To Blog or Not to Blog

After this class ends, I would like to continue to use my blog. I have put so much time and effort into learning to create the blog that I feel a sense of pride and ownership about it. With the school term coming to an end, I doubt that I will use it much for educational purposes for a few months. Maybe over the summer I will get an idea of a great use for my blog relating to school for the fall. For now I think I will continue to communicate with family and friends through the blog. I was never one to send out a family news letter, but I do think that with the blog, I can communicate what is going on with my family to others who might want to log in and catch up with us. I have several relatives and friends that I don't get to see or talk to very often. This may be a new way to connect with them.

Enhancing Mathematical Thinking Skills Through Podcasting

In last week's session on wikis, I began to think about how math concepts could be taught using the read/write web. The more I have thought about it, the more possibilities I see. I became convinced of the web's usefulness after "tuning in" to the Education Podcast Network. I clicked onto a podcast called dansmathcast. It was more than I imagined it would be. Interesting and kid friendly problem-solving situations were given out through the podcast, and people responded back their answers and/or thinking through a podcast or wiki (I think). You could feel the fun that this program generated in both students and adults. I am convinced that this is a dynamic way to explore math content.

Wikis for Eduational Use

I seem to understand the idea of wikis a little bit better than I did blogs. However, maybe it is because I had some experience with blogs before reading about wikis. It appears to me that wikis would be an easier format for elementary students. There are topics already available for students to respond to instead of facing a blank page. For beginners, although not as original, this might be a much less frustrating way to get started. It also seems to me that once a student posted a writing, he/she would have a larger audience to read and respond to than would probably happen with a blog.
I think the benefits of using wikis with students would be that you are allowing students to use their technology skills to learn, communicate, and achieve in school as opposed to squelching their tech. skills as we normally do as educators. Also, the topics I found available at sites such as Wikiville looked relevant and of interest to students.
Some of the challenges of using wikis would be the numbers and limitations of the computers in our schools. Also the limited understanding of technology by some teachers who would be monitoring the learning would be a problem. I know I couldn't do it at this point.

Still Searching

Another week has gone by and I have enjoyed making additions and changes to my blog. However, I still feel too overwhelmed about everything I am learning to get a handle on how I would use blogging for educational purposes right now. I have read some wonderful ideas from my fellow class members as well as from sites written about blogging for educational purposes. But as of now, I am still too new at this to have a firm grasp on just how I could and/or would use blogging with students. For right now I am very content to just learn the fundamentals of blogging before adding the educational piece to the mix.
I can recall my boss saying several times not to overwhelm people with too much new content too quickly. I can see the wisdom in that statement as I become a blogger. It is enough of a challenge for me to create and sustain this blog with family pictures, rss feeds of personal interest, and almost journal type entries. It will be a little while longer before I can know with conviction how I could make good use of blogging with students. I'm sure there are countless ways, but right now I am still searching for the educational use that fits me.

A Newcomer

My name is Shelly, and I am a newcomer to the world of blogging. I chose the name Tidbits because the definition on dictionary.com states that a tidbit is a pleasing bit of something such as news. That's what I would like my blog to be - a pleasant way to communicate with colleagues, friends, family, and fellow bloggers. Talk to you soon!
Shelly