Supervised Research - Final Reflection

I have enjoyed this course and have gained so much from it. Not only have I (finally) learned what a well-written literature review should include, the process of writing one has helped me become an expert of sorts in an area of personal interest. As I wrote and re-wrote my literature review, I made mental notes of things I need to consider when I finally introduce blogging in my computer classes this coming year.

In addition, I've had the opportunity to work with tools that were new to me. Although I can't say that Twitter wowed me (prefer status messages on Facebook), I'm glad it was a part of this course. At the very least, I can now say that I, too, have tweeted. Tumblr, on the other hand, I loved. In fact, I think it's a great tool for promoting visual literacy. I'm planning to introduce a Tumblr activity, similar to the one we completed in this course, in my middle school computer classes this coming year.

I also felt that our Elluminate meetings were valuable. Through the sharing of questions and concerns, I gained a better understanding of the course expectations, particularly as they related to my scholarly activity and literature review.

Reflecting back on the course, I don't feel there's anything that needs to be changed.

Thank you for a wonderful semester!

Let Me Explain: Tumblr Posts, Part 2

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/138417307/digital-immigrant-image
I love this image of a father asking his son for help as he sits in front of a computer that’s on fire. Like the father (digital immigrant), I have had to turn to my younger sister on several occasions for help as I try to do something new on the computer.

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/138419693/digital-native-image-from
The picture of the infant in front of the laptop is a perfect visual representation for the term “digital native”. Although it may be a bit of an exaggeration, it’s a reminder that children as early as infancy are interacting with technology.

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/123152010/community-of-practice-image-from
The picture of the human forms putting a puzzle together represents a community of practice where individuals with the same goal work together to solve a problem.

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/121257123/tell-me-and-i-will-forget-show-me-and-i-may
Here’s another quote I love. It’s a reminder that children learn best by doing (i.e. construct reality through interactions with the world around them).

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/119247184/technology-image-from-www-vdh-state-va-us
The image of the world coming out of the screen of a laptop reminds me that technology has brought the world to “our fingertips”. It has made it possible for individuals from across the globe to communicate and collaborate with each other with the click of a mouse.

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/119244275/participatory-culture-image-from
I chose a picture of two arrows pointing in opposite directions to represent participatory culture. The arrows symbolize the online collaboration that can take place between individuals via the Internet.

How the EdS Program Influenced My Teaching and Learning

Over the last two years in the EdS program, I have learned a lot about teaching and learning. Not only has it contributed to changes in what I teach, it has also contributed to changes in how I teach. Although I have taught computers for over ten years, I realized while taking these courses just how out of the loop I was. My middle school classes, in particular, had become stagnant and dated. While my students were proficient at gathering information online, they had not discovered the power of the read/write Web. As a result of these courses however, my students have had the opportunity to interact with various tools of the Web 2.0.

Through the EdS program, I have also become more aware of the way students learn today. Many of our students have been interacting with technology in some form since infancy. Because technology is so prevalent in our society and students use it regularly outside of school, it stands to reason that these same technologies should be incorporated in our classroom teaching as well. Realizing this, I now make a concerted effort to create technology-infused lessons that follow a constructivist approach and are relevant and meaningful to my students.

While teaching and learning is a continuous process of trial and error that is never quite perfected, I feel that the EdS program has made me more aware of this and, in the process, has provided me with the tools necessary to become a better teacher.

Sample Literature Reviews: My Take on Them

As I read the three sample literature reviews that were provided, I realized that they had several characteristics in common. Each of the literature reviews began with an introduction, in which the authors identified the topic/research question, described the set up of the review, explained what they expected to accomplish in the review, and provided a brief summary of the literature and its findings. In addition, each one was separated into sections and included a list of keywords, detailed information regarding the source data that was used and its relevance to the research question, a summary of the literature, and the authors' synthesis of the research findings.

While the sample reviews had many commonalities, they had some differences as well. The following are the differences I noted and my reactions to them:

• Length of literature review – The length of the literature reviews were varied. The second review, "Teaching Courses Online: A Review of the Research", particularly caught my attention in this area, as I felt that it was excessively long in comparison to the others.
  
• Depth of summaries – Some of the summaries were more detailed than others. Again, the second review stood out for me because I felt that the summaries it provided were somewhat limited and general in nature compared to the other reviews.
  
