiki that I began: https://sites.google.com/site/elementarysummer/.
I love the idea of wikis, and I just really hope that as teachers and even community members, we will take advantage of all of the wonderful opportunities provided by use of the technology.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Integration of Computer-Based Instructional Objects
When it comes to integrating computer-based instructional objects into the classroom, there are several factors that need to be considered. First, it is important to think about the relevancy of the instructional object. Integration of technology should only be done with a purpose other than simply to integrate technology. Does the content fit with current curriculum standards? If not, implementation might not be the best idea. Other factors to consider:
* Is the content understandable by the stated audience? The other day, while I was looking for a WebQuest to evaluate, I came across WebQuests that were supposed to be designed for specific grade levels, but the reading levels seemed far too advanced for independent work. Specifically, I found a Kindergarten WebQuest that was designed to help students identify colors. While the content was appropriate for Kindergarten students, the vocabulary was far too advanced. There was no way that an average Kindergartner would be able to work through the WebQuest without an enormous amount of adult support. Here is the site: http://www.rblewis.net/technology/EDU506/WebQuests/learncolor/colormekinder.html#Introduction
* Is the material presented in a way that is logical and organized for ease of use? Many of the WebQuests that I've browsed have been difficult for me to even want to look at, so I can imagine as a student that I would be overwhelmed with the presentation of the content. Pages were long, and I needed to scroll way down the screen to view the entire WebQuest. Links seemed to take me down paths indefinitely, without links back to the main pages. It is important when organizing the instructional objects to put oneself in the students' places, making sure that things flow in a logical way to minimize frustration.
* Are the fonts, sounds, and backgrounds aethetically pleasing? Some of the WebQuests as well as StAIR projects that I've seen have been unattractive and somewhat annoying, to be honest. Everyone has different tastes, so I just think that keeping the instructional objects simple will be best suited to all different types of students.
* Does it appeal to different learning styles? If the material is primarily words, visual learners may have a difficult time staying focused and constructing meaning from the instructional object. By combining words, diagrams, pictures, even audio or video (if possible), one is able to engage all different styles of learning.
* When implementing the instructional objects, it is important to consider the technology that is available to learners and when it is available. If a classroom only has two or three computers, and classes have to use a shared computer lab, what is the best way to incorporate those instructional objects into the class setting?
There are so many other considerations to make when implementing computer-based instructional objects; I really only skimmed the surface. All of those factors are important, however, to ensuring students' success in this area.
Here are a few WebQuests that I found during my search for one to evaluate:
1) Come Visit Saskatchewan! Land of the Living Skies
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/webquests/saskwq/index.html
What specifically appealed to me about this WebQuest was the idea of creating a WebQuest that would explore someplace new, where students have maybe never been before. I also really liked the approach that the author took with taking on different roles during their explorations. This WebQuest didn't grab my attention because I was necessarily interested in using it in a classroom, but I liked the idea of it and I would be interested in further exploration of similar sites.
2) Kids Court: Finding Justice in Fairy Tales
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/chavez/fairy/index.htm
Wow, I immediately fell in love with the concept of this WebQuest! I think that it would totally engage learners' imaginations and keep them excited about what they are doing. It also integrates government concepts with Language Arts, and can be implemented in several different grade levels. I like that it builds on prior knowledge of fairy tales to teach concepts of the democratic judicial system.
3) Penguins Are Cool!
http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/webquest/penguins/index.htm
This is a great WebQuest for early elementary students. It is attractive, and it makes good use of scaffolding strategies as it teaches students all about penguins. There are a few broken links, but that seems to be a common theme throughout most of the WebQuests that I've been researching. It is well-organized and thorough, and I think that it would do well at keeping students engaged.
I would like to add that I was slightly frustrated after hours of searching WebQuests led me to so many different sites with bad links and sites that had not been updated in years. All of the WebQuests that I referred to above have broken links, but because that was so common, I chose to still include them if I thought that they were great WebQuests. In my opinion, these still contain a good amount of valuable information and/or I believe that there are easily accessible alternatives to the sites where the links were bad.
