3. Using Blogger
in the Classroom
A blog is a "web-log"
Blogger began in 1999 as "Pyra Labs" and
was bought by Google in 2003.
The purpose of a blog is to scribe or
document a moment in time, using graphics,
video and other interactive Web 2.0
technology.
A blog can be used quite effectively in a
classroom in order to "scribe" the events that
occur in the classroom and to create an
interactive textbook for the class.
4. Setting up a Blogger Account
Like most Web 2.0 technologies, setting up a Blogger Account is
simple:
1. Navigate to www.blogger.com
2. Log-in with an existing Google account, or create one!
3. Select a URL for your site (ie whateveryouwant.blogspot.
com)
4. Explore the dashboard and create your first post
5. The Blogger Dashboard
Useful tools to make your class blog functional:
1. NEW POST is where you click to create your newest
posts.
2. EDIT POST is where you can update/change old ones
3. SETTINGS is where you can create new pages and can
assign permission to multiple authors to create a
TEAM BLOG (this is most important for a class blog)
4. DESIGN is where you can tool around to make it look
6. Benefits of Blogger
Post new vocabulary words
Help students/parents keep up with assignments
Most students are familiar with Google already
Use the blog as a place for students to "scribe" classroom
activities
TEAM BLOGS allow for multiple authors
Unlike a wiki, Team Blogs allow students to be the authors
Blogs keep a searchable archive that is easy to manuever
Darren Kuropatwa's blog http://adifference.blogspot.
com/ references many ways that blogs can be used in the
classroom
8. Blogger Blunders...
It is much more difficult to create new pages in a blog,
rather than in a wiki. If you hope to have multiple pages
within a blog, you ought to use a wiki instead.
Blogs that use students as authors will require much more
monitoring, support, and instruction, so the posts are
interactive rather than just streaming text.
After speaking to a teacher who maintains a class blog, he
explained that the quality of blog posts varies greatly
between students who put in the effort and those who are
simply doing it to "check the block" and do the assignment,
which devalues the whole project
Students will need a Gmail account to be TEAM
BLOGGERS. This could be an obstacle for some teachers.
9. Final Thoughts
The following is a quote from Tom Henderson, whose
chemistry blog first inspired me to look into blogger.
"YOU will have to make it a very central part of your class and
not a side show. If its a side show, you will be disappointed. If it
becomes central, you will be working your tail off to keep up
with student comments and posts and tracking and scoring, etc.
I really didn't want a side show nor a pain-in-the-butt, so I will
be choosing to not do it next year. "
These thoughts, though discouraging, are a realistic look at
how the technology "side show" might not be the most effective
way of teaching. I look forward to using a blog, but will wait
before instituting the full-scale blog I was hoping.
11. When you log into
Flashvortex.com, you get:
a user-friendly website
insert-able cool
free banners
insert-able menus
insert-able clocks
12. In my wiki at…
lu-graduation.wikispaces.com
... a bubble-type banner
… “Congratulations”
…countdown clock
13. Flashvortex could benefit teachers in
the classroom by…
Enabling download of items to a class
webpage, drawing students to certain
areas.
Making the homepage for the classroom
more engaging.
14. Flashvortex Woes....
1. Decisions can be hard because it
has lots of choices
2. It will not show until after you
download the link into your site
and save
3. You might become addicted!
15. Flashvortex is great because:
It is a free service for educators!
And upgraded advanced options get
really fancy.
16. Sync.in: Collaborative Writing
Sync.in is a real-time document collaboration tool that
allows users to:
Immediately see any edits made by other users
Chat between users
Easily access previous changes
Easily denote changes made by multiple contributors
Save drafts without stopping the creative flow
Access the information from anywhere with an internet
connection.
17. How to Use Sync.in:
Step 1: Go to http://sync.in
Step 2: Select "Create a New Public Note"
Step 3: Type your name in the right-hand box to mark your change
color
Step 4: Select the "Share this Note"
button on the right to quickly and
easily invite people through email,
Twitter, Facebook, and a range of
other social sites.
Step 5: Start working on your
document!
18. Features of Sync.In That Make It Great for the
Classroom!
1. Real-time changes- there's 3. The highlighting feature allows
virtually no lag time. everyone to see who has contributed
and who has not.
2. The chat feature allows students
to discuss their work without having 4. The Time Slider saves by every
to do it in the work. This single change made (my note has
conversation can also be seen by the over 1,200 saves now). Students
supervising teacher. never "lose" a contribution if another
student deletes their work.
5. The final product, or whichever
drafts required, can be easily
exported.
6. It's free and requires no sign up,
making it easier for students to gain
access.