• Rhetoric - The rhetoric used differed in each of the reviews. The first one, "Gender in Teaching: A Literature Review", was not an easy read for me. In fact, this is one that I had to read twice to get a true grasp of what it was about. On the other hand, I felt that the third review, "Online Collaborative Learning for Healthcare Continuing Professional Development: Lessons from the Recent Research", was the easiest to read and understand.

Although I thought that the three samples provided were good, I was most impressed and would be most inclined to emulate "Online Collaborative Learning for Healthcare Continuing Professional Development: Lessons from the Recent Research" in my own literature review.

Distance Learning: My Thoughts and Experiences

A little over two years ago, I began toying with the idea of returning to school and pursuing a post graduate degree. At the time, I was well aware that taking on-campus classes would be impossible to accommodate. I also knew that an online program would only be an option for me if the university offering the courses was a reputable one. During my planning period one day, I performed a Google search for online EdS and EdD programs and came across UF’s distance learning site. I immediately knew that if I was going to go “back to school”, that was where I wanted to do it. Within a week of finding the site, I submitted all of the required application documents for the Educational Technology online program and registered for my first class.

Looking back at the program, I have been very pleased with my overall experiences. In terms of time, the flexibility inherent in the online courses has worked well for me, as I complete most of my work at nights (after my children go to sleep) and on the weekends. The material covered in the courses has been comprehensive and valuable, and I have already applied much of what I have learned in my classroom teaching. As for the instructors, they have been wonderful. Their passion for the subject matter is evident, and they have shown a genuine interest in my success as a student.

Interestingly, the one thing I have realized about myself through these courses is really how much of a “digital immigrant” I am. I still prefer hardcopies of articles to reading them online so I generally print the articles out so that I can read, highlight, and write notes on them. I also prefer for information to be presented in a linear fashion, as I, unlike today’s “digital natives”, am more of a linear thinker. This is an area I struggled with last year in one of the most work-intensive courses I took. Where I would have preferred for assignment instructions, requirements, and due dates to be organized in an easy-to-follow format that was chronological and intuitive, I often felt overwhelmed and frustrated as I jumped back and forth in the modules trying to make sense of what I should be doing. This isolated case, one course out of ten, would be the one “needs improvement” I found.

Through this program, I have learned a lot about myself as an online learner, and the areas upon which I need to improve. First, I need to work on staying focused. I am embarrassed to say that I often catch myself navigating away from a paper or school-related site to check out Yahoo News or Facebook. Second, I need to continue to make a concerted effort to start on my work ahead of time instead of waiting for “crunch time”. I’m happy to say, though, that I am much better at these than I was two years ago when I started the program.

Technology and Me

If someone would have told me fifteen years ago that I would be teaching computers today (and love doing so), I would have said they were crazy. For as long as I can remember, English was my thing. I majored in English at the university and earned graduate degrees in ESOL and Linguistics. My intention was always to pursue a career related to English (i.e. teacher, researcher, editor, etc.). At the time, my interest in computers was minimal, at best, and my work with them was limited to writing a paper for a class.

When I first interviewed for a teaching position in 1995, I was told that there was a surplus of English teachers and was, instead, offered a position as an ESOL/computer teacher. Although I was apprehensive, I accepted the position. I spent that first year learning as much as I could about computers, always staying a class or two ahead of my students. I became a self-taught computer teacher.

Today, I teach both elementary and middle school computers. I love what I do and can't imagine teaching anything else at this point. For the time being, I intend on remaining a computer teacher and applying what I have learned in the Ed Tech program in my classes. In the future, however, I would like to pursue a career as a curriculum and technology specialist.

Let Me Explain: Tumblr Posts, Part 1

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/112890305/
With all the new tools that I feel my students should learn how to use, and I will be introducing next year, I often feel like this picture would suggest – overwhelmed, not sure where to start, but convinced that it is necessary for teaching and learning.

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/113219738/
This picture of the toddler in front of the computer reminds me that students are interacting with some form of technology at a very early age, and it is my responsibility as a teacher to provide them with opportunities to learn from and with them.

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/113458665/
Legos seem to be the perfect visual representation of constructivism. Learners construct their own knowledge by piecing together past and present experiences.

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/113991379/
I love this quote! It is an eloquent reminder that children may not listen to what their parents are saying, but they’re paying close attention to what they’re doing.

http://rdgm.tumblr.com/post/113993261/
This quote could have been written just for me. It took a difficult divorce for me to remember the importance of family, education, hard work, and my faith.

