I am fairly indifferent with this whole blog experience. I'm not sure if this class is a good test of a blog because I do not feel that it makes my life or the life of other classmates any easier. I feel that emails or posting on discussion boards are actually easier and more convenient for communicating the type of information we have been asked to do. The reason I say this is because blogs require me to go to a separate web page to write a passage on a topic. If I want to read another classmates thoughts, I must also go to their web page. I could just as easily send out a mass email and my thoughts could go directly into each of my classmates or professors mail boxes. I could also have each of my classmates fill my mailbox and I could easily reply to the ones that I desired too. So I guess I am thoughts are blogs are not the best way to communicate in small learning communities but could have great potential in making information available to the masses.
My thoughts on RSS readers are also mixed. I think the key to me enjoying an RSS reader would to be hooked onto a feed that I truly needed to know updates of. I currently do not feel that I must know when each of the websites I am subscribed too are updated. I guess if my life or job was connected more to a specific website and I wanted to know each update that took place I would enjoy the RSS. As of now, I still enjoy "surfing" the websites that I frequent and looking for updates for myself.
The blog lends itself to direct purposeful experience, if the experience that you are looking for is writing on a blog. Beyond that, blogs can allow readers to view pictures, or link them to videos but I would have to say blogs lend themselves to visual symbols. I say this because most of my experiences with blogs has been reading them.
I do not feel that the RSS reader fits dales cone. When Dale published the paper in 1969 the internet did not exist. I find that RSS readers are an internet tool that can make the internet searching experience faster and more productive. The software of RSS readers themselves are not an experience, but they help you locate and find experiences. The experiences you can find on the internet can be vast including video, images, simulations, direct, audio, etc... I do not feel that RSS readers do not fit an experience of Dale's cone beyond experiencing RSS readers.
RSS and blogs can both be computer imagination in an educational setting. One way I could see RSS readers and blogs being used together as computer imagination would be to have each student in a class have a blog and an RSS reader. If each reader notified the teachers and the students when a blog is updated, a teacher could get rid of the process of collecting papers. In fact, students could turn in papers and be in discussions from great distances. Blogs and RSS readers would help students communicate, especially if they are not able to communicate in real time chat rooms or in person.
6 comments:
Mathew,
Hi, my name is Jeff Tyler and I have to say that I had many of the same thoughts and feeling about blogs as you have. I also feel they are more formal and time consuming to use than a simple discussion page. Look at all the “notes” passed between me and my Wiki group mates this week. The last I looked it was over 30 and it just seemed real simple to go to the discussion page and drop a note rather than going to a different site. Like you said, if you have to leave information for a large audience that includes pictures and links, it is probably the way to go. But as I have said more than once in this class, my current lack of experience with this technology is surely narrowing my view.
I am also glad to hear that there is someone else in the class that feels they do not need constant updates on general interest items. The RSS reader is a fun toy but at this point in my life, both personal and professional, that’s all it is, a toy. Maybe I (we) will find an important need for it in the future.
Thank you,
Jeff Tyler
Matthew,
I think you have some good points about the RSS readers. Unless you NEED those updates, it's really just another distraction. I think for classroom use, using an RSS reader to see when classmates have updated their blogs is a great idea.
Personally, I like the blogs for a number of reasons. First of all I have never used one. (I get the feeling that you have done all of this before, and emailing works better for you.) I am anxious to see how it works in my classroom. I was thinking of using it for students daily journal writings, to start off with. Secondly, I like how a student can respond to another student without that fear of talking in class. Some students have great ideas/comments but we never get to hear them because they are afraid to talk.
Lastly, right now the blog seems to appeal to me better than the plain email backgrounds. I like what Tony Vitto said about blogs bringing out people's personalities.
In the end, after I try all this stuff I may end up with your opinions too. Sometimes all the extras are too much and we should just get to the point.
Chrissy
I'd have to agree with you also on the blogs. This is my first blogging experience and I'm glad we get to test it out in the class, but for the purpose of class the discussion board is much easier. My previous class was layed out very nicely and he had us put everything on the discussion board which was very easy to keep up with.
I agree that a using a disscusion board and email can be convenient. Like you said its all in one place. However I like the blog. Weve all used email and know how to do that and im guessing most people also have had experiences with discussion boards. With the blog some of have used it before and some not but in general I think its more of an unknown or at least not as familiar of thing. I dont find switching from one blog to the next a problem. I like how the professor put everyones blog link on wiki. That makes it easy just to click on the one you want to go to. I also like how in a class were you don't meet people you can learn a little about them through there blog. I think you had a great idea with the rss updating teachers when the student finished something on thier blog. I did not think of using it way before.
Tony Vitto
Hi Matthew!
Blogging is entirely new to me. Your opinions about how it benefits a larger audience make sense. I was wondering how efficient it was as I logged in and out of applications just to make a comment but, I figured this is good practice/experience for those of us who don’t have any/much.
I also enjoy surfing what I want, when I want. RSS Readers take the joy/excitement out of finding something new that you hadn’t counted on running across. It is also difficult to read ALL the updates that are coming in to me. And, I haven’t, as of yet, figured out how to delete the articles I don’t want left on my Reader. Saving is another chore. I agree that if your job required you to be continuously up-to-date with a particular company, site, technology, tool, etc. Readers would definitely prove their worth.
I didn’t think about the possibility of not having to collect and pass back papers. That statement of yours made me quite happy. I currently have 300+ students. Even collecting one assignment a week makes grading a huge ordeal… especially when they forget to write their name on their papers or don’t turn them in where they are supposed to. The question is, ‘How to set this up when every student doesn’t have access?’ When will it be required for everyone to have Internet access? Government mandates like the upcoming HD tv switch in ’09?
Donna
It was nice working with you as well. As of right now setting up and using the wiki is more time consuming, but I believe with experience on both the students and teacher it will become easier to utilize the wiki. I don't really have any great ideas for using the wiki in class. Unfortunatly, I have not been teaching in the same position for more than one year due to budget cuts. I typically teach P.E and was put into a 2nd and 4th grade position this year. Hopefully I will continue next year in a position that I will be able to have some stability and be able to implement the great things I have been learning and discussing in my EDT classes.
Post a Comment