Online Collaborative Inquiry-Classroom Blogging Ventures and Multiple Literacies

I can clearly remember the first time I went to the library with my father and how excited I was to get my own library card.  Being able to take out books from the library was such a treat and I would look forward to choosing new books each week.  When I shared this experience with my first grade class some of students looked at me as if I was speaking another language and many of them have their own Nook at home. I do not have a Nook or Kindle and I am hesitant to purchase one.  I still enjoy going to the bookstore and buying an actual book I can turn pages in. Eventually I will probably end up buying one of the reading devices but for now I am happy to be a bit of a "dinosaur".

All of the advances in technology are amazing and new thing are being developed everyday.  The students in my first grade class are very tech savvy and definitely know more than I probably ever will. I certainly agree that the growth in digital tools has a positive effect on the students, not only does it motivate them but it can increase and/or enhance their learning.  I also agree that the technology itself is not solely responsible for student success, it is how effectively the technology is used in the classroom.  Having my classroom blog has been a great tool for my students and their parents and I am looking forward to learning about new ways to improve my blog and how to integrate these new technologies effectively into my classroom.

Chapter 4: Wikis

My only experience with wikis has been with using Wikipedia. I have used this site to search for information when I was writing a research paper and I have used it to search for information on various topics to use in my classroom.  Recently I used Wikipedia to search for information on polar bears to share with my first graders.  Some of my students were actually familiar with the site and they enjoyed watching the videos about polar bears.  However I have found Simple English Wikipedia to be more age appropriate for my class.  This chapter made me think about ways I could use wikis in my classroom.  I liked the idea of creating an online text for the curriculum that the students could contribute to. My students are always talking about great websites they find at home about topics we are studying and it would be great if they had a place where they could share these sites with their classmates.  I am looking forward to exploring some of the examples from the chapter.  

Chapter 3: Weblogs

I have to admit that I was actually thrown into the whole “blogging world” without having a chance to really know what I was getting into.  There was a push in my school for teachers to find ways to communicate with parents and students through various forms of technology.  My classroom blog was actually set up initially by one of my colleagues who had been blogging for three years.  I never took a course or had professional development on how to use my blog.  My only resource has been and continues to be one of my first grade colleagues, who is very tech savvy and patient!  Of course I was hesitant at first but the incoming first graders were familiar with blogs since each Kindergarten class had their own blog.  Parents were almost expecting the blogs to continue and I knew that it would be a great tool to use in the classroom.  In the beginning, I would basically use my blog as a way to inform the parents about what the students were learning about and to provide educational links.  The parents appreciated the information and said it helped them to initiate conversations at home.  As I have become more comfortable with using my blog I have started to add videos and slideshows.  Most of the videos are from YouTube and are directly related to the curriculum.  For example in mathematics we were learning about shapes and I found a great video about polygons which was created by a third grade class.  The students absolutely loved the video and I posted it on my blog. I have also started to create slideshows of student work, classroom activities and field trips.  The site I use is Kizoa, very user friendly and the free slideshow templates are great! I love my blog but I still find the most difficult part is finding the time to post and to explore all of the amazing things you can do with a blog.         

Chapter Two: Weblogs

In our district there has been a considerable push for more technology in the classrooms.  As part of this push many teachers in my school started their own classroom blogs.  With students coming up from Kindergarten with blog experience, the push has been for each grade level to have their own blog.  Last year I started a classroom blog with the help of one of my first grade colleagues.  I have to admit the thought of adding one more thing to my “overflowing plate” seemed overwhelming but I decided to make it one of personal goals for the year.  Going into my second year I have to say I absolutely love it!  It was not easy at first but after learning about all the tools and setting aside a time to post it started to become easier.  The main purpose for my blog is to inform parents about what we are learning about in the classroom.  I post videos which relate to the curriculum and links to websites the students can use at home.  I also create videos using Kizoa to post photos from class fieldtrips, classroom activities and student work samples.  The response to my blog has been very positive; the parents really appreciate the updates and the links.  The students love seeing their work and the videos of themselves.  As I move forward with my blog I am looking forward to creating a page for the students to post comments and to add their own links.    

Chapter One: The Read/Write Web

Actual quote from one of my first graders…”Last night while I was on my iPad I Facetimed three of my friends. I sent them a video of my first skiing lesson!”  At that moment I realized a few things, #1 I need to invest in an iPad, #2 I am so glad my mother does not have any videos of any of my “firsts” and #3 things have certainly changed since I was in first grade!  I am constantly in awe of how tech savvy my first graders are on a daily basis and how many of them have access to such a wide variety of technology tools at home.  I will be the first to admit that I was not raised with personal computers, cell phones or even a DVD player!  I think my first experience using a computer was in middle school and it was about the size of a small suitcase!  I can clearly remember the first day I used my Smartboard in my classroom and one of my students had to show me how to freeze the screen so I could do a search without showing the whole class.  Most of my students had a Smartboard in their classroom in Kindergarten and had a great deal of experience using it.  My children have a Smartboard in their preschool classroom and they know how to find apps on my phone faster than I can.  Technology is everywhere and there are so many valuable resources which can be used in the classroom.  I use some form of technology in my classroom everyday and not only do the students enjoy it they almost expect it.