Educational Technology Through My Eyes

Educational technology is the study of how technology can be used to support and enhance teaching and learning. This technology, however, is not limited to computers. SmartBoards, digital/video cameras, and audio enhancement equipment are only some of the tools that are beginning to find their way into classrooms.

I believe that the use of technology is essential for teaching and learning in the 21st century. As early as infancy, children begin to interact with it. From Baby Mozart and LeapFrog toys to iPods, cell phones, and video game systems, children are not only surrounded by technology, they are self-learned experts in it. Unfortunately, the technology they have embraced at home is often missing in school. In response to an increasingly technology-driven society, educators must provide opportunities for students to interact individually and collaboratively with different technological tools to solve authentic problems.

An ideal learning environment would be one where instruction is differentiated, students’ learning styles are addressed, individual and collaborative work are encouraged, and technology is used to support and supplement instruction in meaningful ways. In terms of technology, each student would have access to a computer with Internet and printer connections as well as up-to-date educational and application software. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that these tools cannot, by themselves, create an ideal learning environment. Without a knowledgeable teacher to create meaningful lessons and facilitate learning, what could have been an ideal learning situation falls short of just that.

Literature Review Basics

What is the purpose of most literature reviews?
Most literature reviews provide the reader with a summary and synthesis of relevant past studies on a given topic. Not only does a well-written review give credibility to the author, it also allows him to set up the background for his own study.

What components make up a literature review?
A literature review contains a thesis statement and centers around a specific topic rather than on the sources that are used. It generally consists of the following three parts:
1. Introduction
2. Body (organized in chronological, thematic, or methodological order)
3. Conclusion
However, other sections relevant to the review (ex: background information, questions for further research, etc.) may be included if necessary.

What should be assessed in a literature review?
In assessing a literature review, an author and/or reader should make sure that it 1) centers around a specific research question or thesis, 2) summarizes and synthesizes both what is known and unknown about the topic, 3) identifies areas of controversy surrounding the topic, and 4) leads to questions for further research.

Where should you search to find relevant resources?
Resources for a literature review can be found in books, journals, newspaper articles, government documents, and websites. The quality of the resource, however, should be determined prior to its inclusion in a literature review. Some important areas to consider in determining the validity of a source are its date of publication, the citations used, and the author's background, qualifications, and/or associations.

Literature Review: Reaction to Articles

In their article, Scholars before Researchers: On the Centrality of the Dissertation Literature Review in Research Preparation, David Boote and Penny Beile identify the following problems with much of today’s literature reviews:

• Doctoral students lack the preparation necessary to produce quality research. Thus, they do not know how to go about writing a good literature review.
• Research preparation often overlooks the centrality of the literature review.
• Most literature reviews are simply summaries of past research that are not comprehensive or current.
• Communicating with a diverse audience is difficult because shared knowledge and experiences cannot be assumed.

Boote and Beile argue that doctoral students (and educational researchers) must be better prepared to write literature reviews, as these reviews are central to producing quality research that is useful and meaningful. Their literature reviews must be comprehensive and generative (meaning that students/researchers must understand the literature in the field so that they can identify its strengths and weaknesses and then build on that knowledge).

Joseph Maxwell, in response to Boote and Beile’s article, also identifies a lack of research preparation and instruction in writing literature reviews as a major problem in current educational research. However, Maxwell disagrees with their stance on the centrality of the literature review and the need for it to be comprehensive. Maxwell argues that a literature review is not central to a dissertation or study, and that relevance, rather than comprehensiveness, should be the driving force of a literature review. He also argues that all the literature that is reviewed does not need to be included in a dissertation or study. Maxwell believes that the inclusion of literature should be more selective than Boote and Beile suggest.

In previous courses, I have been asked to write literature reviews. While samples of a literature review were provided, I still didn’t feel as though I had a good grasp on what a good review should include. As Boote and Beile suggest often happens, my literature reviews were summaries of studies previously conducted. In truth, my search for research turned up dry at times, and I found myself trying to grasp at straws just to include the number of citations necessary. I appreciate the suggestions provided by Boote, Beile, and Maxwell because it gives me a better idea of what I should try to accomplish within my literature review. Maybe I will need to go beyond my field of study to get a better understanding of a problem. If I do, that’s okay. My previous literature reviews may have been stronger had I done so. Maybe I will need to look beyond summarizing previous literature and begin to address its strengths and weaknesses so that I can build on it in my own proposal or study. That’s okay too. My previous literature reviews may have supported my inquiry proposals better had I done so.

