Blogs and Wikis in Education

1. Identify and describe 3 interesting/innovative ways blogs and/or wikis are being used in K-12 classrooms.

a) Blogs are being used in classrooms not only as an educational tool, but they are being used for social networking with the teacher, which creates a friendly environment and allows teachers to "virtually" communicate with their students.
b) Wikis are being used in several different ways. I found the most innovative way that wikis are being used if for reflection purposes. Students are able to go online, read a question, and reflect on the question through their own wiki. This is a great resource because it allows students who normally wouldnt speak up in class to voice their opinion.
c) I really enjoyed the fact that education is becoming "technologically advanced." Students are able to use Blogs and Wikis to complete assignments, read up to date information, get grades and much more. This is a great resource because if a student was sick, or absent for a long period of time, they would be able to go online and retrieve their assignments.

2. Describe how you might use RSS readers/aggregators within a classroom setting.

An RSS document includes full or summarized text, plus data such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content quickly and automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. This would be great within a classroom because it provides up to date information on the spot for students. Students completing reports and such would be able to use this option.

3. Describe at least 2 pros and 2 cons of using blogs and wikis in education.

The first pro I would see about using blogs is the opportunities for learning at home. If a student is absent for a long period of time, or goes on vacation, they would be able to access the classroom information, which would be very beneficial for their grade. They would also be able to keep in contact with the teacher, so the teacher is informed. The next pro I would find with using blogs/wikis in a classroom is that it gives students who are shy, or soft spoken the opportunity to fully share their opinion without any punishments. Students are becoming more tech savy, so blolgs/wikis are a great addition to the classroom.

The cons I would find with using blogs/wikis in a classroom is that everything has to be up to date, and very organized. Setting up blogs and wikis takes quite a long time to set up, and maintenance could be overwhelming with other projects/assignments in the classroom. I also see a con about blogs/wikis if a student wasnt able to access the site at home. If a student doesnt have internet access at home, they would almost always have to take the time to go to the library or finish assigments in class, which can be difficult. I like the ideas of blogs/wikis, but for certain assignments. Smaller projects would be great for this, but may just end up being a time filler or waste of time.

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom

The multiple intelligences that I am strong in are: Kinesthetic (90), and Intrapersonal (90)

Some of the core characteristics for Kinesthetic are:

Sensory – internalizes information through bodily sensation
Reflexive – responds quickly and intuitively to physical stimulus
Tactile – demonstrates well-developed gross and/or fine motor skills
Concrete – expresses feelings and ideas through body movement
Coordinated – shows dexterity, agility, flexibility, balance and poise
Task Orientated – strive to learn by doing

1. These charachteristics describe me very well. I am extremely task oriented and very reflexive when it comes to most activities.
2. Students with kinesthetic intelligences tend to be "all-around" students. They love to learn by doing, rather than read a book, but these students can also take great detail from reading. They are very responsive and express a lot of feelings.
3. My classroom will be built for every type of learner, but Kinesthetic learners get a bit of a treat. In agriculture, we tend to be more of the "hands on" type of people, so we will have a lot of those types of activities, but we will also have reports, presentations, homework and much more that will incorporate the auditory side.
4. Technologies that stimulate this type of intelligence are computers, interactive programs, tractors, GPS, green house systems and more.
5. Having knowledge and bringing my own attention about multiple intelligences to my classroom will ensure that every student will have the same opportunity to learn the material. I love to have as much "hands on" activities as possible, but that doesnt work for every student.

Some fo the core charachteristics for Intrapersonal are:

Affective Awareness – the knowledge of one's feelings, attitudes and outlook
Ethical Awareness – the setting of one's principles and moral priorities
Self-Regulation – monitoring one's thoughts, actions and behavior
Metacognition – the awareness of one's thought processes

1. I like to believe that I am very strong in the intrapersonal area as well. I seem to be very perceptive when it comes to others feelings and emotions, and I also have a great awareness of my own thought processes.

2. Students with this type of intelligence are "socially smart" people in my eyes. They are very perceptive to how others are feeling and how they are feeling themselves. I believe students in this realm are great friends and could one day become great counselors, pyschologists and more.

3. I will support this type of intelligence in my classroom by giving all my students every opportunity possible. Discussions, journals, presentations and more would be great for these students.

4. Technologies that are great for these types of students are online blogs, journals, websites, and more. Working within programs such as power point to create presentations would be great as well!