Reflection Task 1: Web Spaces in Classrooms - Blogs

Blogs are an effective and engaging way to bring student learning into the digital age. Here, I will explore the different aspects and considerations for educators to consider.

Image source: https://live.staticflickr.com/3130/2836828090_d44f5278bd_c.jpg

Let's talk about the 21st century learner. The 21st century learner are students who are creative, innovative, are critical thinkers and problem solvers, and possessing social and personal responsibility (Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2021). One of the many ways that teachers can develop these skills in their students is through the use of ICT. Integrating technology in the classroom, and making technology integral to learning, can increase student engagement as it provides students with the opportunity to extend and explore content with tools that are familiar to them (Bolden, 2019). From blogs to wiki’s to websites, there are lots of ways that technology can slot into our classrooms.

Wiki's
Wiki’s allow for collaborative content creation, with all users of the wiki webpage able to edit. This allows for continual growth and development of current information, with the option to track contributors and customising access levels accordingly. However, a downfall of wiki’s is the risk of information being overwritten and lost by errant users. This guide provides practical advice about the use of wiki’s in education.

Websites
Websites are another option for giving students control over their learning. Through the creation of a website, key aspects of the course or unit can be communicated to students – be it assessment notices, schedule changes or homework. However, this method limits the opportunity for collaboration, interaction and contribution of others. This blog post provides key information and tips for the creation of a website for your class.

Blogs

The main focus for my blog post today will be blogs! A blog is just one of many ways to enable and facilitate integration of technology in classrooms. Similar to a social media platform, a blog allows students to share ideas with their audience and engage in conversation about those ideas; the transparency of this method allows teachers to closely monitor student learning, participation and engagement.

In exploring how blogs can be utilised in the classroom, I have taken a closer look at my own blog. The Blogger website is one of many on offer on the internet and it would integrate neatly with other Google platforms already being used at the school. Where the Microsoft suite is the preferred platform, SharePoint can be used to create blogs.

Creating blogs can be fun for students!

From selecting the themes, colour palette and images to thinking of new and creative ways to present information. Students are also able tailor the settings in terms of privacy, publishing, visibility and permissions. Whilst collaboration is not as prevalent as with wiki’s, blogs are still incredibly useful. Students can invite others to be authors on their blog and collaboration can also occur through the comments section under each blog post. Finally, students are able to monitor the "popularity" of their posts through the statistics page, which provides in depth detail of how many people have read their posts. This may create an incentive for students to create unique and engaging content online.

Image source: Snips of my Blogger editing options

The creation and maintenance of blogs is incredibly easy for any technology consumer; the blogging websites are very user friendly and easy to orientate. There is also the option to customise the blog using HTML or CSS, which is useful to further developing ICT skills.

Image source: Snip of the HTML option to edit my Blogger

The blog posts allow for the sharing of images, videos and links, as illustrated in my own blog posts. I am a proficient consumer of technology; however, I have very limited experience in creating digital content. Despite this, I found it to be very easy to create and add to my blog. Where I struggled to determine how to make adjustments to the theme or layout, a quick Google search assisted me in finding the answers. 

While I have had some teething issues with respect to formatting posts and embedding images, I am sure students will be able to overcome these barriers and thrive in this digital environment. I am also satisfied that the use of a blog will be highly beneficial and effective in my classroom.

Safety, ethical and legal implications

Image source: https://d1rytvr7gmk1sx.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/istock-1297794046.jpg

Ensuring students are acting safe and kept safe extends to the online world. As such, the onus is on teachers to ensure student’s are not putting themselves or others at risk from a legal, safety or ethical point of view.

Building awareness and modelling safe practices should be continually reinforced in the classroom.

This may include reminding students of the implications of posting and sharing content online - it is imperative that students are kept safe and act safe. Reviewing privacy settings, identifying inappropriate behaviours and information, and maintaining respectful relationships online is a step towards meeting this safety requirement. Most schools have an ICT or technology policy these days - it would be beneficial to relate the use of blogs in the classroom to that policy and remind students of their obligations and responsibilities.

The Queensland Department of Education provides a number of resources to help students navigate the online world safely and ethically.

Using blogs in the classroom

Within a science class, the possible uses of technology to advance learning are endless - for both the teacher and students. The below graphic provides a sample of how blogs may be utilised.

Image source: https://live.staticflickr.com/150/371116534_2a07bb1dc3_z.jpg 

Applying the SAMR model (as outlined in my previous post), this is what the integration of blogs in the classroom may look like:

Original task:

Students take handwritten notes and draw annotated illustrations of cells and mitosis over a number of lessons.

Substitution
Students are given a template of a blog in lieu of a worksheet where they are required to fill in key information learned during the lesson. This allows students to interact with use technology where the information would normally be written down by hand; therefore, there is no significant advantage.

Augmentation
Students view cells under a microscope as usual and complete the accompanying science lab reports online via their blog and embed pictures or videos of the scientific process the completed.

Modification
Students develop the above scientific report via blog post and through taking on feedback from peers and teacher in the comments section. Students also show their thinking, background research and basis for learning through hyperlinks and embedded videos.

Redefinition
The blog is used as a tool to enhance learning in every lesson, with connections to past and future posts created and updated to show the interconnectedness of the nature of science - this may be achieved through linking to previous blog posts or labels. Through the creation and maintenance of the blog, students become self-directed and independent in their learning, with some facilitation and guidance from their teacher. Students will collaborate with others to create a whole picture of cell theory and the smallest unit of life. The below image illustrates the relationship between the SAMR model and Bloom's Taxonomy using the above example.

Image source: Author's own, created via SmartArt in Microsoft Word

The successful use of blogs in a classroom must be accompanied by considered scaffolding, modelling of safe and ethical practices, and close monitoring in the early stages to ensure effective learning and integration. 

Conclusion

There are a multitude of ways that blogs can be utilised in the classroom. As teachers, our best option is to explore, create and trial different methods of integration of web spaces in our classrooms, follow up with a reflective practice to analyse the effectiveness of such practice, and continually challenge ourselves and our students to think outside the box.

Sources

Bolden, F. (2019, August 16). How technology can increase student engagement. TeachHub. https://www.teachhub.com/technology-in-the-classroom/2019/08/how-technology-can-increase-student-engagement/

Department of Education. (2020). Online safety in Queensland state schools. State of Queensland. https://www.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/145756/online-safety-in-qld-ss.pdf

Oliver, K.H., & Coble, R.R. (2016). Teaching with blogs. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-with-blogs/