* Is the content understandable by the stated audience? The other day, while I was looking for a WebQuest to evaluate, I came across WebQuests that were supposed to be designed for specific grade levels, but the reading levels seemed far too advanced for independent work. Specifically, I found a Kindergarten WebQuest that was designed to help students identify colors. While the content was appropriate for Kindergarten students, the vocabulary was far too advanced. There was no way that an average Kindergartner would be able to work through the WebQuest without an enormous amount of adult support. Here is the site: http://www.rblewis.net/technology/EDU506/WebQuests/learncolor/colormekinder.html#Introduction
* Is the material presented in a way that is logical and organized for ease of use? Many of the WebQuests that I've browsed have been difficult for me to even want to look at, so I can imagine as a student that I would be overwhelmed with the presentation of the content. Pages were long, and I needed to scroll way down the screen to view the entire WebQuest. Links seemed to take me down paths indefinitely, without links back to the main pages. It is important when organizing the instructional objects to put oneself in the students' places, making sure that things flow in a logical way to minimize frustration.
* Are the fonts, sounds, and backgrounds aethetically pleasing? Some of the WebQuests as well as StAIR projects that I've seen have been unattractive and somewhat annoying, to be honest. Everyone has different tastes, so I just think that keeping the instructional objects simple will be best suited to all different types of students.
* Does it appeal to different learning styles? If the material is primarily words, visual learners may have a difficult time staying focused and constructing meaning from the instructional object. By combining words, diagrams, pictures, even audio or video (if possible), one is able to engage all different styles of learning.
* When implementing the instructional objects, it is important to consider the technology that is available to learners and when it is available. If a classroom only has two or three computers, and classes have to use a shared computer lab, what is the best way to incorporate those instructional objects into the class setting?
There are so many other considerations to make when implementing computer-based instructional objects; I really only skimmed the surface. All of those factors are important, however, to ensuring students' success in this area.
Here are a few WebQuests that I found during my search for one to evaluate:
1) Come Visit Saskatchewan! Land of the Living Skies
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/webquests/saskwq/index.html
What specifically appealed to me about this WebQuest was the idea of creating a WebQuest that would explore someplace new, where students have maybe never been before. I also really liked the approach that the author took with taking on different roles during their explorations. This WebQuest didn't grab my attention because I was necessarily interested in using it in a classroom, but I liked the idea of it and I would be interested in further exploration of similar sites.
2) Kids Court: Finding Justice in Fairy Tales
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/chavez/fairy/index.htm
Wow, I immediately fell in love with the concept of this WebQuest! I think that it would totally engage learners' imaginations and keep them excited about what they are doing. It also integrates government concepts with Language Arts, and can be implemented in several different grade levels. I like that it builds on prior knowledge of fairy tales to teach concepts of the democratic judicial system.
3) Penguins Are Cool!
http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/webquest/penguins/index.htm
This is a great WebQuest for early elementary students. It is attractive, and it makes good use of scaffolding strategies as it teaches students all about penguins. There are a few broken links, but that seems to be a common theme throughout most of the WebQuests that I've been researching. It is well-organized and thorough, and I think that it would do well at keeping students engaged.
I would like to add that I was slightly frustrated after hours of searching WebQuests led me to so many different sites with bad links and sites that had not been updated in years. All of the WebQuests that I referred to above have broken links, but because that was so common, I chose to still include them if I thought that they were great WebQuests. In my opinion, these still contain a good amount of valuable information and/or I believe that there are easily accessible alternatives to the sites where the links were bad.
Exploring the Difference between Websites and Blogs
This post was posted to my blog at edublogs last week. I'm just reposting it here so that I have all of my blogs together in the same place.
Several differences exist between traditional web pages and blogs. Given that I have only recently began exploring the world of blogging, I realize that I may not have a full grasp on the extent of these differences. But I will expand upon what I've learned up to this point. Traditional web pages provide the user with information related to whatever topic they are exploring. There is less opportunity for users to interact (in general terms) with the contents of a web page. A blog is still a place to find information, but it is more reflective and promotes the sense of "community" better than a traditional web page.. Instead of simply explaining about something, it provides the reader with the opportunity to react to the posts, and it creates a sense of community by allowing different users to link to pages of similar interest. Obviously, there are many other differences between web pages and blogs, but those are my initial thoughts regarding this topic at this point.
Several differences exist between traditional web pages and blogs. Given that I have only recently began exploring the world of blogging, I realize that I may not have a full grasp on the extent of these differences. But I will expand upon what I've learned up to this point. Traditional web pages provide the user with information related to whatever topic they are exploring. There is less opportunity for users to interact (in general terms) with the contents of a web page. A blog is still a place to find information, but it is more reflective and promotes the sense of "community" better than a traditional web page.. Instead of simply explaining about something, it provides the reader with the opportunity to react to the posts, and it creates a sense of community by allowing different users to link to pages of similar interest. Obviously, there are many other differences between web pages and blogs, but those are my initial thoughts regarding this topic at this point.
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