K-12 Blogs

Blogging, a method of using the internet as a conduit for communication, has spread all across the U.S. Blogs are even sneaking into the classrooms. Teachers are now using these once journal exclusive sites to share their ideas with students, as well as providing them with extra tools with which to succeed.

The first blog I looked at, "Blogical Minds" can be found here. This blog is distinctive in that it uses blogging as a literary tool; by reading blogs, as well as posting meaningful answers, students improve their reading levels. Each student has their own blogs (which are linked tho the main "Blogical Minds" blog), where they are assigned a certain topic for a blog. Then the students respond to one another, building up a forum.; it encourages the student to question and think independently.

The second blog was called "Mrs. Elliot's Homepage" seen here. This is more of the central hub, with links leading off to the various blogs that she has for her class. She uses this as a reminder to her students of test days, vacation time, as well as keeping them apprised of the happenings in their text. She also provides supplemental information for each unit she covers.

Teachers in the U.S. are trying to incorporate more technology in the classroom, whether it be a projector system, working in tandem with a computer, or a clicker system. I believe this is a more common trend due to the fact that technology is everywhere in our lives; to keep the students sheltered from technology would be doing them a disservice. It also provides the teachers with new ways to get their students involved.

The most interesting new technology to me would be a clicker system. This hand-held device allows the students to interact with the teacher through questions that would appear during lecture (if the teacher is using PowerPoint. This serves many purposes, including allowing the teacher immediate feedback on the amount of retention or confusion, as well as allowing for a quick way to take attendance.