Wikis&Blogs

//Please note...for all Tech Tools sessions, we will be using Google applications, so please [|create a Google account] for yourself if you don't have one yet.//

 * Class Vocabulary:** wiki, blog, embed, post, edit, twitter, tweet
 * [[file:Wikis&BlogsSessionNotes.pdf]] - copy of PPT Slides if you would like them

Helpful Videos that explain the content for this workshop:

media type="youtube" key="NN2I1pWXjXI" height="274" width="338" media type="youtube" key="-dnL00TdmLY" height="275" width="338"

media type="youtube" key="ddO9idmax0o" height="344" width="425"

The video below is a good "getting started" video for the Blogger site. Blogger is hosted by Google so your Google Account is what you will login with. media type="custom" key="3943387"

The video below shows how to embed a YouTube video on to your blog page. This technique works with many other Web 2.0 applications that offer the "embed code" for the item on their web page! :) media type="youtube" key="ZnehCBoYLbc" height="344" width="425"

**Research**

 * 1) [|33 Ways to Use Blogs in your Classroom] by JBlack
 * 2) [|Rationale for Educational Blogging] by Anne Davis
 * 3) [|40 Ideas To Promote Social Activism & Awareness in Students] by JBlack
 * 4) [|Quotes from Educators on Classroom Blogs]
 * 5) [|A Vision for Classroom Blogging] by Anne Davis (PDF)

Cites to Critique

 * http://room18space.blogspot.com/ - Room 18 is a Year 5 and 6 class at Balmoral School in Auckland New Zealand. Join us on our learning adventures.
 * http://cdnpyp2il.blogspot.com/ - A Window into 2i's World
 * http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ - All in the title. Free Technology 4 Teachers! :)
 * http://historyiselementary.blogspot.com/ - History focused blog
 * http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337 - Mrs. Cassidy's blog
 * http://mcknoll67.blogspot.com/ - Mr. McDowell's blog
 * http://artjunction.org/blog/ - Art Teacher's Guide to the Internet
 * http://literacyispriceless.wordpress.com/ - Literacy is Priceless (Reading Blog)
 * http://readingyear.blogspot.com/ - A Year of Reading; Two Teachers who read. A lot (Reading Blog)
 * http://musicteachersblog.com/ - Music Teacher's Blog

District Examples

 * http://cdlmc5.blogspot.com - Country Dale 5th grade LMC blog
 * [] - Country Dale 1st grade blog
 * http://swgmahony.blogspot.com/ - Southwood Glen's Jackie Mahony class blog. Students update with content, pictures, etc.

Resources

 * [|100 Incredibly Inspiring Blog Posts for Educators] - Great resource of links to all different blog posts out there that are inspiring to those in education.
 * [|Top 50 Education Blogs] - Top education blogs from the last 30 days.
 * [|Blogging Buddies k12online presentation Kathy Cassidy Patrick Lewis] - great video shares what kids like/don't like about Blogging
 * [|50 Must-Read Up and Coming Blogs By Teachers] - sorted by content area; great resource for finding new ideas!
 * [|UMW Top 10 Ideas for Using Blogs] - Granted, this site is geared toward some college professors who are looking for ideas on how to use their blogging system on their campus. However, these ideas could easily transfer to any classroom.
 * [|Using Blogs to Promote Authentic Learning in the Classroom] - Ideas/links for how to use a blog in your classroom
 * Guidelines for Using Wikis & Blogs - Lot of text, but some great links and things to think about before incorporating a blog or wiki into your classroom.

The video below is a good "getting started" guide for Wikispaces. media type="youtube" key="MNUsfMn-EFk" height="344" width="425" The video below shows how to embed a video from YouTube into your wikispace page media type="youtube" key="i4aSkrP1JHY" height="344" width="425"

= Test Wiki we will use in class: = = http://chadkafka.wikispaces.com/ =

District Examples

 * http://fpstech.wikispaces.com - Our district technology resources wiki
 * http://cd5.wikispaces.com - Country Dale 5th Grade wiki
 * http://powerschool.wikispaces.com - Our PowerSchool wiki
 * http://mrsfassbender.wikispaces.com/ - Mary Fassbender created a wiki where she shares information with her students and parents
 * http://ema5442009.wikispaces.com/ - Mary Fassbender created a wiki for a Science Methods grad class she is teaching

Resources

 * http://help.wikispaces.com/ - Wikispaces Help wiki that has answers to questions and good walk-throughs to get you started creating your own wiki. Great Resource!
 * [|Wikispaces Twitter account] - follow messages posted by Wikispaces. They offer help and insight if you have questions.
 * [|Wikis in the Classroom] - interactive flash animation that gives ideas for how to incorporate a wiki into your classroom. Also includes teacher wiki examples.
 * [[file:wikirubric.pdf]] - Rubric for grading/critiquing a wiki



[|Twitter] - Twitter is considered "micro blogging" since you can tweet only 140 characters at a time. Create a Twitter account for yourself. If you plan to use with class, may want to create user name as "mr smith" or "mrs thompson"

media type="youtube" key="s3Ys3U8A3GA" height="344" width="425"

media type="custom" key="3940973" Conan O'Brien takes a look at some celebrity Tweets from this week (humorous and how NOT to use Twitter!)

Examples

 * http://twitter.com/fpsdistrictwi - Our district is using Twitter to communicate short message bursts out to those that are "following" us
 * http://twitter.com/chadkafka

Resources

 * NEW: [|NEA - Can Tweeting Help Your Teaching?] - Article just came out from NEA! :)
 * [|10 Things Teachers Should Know To Get Started on Twitter] - great blog post by Ed Tech leader where he breaks down how Twitter works and how to use it.
 * [|12 Reasons to Start Twittering] - Looking for reasons to use Twitter -- check these out!!
 * [|The Beginner's Guide to Twitter] - Great blog post that goes through some of the basics to using Twitter
 * [|Advice for Teachers New To Twitter] - Great beginning steps to getting started
 * [|Twitter Tips: For Educators & Teachers] - Great ideas if you plan to use Twitter in your classroom. Video shows how college professor used Twitter in class
 * [|50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Education] - short thoughts relating to using Twitter for educational purposes
 * [|100 Tips, Apps, and Resources for Twitter] - Tons of links and resources to keep you busy! :)