Week 7

Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, ...-Web 2.0 as tools like blogs and wikis are called have really transformed the internet. I think that schools by blocking these tools are really doing a disservice to students. I think that the internet safety rules that Richardson discusses on pgs. 10-16 are valuable lessons for teachers to impart to students. I feel that library media specialists are at the vanguard for this type of training. Typically media specialists (because they deal in all types of media not just print) have specialized knowledge in many of the newest technology applications. It is their job to keep up with these innovations. Classroom teachers may not have the time to keep up with the latest technology while keeping up with content area changes and innovations. I loved the many ways that Richardson says that a blog can be used in education. I liked the idea of going slowly. I may try to set up a blog for our library (hopefully I can convince the tech dept.) and using it as a portal to our library media center. While I wouldn't be using it as a student file cabinet or as an E-Portfolio (although I may try that for one of the classes I teach here at SHU) it is definitely something that I would like to share with teachers at my school, Morristown High. I think the collaborative nature of a blog as Richardson discusses on pgs. 23-25 is what makes it such an effective learning tool.