Blogging

A quote in the Zawilinski really stuck with me. At one point she references a source that said, "Some believe that we simply need to place computers in the hands of our students, and they will learn what they need." Computers are so much more, and they have so many applications that students need to be shown how to use. The world has become more globally aware and connected, so it only makes sense that we take the time to teach our students how to interact with the world by using blogging and other Web 2.0 tools. Social networking sites allow us to have "friends" who live down the street or on the other side of the world. Blogging also allows the classroom discussions to continue when the class has ended. When I was in school, I hated to have a class end when the discussion was so rich. Setting up a blog allows for students to continue the discussion after the 40 minute period. Many teachers don't have the time anymore to teach students how to write, and the process of blogging may allow for those lessons. Feedback is not only given by teachers but by other students in the classroom and participants from around the world.Yes, there are online security issues, but those are times to teach about Internet safety. Younger and younger students have Facebook pages and are involved in social media, so it is never too young to teach about the values and hazards of an online world.