19. Uses in the Classroom:
Potential uses for Sync.in in the classroom include:
Note-taking, especially for a group research project
Brainstorming for ideas, projects, etc.
The actual creation of a group project.
Practice editing and revising of documents
Actual Content from my
note with multiple users:
20. Potential Problems with Sync.In in the
Classroom:
1. At least at my school, the site is blocked, so the teacher will
need to get permission, if possible.
2. If one student turns off the highlighting, everyone loses it, which
can be a problem if the teacher plans to grade on participation.
3. The Time Slider feature is fun, but completely switches
formatting views. The way back to the editing view is not easily
marked, so students may struggle with that at first.
4. The export options are pretty limited and do not retain formatting. It's better to view the
product on the site, which can sometimes be difficult.
5. After participants have signed off, it does not retain whose color was whose (if they sign
on again, their name gets assigned their color again). However, they must keep track of
which color was there's before they leave.
6. The free notes are public, which probably will not cause problems since they are each
given a long alphanumeric address. It costs $24 a year to get the private ones and
additional features, which is not too bad if a teacher plans to use this regularly.
21. Analysis of Sync.in:
Overall, it has been fascinating to see Sync.in!
Check out my note here.
If I can get around our school's block on Sync.in, then I would really like
to try it for a test review or essay brainstorming session.
Overall, I definitely recommend trying it. The biggest perk is that it's
hassle-free, so it would not take long to try.
22. Ediscio-
The Online
Flashcard Box
Where teachers & students can
create and use flashcards online.
Collaboratively share and edit
flashcards with "chums."
23. To set up an ediscio account, click "Sign Up." Then, follow the
simple instructions of choosing a username and password, and
providing an email address. Then click "Create."
After setting up an account, look for the words "Create new
cardbox." This will allow you to make and use your flashcards!
24. Two Outstanding Benefits
of Ediscio Are:
1. You are not limited to text
while creating the flashcards.
Ediscio allows you to upload
images, audio files, and even
videos to your flashcards.
2. As the student studies the
flashcards, the teacher or the
student himself can monitor
progress with charts such as this
pie graph:
25. Difficulties with Ediscio
On the help page, called the "board," you will find dozens of questions that people have asked the
creator of Ediscio, Klaus Kroner. However, many of those questions are in German. Being unable to
read German will prohibit you from learning from those questions:
ieliqui, 2010-03-18 16:56
wie kann ich z.B. ein altes Stichwort löschen, wenn ich meine Karten neu sortieren will? ich konnte nur ein
neues anlegen und die Karten einsortieren, das alte bleibt dann ja erhalten. kann ich das entfernen?
After creating log-ins for twenty
students, I am still having
difficulty accessing that student
information when I log in to
Ediscio. I am eager to figure out
how to view all of the information
necessary to obtain an accurate
assessment of student learning.
Until then, I will wonder where my
students are....
26. Ediscio (online flashcards) is a great
idea...
...but has a long way to go to be the flashcard site that I choose over others, if others do
indeed arise. At this point, if another site with similar capabilities and all information in
English came along, I would use the other site without hesitation.
However, ediscio now holds several valuable cardboxes, and will therefore be used in
my classroom for regular practice on these skills. I recommend that all teachers research
online flashcards and choose the application that suits your educational needs. Ediscio
just might be the one!
28. Registration and Login
Seek username and password from district
administrator
Enter username and password and change password
to your choice
29. Benefits
Hook students with short video clips
Search standards or keywords for video clips
Organize video clips/resources in folders
Build assignments/quizzes for individual students or
classes
Interactive games/puzzles
Collaborative resources/lesson plans available
Quizzes self-correcting
30. Negative Aspects
Cost for teachers unless school district pays
Limited free resources
Correct media players need to be
downloaded/available
Takes time to search video clips/resources
31. Discovery: Great Tool for Using
Technology
An easy web 2.0 tool that continues to add new options for
technology that I invest in for all units of study.
While I recommend this tool to other teachers, there are
plenty of web 2.0 options that are completely free.
Our district continues to subscribe to this useful tool; but
with budget cuts, there are concerns it will continue. We
will lobby for the ability to incorporate technology and
engage students.
32. Web 2.0 Tools, Group C Summary
Whether it’s blogging, testing, or studying, web 2.0 is becoming
a powerful force in the world of education. Teachers are
creating and using more resources than ever through
technology and continuously trying to improve student learning.
Blogger, Flashvortex, Sync.in, Ediscio, and Discovery
Education are just a few of the Web 2.0 applications accessible
through an internet connection. Teachers should research, test,
and practice with other resources such as these to propel
students toward success and the future of technology.
