WK2 Module 2 Blog post
I currently teach high school foreign language and AP program. Junior and senior students are more independent then freshman and sophomore students in high school. I use a different way and different technology tool to teach them because they have different needs. Dr. David Thornburg (2010) states in Technology and Society that all of these tools can possibly be used to increase learning. I did not use blog in the class yet, but after I read and learned from our materials in Blogs, Wikis, podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms; I found that blog incorporates many 21st century skills to provide students’ need now and future. I am motivated to begin using blogs with my students in my classroom; and both students and I will utilize this tool to increase learning, to post our thinking and responses.
I never thought to use social media tools as a learning tool in the classroom. I do lots of emailing with students and parents, because of the school’s policy, there is no contact with students via social media. However, there are many ways you can use a blog in the classroom after I read this week’s reading materials and I realized that when teacher uses in the right way with these tools, these tools can have profound effects on our students to prepare them for the 21st century real world in the future.
As Garrett Wigg (2013) stated there would be issues to overcome like privacy and internet safety, but after consultation with school administration, blogging would be an asset to the class curriculum. Teachers through use of blogs activity engages students and motivates them to work hard. In Spotlight on Technology: Blogging in the Classroom, it was a pointed out that students do not want to post their work that is poorly done at the risk of classmates seeing their work. Therefore, they will be more apt to check errors before posting. I attempting to start a blog in my class. We read a couple blogs posted on AP program and on ACTFL blog; that these blogs help students to understand AP test rules and test format, and to know ACTFL foreign language’s standards. These blogs help students not only understanding what they should know, but also helps students fully participate in reading blog postings. I also posted other foreign language articles on blog to help students increase their reading ability and writing skills; students posted their response to each other their opinions after reading blogging. These bloggings met International Society for Technology (ISTE, 2015) Students Standard Two: Communication and Collaboration by communicating information and ideas effectively by using a variety of media, and develop cultural understanding and awareness. These bloggings also met ISET (2015) Students Standard Four: Critical thinking problem solving and decision making by using multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions. I am sure that these blogs would meet ISTE (2015) teacher Standard One: Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity to promote support and model creative and innovative thinking, engage students in exploring real world issues, and promote student reflection. Also meet ISTE (2015) Teacher Standard Three: Model Digital Age Work and Learning by demonstrating fluency in technology system and transfer current knowledge to new technologies and situations. As educators have to responsibility to make sure the lessons we create allow for students to practice the 21st century skills they need through learning experiences and lessons to use of technology proficiencies.
References
Laureate Education (Producer),(2010). Spotlight on technology: Blogging in the classroom [Video file]. In Understanding the impact of technology on education, work and society.
Retrieved from http://class.waldenu.edu/
Laureate Education (producer). (2010). Technology and society [Video file]. In Understanding the impact of technology on education, work and society. Retrieved from http:// class.waldenu.edu/
ISTE. (n.d.-a) Standards for students. Retrieved November 5, 2015, from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
ISTE. (n.d.-b) Standards for teachers. Retrieved November 5, 2015, from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd
ed.). Thousand. Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Wigg, G. (2013). Twitter Or: how I’m learning that social media is my friend. Practically, Primary, 18(3),34-35
lilaoshiclassroomblog 
Greetings,
I noted that we have several similarities in my profession as it pertains to our experiences and views about blogging. Like yourself, I have never tried to incorporate blogging into my curriculum before, but after discovering the possibilities it can have for student success, I am now definitely motivated to make it a part of my instruction. Also, as you rightly stated, our students differ in multiple ways and thankfully we can make use of technology tools to differentiate our instruction.
Secondly, I too did not see the use of social media as a tool for learning in the classroom until recently when I discovered the vast opportunities it can have for enhancing learning. I noted in your post that you shared several benefits that blogging can have for your particular class, and I must say I am looking forward to hearing about how it all works out.
Finally, I also noted one issue or concern you expressed which is about the privacy and internet safety of your students. This is also a major concern of mine. Nevertheless, my goal is to do some more research on various ways to ensure my students are kept safe while on the web, and I would like to encourage you to do the same. If in fact, I come across any information that I believe would be beneficial for your class, I will be more than willing to share it with you and ask that you do the same for me. I am currently working with a group of second graders in an English speaking school. Do you think I can use your ideas for blogging with them, maybe in a less challenging way? I have some ideas of my own, but would love to have your take on it as well.
Once again, thank you for sharing your views and ideas, and I want to wish you all the best.
Clara
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Hello Clara,
Thank you for taking time to read my post and give a comment. Yes, there are some teachers have never used social media or blogging as learning tools into classroom that I noted after I read our discussion board post. We create a blog for helping students learning success, therefore, as a teacher would take the challenge and motivate ourselves to design a curriculum on blog. I will post reading materials on blog to ask students to read and write their opinions on the blog to share with their classmates. Not only to increase students’ reading and writing ability, but also incorporate web 2.0 technology tools into classroom.
For using technology as a teaching tool safely, educators have a responsibility to help, to select, and to provide safe media for our students. Blogging is a safe social media tool and it can post students’ work and teachers’ curriculum, that both students can collaborate, work together and teachers can create new projects to bring new knowledge into the classroom. Then we can say technology brings new knowledge and new skills into our classroom to impact our students’ positively. Thank you so much for sharing your kind ideas and thoughts.
Shui Huei
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Great Blog! And you bring up some very good points! There are often road blocks to using social media within a classroom – I have come up against them myself. How do you plan to address that issue in your situation? I have found that many of the roadblocks that occur happen due to a misunderstanding of how the tool will be used. Often is schools can begin to understand that social media is not going away and training children to use it responsibly to gather knowledge and not as just a social platform, minds can be changed.
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Hello Ruth,
Thank you for taking time to read my post and giving comment. Yes. For some schools still are not allowed to use social media as a teaching tool in the classroom. However, educators can use different ways to incorporate technology as a tool into the classroom such as blogging. Of course, as educators we have responsibility to protect our students using social media safely and provide them legal, profitable, and safe technology tools. We do not need to stuck in limiting social media but we can create a blog to impact our students learning positively. We can through blogging post different information and new knowledge to help students learning success; it can show to public and schools the effective use social media can be a learning tool. Both teachers and students, also parents can through blogging share opinions, to communicate, to collaborate working together, and students can post their work on blog as well. Thank you for sharing your ideas and thought.
Shui Huei
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