Blogs and Wikis in Education

I spent some time exploring educational focused wikis and blogs on the web. There were a number of blogs by teachers which discussed teaching theories, writings, and opportunities. Because teaching is by nature a collaborative profession, blogs are a great resource for keeping connected to what is happening in the field. I also found wikis where teachers had posted notes, syllabi, and other resources for students to use in their studies. Lastly, blogs are being used for student writing. Students can post their work in a blog where it can easily be accessed by the teacher, and where they can share it with the world.

RSS readers/aggregators collect information from the web and keep it in one place. Using an aggregator is a good way to organize the mass amount of information on the Web. Using an aggregator will help students access information, especially news, without being lost or distracted in the surrounding information. If I had them set up their own aggregators, I could give them a few sources that I want them to stay current with. The aggregator would tell them what they have already read.

There are good reasons to and to not use blogs and wikis in the classroom. Blogs and wikis have a more interactive nature which definitely could get students more engaged. Another valid reason to use blogs and wikis is that technology’s importance in our society cannot be overstated. Kids are going to need to be familiar with technology in their adulthoods. Schools need to prepare them. The biggest argument against using blogs and wikis is the problem of access. Schools have a limited amount of computers and doing projects on them takes a lot of planning and coordination. Another problem is the fact that using technology takes time away from my content area. Starting up computers and troubleshooting can be time consuming and downright frustrating. Technology has a place in classrooms, but it’s a matter of balance.