Blogs, Websites and Wikis!!

Teachers now have so many options when it comes to teaching, from using blogs to wikis and even websites.   Learners can be connected to a 'virtual' classroom wherever they are and whenever they want to (provided the internet isn't down of course!). For teachers the use of technology in the classroom is abundant, from using the interactive whiteboard to using cameras and ipads/computers/laptops. Students have new ways to learn in an environment that they are comfortable in (technology). Blogs, wikis and website are the three teaching tools that i will dive into today.

Blogs

Blogs seem to be well presented, they stick to a time line (they are displayed in the order of posting) and are presented neatly. The blogging space where you can read other peoples blogs is neatly set out and easy to navigate around, I cant see this being a problem for someone that isnt an expert on the internet. They can have one or multiple authors and it is up to the author who can view their blog (public/private). A teacher can keep a blog throughout a term so that the parents of student are able to keep up with what they are learning if they want to be kept in the loop (and maybe to check up on their kids!). Students can keep a blog so that the teacher can see how they are progressing, the current course that I am in is an example of this. As I become more confident in my blogging abilities I will be able to add in more content and things like photos, links, movies, podcasts, etc. It is also a great chance for the teacher to see where each child is with their learning at each stage in their learning process. 

Education Queensland offers teachers a range of tools for secure online learning, and one of these tools is blogs through the learning place. They boast that 'The Learning Place is the department's comprehensive eLearning environment providing secure access to an innovative range of digital tools, resources and online spaces for teaching and learning, collaboration and networking' (the learning place, 2012). This is a great way for teachers to get comfortable with online learning and really use the technology that is available to benefit their students.

Even though I have had my little spiel about how good blogs are there are also people that do not really like blogs that much (or maybe just prefer other forms of e-learning). The blog is often criticized as being alot of personal opinions and observations (Downes, S 2004). This can be true, especially if there is only one author, there is also no one mediating your site to make sure what you are saying is true or that your content is not offensive or stolen (although this can be the case in all sites/blogs/wikis that are put up on the internet, wikipedia is a great example of this). Here is a quick plus, minus, and interesting (PMI) table to show the different aspects that a blog can have.

PLUS	MINUS	INTERESTING
-The author controls the content -You have the option to  be public or private -You can get your ideas and thoughts out to the whole world -Teachers can keep up with the different stages of learning that each student is at -Students can control their own space and take responsibility for their learning -Parents can stay connected with what their kids are learning	- The content is not controlled (may be offensive or stolen) - Only one person’s opinion or thought (if only one author) - must be kept up to date or it would be irrelevant	- People around the world can access your blog - videos, pictures, links, audio can be added to your blog

Away from blogs now and into the world of wikis!

Wikis

Wikis are a great way to collaborate with other people that are in different locations. It is a place the anyone can change the content and contribute to the discussion. A group of people my work together on a wiki to plan a trip away, by making a list of everything they need and then each member deleting any item that they may have a making a new comment underneath saying what they have taken off the list and what they are bringing. However this is not a live chat (which has both advantages and disadvantages), more than one person could be editing the text in the wiki and this may cause problems to the overall outcome. Also anyone can delete text. When I was using a wiki I was a bit uneasy thinking that someone could easily delete what I had just spend 20 minutes typing, however the text can be retrieved at another point in time through the history tab. Teachers can keep up with who has posted, when they posted as well as what was deleted through wikis (as well as who has not participated). Because wikis are available to everyone at once there can be issues when saving work, if two people are working at the same time (editing and adding to the text) only one persons work will be saved. Wikis can be set up to be on public display with multiple people having access to editing the content or they can be private and only have invited members being able to see and edit the wiki, using the private seting would be a good way to have a class wiki page. I have put in another PMI about wikis underneath as well as a wiki that I have created.  http://melissajansen.cquniversityschoolofeducation.wikispaces.net/

PLUS	MINUS	INTERESTING
-Can collaborate with your group over distance -If scaffolded properly can lead to good group work - Is accessible to everyone with the internet	-If more than one person is working at the same time only one will be saved -Anyone can change the content of the wiki -People may get offended if their content is deleted -There is no way of telling if the content is not stolen -Always changing and may be confusing for new learners of technology	-Everyone can control the content - Can add interesting content

And finally websites!

Websites have a very organised presentation and can be structured so that they are easy to navigate around and link to more sites and video clips. A high school teacher could create a website and have a page for each class that they teach, on the page for each class could have upcoming events, what is happening in each class, assignments for the year as well as when they are due and could even link to their blog or to each students blog for an update for the parents to see how their child is progressing (and again could keep a bit of an eye on them). Websites need maintenance and need to be kept up to date, no one like clicking on a link to find that it is no longer accessible! Websites could be an easy way for students to see what is coming up in their class for the year/term and get excited for any excursions or activities that the teacher has planned. Websites can be made public or private (private- only people with the web address can access the site). Only one person runs a website (typically) if they are not really experienced. I wouldn't recommend a person that wasn't comfortable with technology launching into a website, it could end up looking unprofessional and empty. Again I have put in a PMI chart for websites and added a link to my personal (very new) website. http://learningictatcqu.weebly.com

PLUS	MINUS	INTERESTING
-can look very professional -Would be a great way for students to see what is coming up in the year as well as check what is happening now (assignments) -parents can feel connected to their child’s learning	-The creator needs to be comfortable with technology to use and update the website -could potentially be time consuming -have to keep the site updated and live	-everyone around the world can see it (if they have the address) -you can link your blog to your website )or your students blogs)

So as you can probably tell, I am a big fan of blogs! I think they are very practical and are so personal that everyone can feel like they are taking control of their learning and have to chance to say what they want. Blogs are closely followed by website, if I was more tech savvy websites would be my number 1 choice, however at the moment they are too time consuming for me to focus on. Wikis just have to many things that could go wrong for me to be a big fan, the truth is that I don't know the people that I am collaborating with and don't trust that they will all respect my thoughts and opinions enough to not delete my work. 

That's all for the moment, I hope that you know a little more about blogs, wikis and websites now than you did before. 

S, Downes (2004). Educational Blogging. EDUCAUSE Review. (39).5.p14-26. Retrieved 19th March 2013 from: http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/educational-blogging 

The Learning Place (2012), Department of Education Training and Employment, Queensland Government  Retrieved 20th March 2013 from: http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/what-we-do.html