Blogs:
The term blog came from a
contraction of the term weblog. A website written in the form of a journal or
diary log, where readers may leave comments in an interactive formats. A blog
is an individual's online journal. A typical blogger or a person who blogs
writes about any number of subjects and posts it on the internet. Bloggers may
write about hobbies, observations, specific interests like cooking, experience,
raising a disabled child, or their life in general. People who read the blog
can post comments about the content, and the blogger may be able to comment on
those comments, starting a dialogue. Typically, the original blog post is at
the top of the page, and readers' comments are underneath it, all only editable
by the blogger.
Some blogs have a search function to allow
a user to locate specific content within blog posts. Entries are usually
arranged by date in reverse chronological order.
A vlog, spelled with a v, is a video blog
made up of short video clips.
Photo blogs have content that consists
mainly of photographs rather than texts.
Audio blogs are made up of audio files
instead of text. These various forms of blogs can meet a variety of learning
styles and interests.
Blogs can be used in many ways in learning.
With students in grades from Kindergarten, through college and beyond. Blogs
can be a way to encourage journal writing with younger students and help
develop writing and typing practice. Students can be encouraged to pick an area
of personal interest, soccer, movies, ballet, et cetera, and set up a blog to
post once a week. In higher education, a blog could be used to post a weekly
reflection based on the week's content of the course, as a way to internalize
the content and keep a record of what was gained from the course.
Some sites that are useful in setting up
blogs are: blogger.com, Wordpress.com, blogspot.com, and google.com/blogger.
Wikis
A Wiki is an open forum for a community to
share ideas about a particular topic. Wikis and blogs have both grown in
popularity because of their ease of use and the number of free software options
offered on the internet.
A wiki is similar to a blog in that both
center on certain topics , but a wiki
offers versatility. A wiki is a website that allows easy creation and editing
of interlinked webpages. It is a way for content to be shared and created and
can be edited, deleted or created by anyone who visits the wiki. Posts can be edited almost immediately.
Wikipedia is example of a
well-known wiki. Anyone can add to and edit the content of any article. This
makes Wikipedia a great collaborative resource, but also a cautionary source. Many teachers guide students to use Wikipedia as a start but to locate the
source's cited within Wikipedia for actual sources, since content may not be
reliable.
The participatory nature of a wiki makes it
a great educational tool in online or blended instructional programs. One
example of how to use a wiki with students is to have students each create a
wiki that serves as a way to post homework assignments and notices to parents.
Categories on the class wiki could include assignments, reading lists, online
novels, or ebooks, lists of local libraries, writer's corner, and book club
discussions. Other ideas for a wiki could be to create a virtual museum or art
show, and students creating a wiki based on something they are studying.
Based on a lecture
California State University.
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