RSS can be a difficult concept for some to grasp right away - what questions do you have? What didn't work or doesn't make sense? How might you use RSS in your personal or professional life? Find anything in your searching that you'd recommend to others?
I think I "get" RSS ... but I had trouble locating blogs dealing with specific topics. I think as a media specialist that I am so focused on gathering INFORMATION - facts, data, unbiased presentation, etc. - , that the conversational tone of blogging - opinions, personal reflections, commentary on current events, etc. - leaves me feeling that I'm missing something. I'm coming slowly to the realization that blogging IS a form of conversation. Not necessarily an information source. I'm struggling to figure out exactly how this format will accomplish something for me in my teaching or in my role as media specialist beyond my personal interest in the discussions and thoughts of others.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thing 4
I definitely feel that RSS can help me become more organized in locating and reading new information is my selected areas of interest. I have a lot of trouble with information overload now as I belong to many listservs and have web sites that I want to visit but often forget about. Of course I will still want to check BlogLines .... but at least that will be somewhat condensed and already sorted. I'm anxious to try it out!
Thing 3
How might you use a blog with students? How might they respond to a blog assignment? What concerns about blogging with students do you have? How might you use a blog for other educational purposes (other than with students)?
While there are many ways that a teacher might use a blog with students, I am concerned that, at least for middle school students, that a blog presents some logistical and age appropriate issues.
First, there may be some parents who really do not want their child to have an active presence on the Internet. Posting to a blog seems to require that an individual have an email address and I have personally encountered parents who did not want their child to have an email account. If the blog communication is all one way - from teacher to student - how is that any different than a printed handout?
Second, when will students post to a blog? At school? At home? Not all families have a computer which means students need to use school computers. I'm afraid that some school filters will not allow access or there may not be enough computers at the times needed for students to complete an assignment.
Third - staff time is an issue too. If blogging - either to communicate to students or for students to communicate back to a teacher - is to be really functional, I would think it needs to happen more than once. That may be very difficult - if not impossible - for teachers in my building to pull off due to the access reasons mentioned above, plus all of the other things teachers are required to do to deal with their curriculum.
I do think that blogging could be very useful for working with other teachers. The work of professional learning communities for instance could be facilitated through blog posts as teachers explore a topic of shared interest.
Blogs could also be effectively used to convey information to parents and the community about what is going on in a classroom or school. If used in this way however, I think the settings for others to be able to post comments should definitely be set for review before going 'live'.
Should there be concern about administrators viewing the blogs of teachers? What if they disagree with something a teacher posts? This may not be - or should not be - an issue ... but what if it is?
While there are many ways that a teacher might use a blog with students, I am concerned that, at least for middle school students, that a blog presents some logistical and age appropriate issues.
First, there may be some parents who really do not want their child to have an active presence on the Internet. Posting to a blog seems to require that an individual have an email address and I have personally encountered parents who did not want their child to have an email account. If the blog communication is all one way - from teacher to student - how is that any different than a printed handout?
Second, when will students post to a blog? At school? At home? Not all families have a computer which means students need to use school computers. I'm afraid that some school filters will not allow access or there may not be enough computers at the times needed for students to complete an assignment.
Third - staff time is an issue too. If blogging - either to communicate to students or for students to communicate back to a teacher - is to be really functional, I would think it needs to happen more than once. That may be very difficult - if not impossible - for teachers in my building to pull off due to the access reasons mentioned above, plus all of the other things teachers are required to do to deal with their curriculum.
I do think that blogging could be very useful for working with other teachers. The work of professional learning communities for instance could be facilitated through blog posts as teachers explore a topic of shared interest.
Blogs could also be effectively used to convey information to parents and the community about what is going on in a classroom or school. If used in this way however, I think the settings for others to be able to post comments should definitely be set for review before going 'live'.
Should there be concern about administrators viewing the blogs of teachers? What if they disagree with something a teacher posts? This may not be - or should not be - an issue ... but what if it is?
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