References

Boote, D.N., & Beile, P. (2005). Scholars before researchers: On the centrality of the dissertation literature review in research preparation. Educational Researcher, 34(6), 3-15.

Maxwell, J.A. (2006). Literature reviews of, and for, educational research: A commentary on Boote and Beile's "Scholars Before Researchers." Educational Researcher, 35(9), 28-31.

Boote, D.N., & Beile, P. (2006). On "Literature Reviews of, and for, Educational Research: A response to the critique by Joseph Maxwell. Educational Researcher, 35(9), 32-35.

Course Expectations

As I read through the syllabus and reviewed the calendar of activities for my supervised research, I couldn’t help but to feel a bit nervous and overwhelmed. Although I still don’t have a firm grasp on what the course will entail, I do expect to use what I have learned in past courses as I begin to identify an area of interest and immerse myself in an inquiry related to that topic. In terms of the role that my instructor and classmates will play in the process, I expect that they will be a source of support, as they share ideas and resources with me and provide feedback on my work as well as suggestions for improvement.

I was surprised to find that some of the tools we will be using in this course are new to me. I have never participated in an Elluminate conference, and I am new to Twitter and Tumblr. While I know of Twitter and have wanted to join for some time, Tumblr is completely foreign to me. Based on what I saw as I navigated the site yesterday, Tumblr seems to be a blog that emphasizes the use of images, videos, and audio. However, I don’t have a clear picture of how and what I will be using Tumblr for in the course. Despite the uncertainties however, I look forward to learning how to use these new tools and incorporating them in my own teaching and learning.

Trying It Out!

After weeks of reading about blogs, I am ready to give it a shot. My long term plan is to incorporate a blogging component in all of my middle school classes next year and introduce blogging on a smaller scale in my third and fourth grade classes.

However, rather than wait until next year to experiment with the tool, I have decided to give it a trial run now by introducing a small blogging activity in one of my middle school classes. I'm hoping that by doing this, I will get a better feel for the site I have decided to use with my students, while learning, first hand, what blog topics, requirements, and assessments best meet the needs of my class.

Here's what I have done so far:

• Verified that my school's Acceptable Use Policy includes publishing students' work on the web
• Notified my department head and the school's curriculum and technology specialist of my intention to introduce a blogging activity in one of my middle school classes/provided them with the name of the site we will be using
• Registered on 21 Classes
• Began inputting students' names

Here's what I still need to do:

• Post a message on my Edline page informing parents of the activity and explaining how students' privacy will be protected
• Become familiar with the site and post relevant and/or necessary information
• Decide on a topic for the activity
• Find and list examples of good blogs to share and discuss with students
• Decide on number of posts and comments required of students

Even as I write out my "to-do list", I can see how it's easy to start thinking too big. I'm going to need to keep reminding myself to begin small, as Will Richardson suggests in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. This is what I envision right now: 1) Students read blogs written by other people and discuss what they like (or don't like) about them, 2) I make some initial posts on our class blog and have students respond to them, 3) Students create their own simple blogs (ex: share a link and provide a brief explanation as to why they included it), 4) Students create longer blogs where they expand and reflect on their thoughts, 5) Students participate in blog conversations by commenting on their classmates' posts.

There are five more weeks of school left, and the truth is, I'm not sure how far my students will be able to get in the blogging activity. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to trying it out. After all, no matter how it turns out, it will provide valuable information for me to use when I begin planning for next year.

Blogs: Getting Started

Will Richardson provides valuable and easy-to-follow suggestions for introducing blogging in the classroom in chapter 3 of his book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. He begins by suggesting that teachers who want to start a classroom blog first become familiar with blogging by creating one of their own. This allows them to become better versed in the use of the tool. In addition, it allows them to model the behavior for their students and show them the value of blogging.

Richardson recommends that teachers begin small when they decide to start blogging. They should first read other people’s posts and comment on them. By doing so, they will get a feel for what it is like to publish their own thoughts on the web. After commenting on other people's posts a few times, they can create their own blog and post a link to something they have read and enjoyed along with a few thoughts about it. As they become more comfortable with the idea of blogging, they can begin to write more, draw on their own personal experiences, and reflect furthe on what they have read.

In terms of introducing blogs in the classroom, Richardson again suggests starting small. Teachers should begin by using the blog to post homework assignments and important class links. They should also show students examples of good blogs. For example, elementary level students can visit blogs that are set up by other elementary schools, while students in the upper grades can read blogs created by people that the teacher recommends. Once students have had the opportunity to read blogs created by others, they can begin to respond to posts in the class blog. Richardson provides an example of how to go about doing this. One way is for the teacher to post a question per day and ask students to respond to a certain number of questions each week. After they gain experience commenting on the class blog, they can move on to creating their own posts.

Teachers can assess the Weblogs in several ways. They can count the number of posts a student has published, or they can read each post for such things as form and content. Students can also select the posts they feel represent their best writing, and they can reflect on those posts in an overall evaluation of their blog use.

An important consideration when starting a classroom blog is the safety of the students. It is important for teachers to communicate with students, parents, and administrators about their reasons for wanting to introduce blogging in the classroom and their subsequent expectations for the activity. It is also important that every student has parental permission to participate in the blogging. Richardson suggests making publishing to the web a part of the school’s Acceptable Use Policy that must signed by all parents. Finally, teachers should communicate with parents about the safety precautions that will be in place to protect students’ privacy (ex: using only first names or using pseudonyms).

Richardson closes the chapter by providing several suggestions for blogging sites (ex: KidzBlog and BlogMeister). However, he reminds the reader that the perfect blog site for a teacher to use will be the one that meets his/her unique classroom needs.

Chapter 3 of Richardson's book provided me with a better idea of how to begin blogging with my class, and it brought to light some things I hadn't considered before. First, I must remember to start small and model blogging for students. In other words, I should allow them to become familiar with blogging by reading various blogs so that they understand what they are and how they are set up. Second, I must pay careful attention to online safety. As I begin to plan on making blogging a part of my classroom, I am going to need to make sure that every student has parental permission to participate in the activity and that students, parents, and administrators understand why we are blogging and how student privacy will be protected.

Richardson, W (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Collaborative Blogging as a Means to Develop Elementary Expository Skills: A Study

I just read an interesting study/teacher inquiry entitled Collaborative Blogging as a Means to Develop Elementary Expository Writing by Wendy Drexler, Kara Dawson, and Rick Ferdig. It examines the effects of collaborative blogging between third graders and pre-service teachers, focusing specifically on students’ motivation and attitudes towards writing and their quality of writing. Eighteen third graders from a large, independent, preparatory school in Central Florida participated in the nine-week study. All of the students had access to computers in school and at home, although most of the blogging activities were completed in the school’s computer lab.

During the study, pre-service teachers provided the third graders with research assistance and feedback to help them complete a five-paragraph essay and online presentation on a Native American tribe. Students posted an initial blog identifying the Indian tribe they had selected for their project and asking for assistance with the research. The pre-service teachers responded by providing suggested sites that were age-appropriate for students to conduct their research. As the students read through the sites, they completed a fact-collecting sheet where they jotted down any information they found interesting about their tribe. Once the initial research was completed, students sought further assistance in locating information regarding specific areas related to their topic (i.e. clothing, food, etc.). Then students organized the information they had gathered into concept maps created on Inspiration. These maps were posted on the blog so that the pre-service teachers could review and comment on them. After that, students began writing their five-paragraph essay on the blog, focusing on one paragraph at a time. After all the editing was done, the students transferred their five-paragraph essay into an online presentation on MediaBlender.

The following outcomes were identified in the data analysis of the study:

• Collaborative blogging helped improve students’ attitudes towards writing.
• Students were motivated to write. Feedback rather than technology use was the primary motivator.
• Collaborative blogging improved students’ writing and helped develop related skills and knowledge.
• Students transferred knowledge they had gathered to other academic and social aspects of the classroom.
• Students’ technology skills improved even though formal technology training was not provided.
• Students developed visual literacy skills as they turned their five-paragraph essay into an online presentation.
• Collaborative blogging allowed for differentiated instruction.

While the findings of this study support what I have read thus far about blogging, I found the challenges that were encountered during the study and later identified and described to be especially valuable because I am likely to encounter much of the same when I introduce blogging to my third graders. The following are some of the challenges that I will need to consider:

• Students' keyboarding skills (How well can students type? How will poor typing affect blog writing and project pacing?)
• Project pacing (How long will the project take? What happens when students are absent?)
• Comment frequency (How often will comments be made?)
• Transference (Will students be able to transfer what they have learned to other content areas?)

I wonder what would happen if I created a collaborative blogging project where my eighth graders (similar to the pre-service teachers in this study) would comment on my third graders' writing. Hmmm...

Drexler, W., Dawson, K., & Ferdig, R. Collaborative blogging as a means to develop elementary expository writing. Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education, 6, Retrieved April 14, 2009, from http://blogs.wsd1.org/harrow/files/collaborative-blogging-drexler.pdf.

The Media Equation

“Media equals real life” (Reeves & Nass, 1996, p. 5). That is the premise of the media equation. As supported by various studies conducted on the subject, all individuals respond socially and naturally to media. Although people will argue that they can differentiate between real life and media, they generally respond to media as if it were real because it's an unconscious behavior. Nevertheless, it is important to point out that they may be able to distinguish between the two if they put forth the effort and are completely focused.

Media has the power to affect thoughts and emotions. I can personally attest to that, as I'm sure many of you can too. Through the years, I have laughed, cried, been scared, and felt disturbed by movies I’ve seen even though I “knew” they weren’t real.

How does the media equation affect blogging? Well, I think that blogs that have images, videos, and audio will elicit a greater response from a reader than ones that only contain text. By tapping into their social and natural responses to media, they are more likely to comment on and participate in blog discussions. That said, I think it may be a good idea to encourage students to include images, videos, and/or audio when appropriate in their blog posts to help support their thoughts and elicit further discussions.

Reeves, Byron, and Clifford Nass. 1996. "Ch 1, The Media Equation," pp. 3-18 in The Media Equation. Cambridge University Press.

Blogs According to Richardson

As I read a study yesterday about the effects of blogs on student writing, I came across a familiar name. Will Richardson, the author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, was referenced in the study, as in other articles I have recently reviewed. Although I read his book a couple of years ago for a class I was taking, I decided to re-read chapter two of his book, Weblogs: Pedagogy and Practice, to refresh my memory.

Richardson believes that blogs have great potential in education, as they allow students to publish easily on the web and provide them with an authentic audience. It is a “genre that engages students and adults in a process of thinking in words, not simply an accounting of the day’s events and feelings” (Richardson, 2006, p. 20). Blogs foster analytical reading and better writing in an online community of peers, teachers, and mentors. According to Richardson, blogs are a Constructivist tool that…

• Promote online collaboration
• Expand the walls of the classroom (learning continues outside of school)
• Archive learning (store students’ posts in an organized and searchable space)
• Support different learning styles
• Allow student to develop an area of expertise
• Teach new literacies that students will need in an increasingly technology-driven world

Blogs also facilitate “connective writing”, a form of writing whereby users are required to read carefully and critically, write clearly, engage a large audience, and link to sources related to the topic of the blog.

When I first read Richardson’s book, the topics he covered (blogs, wikis, and podcasts) were all new to me. I thought they were interesting at the time but didn’t really feel comfortable enough to introduce them in my classes. However, the more I read about blogs, the more excited I get about the prospect of using them with both my elementary and middle school students. Journal writing and an online book club are two possibilities for my third and fourth graders, while my middle school computer students can write about technology-related articles and share sites and software that they like and, thus, recommend. Do you have any other suggestions based on your experiences with blogging in the classroom?

Richardson, W (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Weblogs and Their Effects on Writing Skills: A Case Study

Miranda Bella’s case study entitled Weblogs and Their Effects on Writing Skills focuses on the use of blogs and its effects on the writing of upper elementary-aged students. Specifically, twenty students from two fifth-grade classes (ten students from each class) participated in the study to determine if blogs enhance student writing. During a three-week period, students kept daily blogs about class events. These blogs were then analyzed using a coded system. Whenever evidence of a predefined writing criteria (i.e. concept, description, explanation, synthesis, etc.) was found in a post, a notation was made. The results of the analysis were then displayed in a table and as a column graph.

The blogs in both classes showed that students used explanation and description in their writing more than any other writing criteria. Although to a lesser degree, they also reflected students’ use of analysis and inference, as well as grade-appropriate vocabulary. In addition, students used voice and expression in their posts and often shared their opinions. Although many spelling and grammatical mistakes were made, the blogs still exhibited high-quality writing.

Bella concluded from her study that the use of blogs do, in fact, enhance student writing. Students are motivated to write in a blog because they know others will be reading what they wrote, and they want to make sure that their readers are engaged. They also tend to write more than they would in a traditional writing assignment.

This study supports much of what I've already read about student blogging. Students tend to write more and write better when they have an authentic audience. I was surprised, however, that more was not written about the collaborative aspect of the blog and its potential effects on student writing. I would have liked to know how that component played out in the study.

Blogs and Literacy

Before I begin, I should let you know that I have once again narrowed my area of interest even further. Last week, I announced that I would be focusing on blogs and wikis in the elementary language arts classroom. However, it now seems too broad. Therefore, I am limiting my focus to blogs in the elementary classroom (last time, I promise!).

David Huffaker wrote an article entitled The Educated Blogger: Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in the Classroom. In the article, Huffaker provides several statistics that show that the majority of the people who read or write blogs are under the age of 20. Given these findings, Huffaker argues that blogging can benefit student learning by enhancing digital fluency and promoting verbal literacy (reading and writing). He also notes the following benefits of student blogging:
1. Blogs foster creativity and self-expression.
2. Blogs encourage collaboration and online communities.
3. Blogs can be used across all disciplines.

In the article, Huffaker also provides several examples of how blogs can be used in teaching and learning. The following are some examples:

• Journalism students can collect new stories, write about them, and edit them.
• Language arts students can comment on and critique class readings.
• Third grade students can do journal writing.
• Teachers can post classroom news, photographs, and student artwork.
• New teachers can reflect on their classroom experiences.

The more I read about student blogging, the more I see its educational benefits. In fact, the points that Huffaker makes regarding the topic are well worth sharing at my school.

iLike "Blogs in Plain English"

After the resistance that the mere mention of blogging evoked at school the other day (see previous post), I found myself becoming very protective of a tool that I am still exploring but hoping to use in the near future with my students. I felt it was necessary for me to find as much information as I could to support blogging in education.

Rather than search through articles today, I decided to give Teacher Tube a try to see if I could find a video about the benefits of education. Although I wasn't able to find one that would convince my colleagues and administrators that blogging with third and fourth graders is educationally sound, I did find a video that introduces blogs in a very simple way. This video, which is approximately three minutes long, is not what I set out to find initially. However, I thought it was worth saving and sharing.

"Blogs in Plain English" provides a simple explanation of what a blog is. The video refers to blogs as news for the 21st century that is both professional and personal. It is described as an online tool that provides people like you and me with the power of the media and allows us to share our perspectives with others through a series of posts and comments.

I really like this video and think that both children (third grade and above) and adults will find it informative and amusing. When I finally, hopefully, introduce blogging to my students, I think I'll begin by showing them this video.

Blogs in Plain English
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=367ab9eed5af82966a48

Blogging Meets Resistance

As you all know, I have spent the last two weeks trying to learn as much as I can about blogging. My intention was to become an expert of sorts so that I could introduce the tool in my third and fourth grade classes next year.

As it turns out however, the librarian at my school emailed me a few days ago because she wanted to try a blogging exercise this week with one of our third grade classes. She wasn't sure where to start and asked if I could help her. When I met with her later that day however, she told me that she wasn't sure whether the activity would even take place. It turns out that she shared her blogging idea with the administration, but it was met with resistance. They were concerned about the safety of the children, the reaction of the parents, and the potential for blogging to lead students prematurely to social networks such as MySpace and Facebook.

Things changed pretty quickly after that. With the help of our school's curriculum and technology specialist, the librarian finally got a hesistant go-ahead for the activity. It turns out that Edline, the program our school uses to communicate with parents and students, has a blogging feature that she was approved to use. Because Edline is "safe" and parents are already familiar with it, the administrators, despite their reservations, felt it was the best way to go.

Of course, the story doesn't end there. As luck would have it, my daughter is in the third grade at the same school where I teach. Yesterday, she brought home a note from the librarian (please note that I was ultimately not involved in getting the blogging activity ready) asking that she log on to Edline, select the library blog, and answer a question that was posted. I watched her as she did this and made the following four observations:

• My daughter was excited about going on a blog although she didn't really know what it was.
• My daughter wanted to read what her friends had posted.
• Entries can only be posted after a teacher has approved it.
• Students cannot respond to each other's comments, thus making the idea of blogging as conversational a moot point.

After seeing my daughter's reaction to the blog activity, I can see its potential for getting students excited about writing. However, I also think that blogging on Edline may be too regulated. One of the greatest strengths of a blog is its ability to connect people in continuous, written conversation, but Edline seems to limit this. What do you think? Do any of you have any experience using Edline's blogging feature?