Assessing Technology: Education Blogs #blogging #edchat

The daily challenge of educators is the gathering of data students’ learning on the basis of what students do in the classroom (Assessment: What Matters). Technology can be used effectively as a tool for data collection for more so in making learning transparent and inclusive. Technology can offer ways for students to establish personal and intellectual ownership of new concepts while they visualize and interact with abstract ideas (Ferdig and Trammell, 2004). If students are to avoid being “confined merely to participating in established practices and making meanings within them” it is important that they are actively able to produce, change and transform a given literacy and not simply participate within it (Lankshear and Knobel, 2006).

Hurlburt (2008) directs instructors further in the usage of the Internet and the incorporation of Web 2.0 tools in education. “Internet and Web 2.0 technologies afford students opportunities to seek information, collect their own material, communicate, make meaning, and evaluate end products” (Nelson, Christopher and Mims, 2009, p. 81). As a result, Web 2.0 technologies have received intense and growing interest across education (Hossain and Quinn, 2013).

Blogging, in particular, has made it increasingly easy to communicate online, and construct knowledge through social interaction making the interactivity notable (Alexander, 2006; Scheidt, 2009). Blogging can offer new avenues for academic engagement aligned and it can provide students with new forms of participation and, therefore, a tool offering unique learning opportunities. Blogs are useful teaching and learning tools because they provide a space for students to reflect and publish their thoughts and understandings. And because blogs can be commented on, they provide opportunities for feedback and potential scaffolding of new ideas. (Ferdig and Trammell, 2004)

Blogging allows for enhanced comprehension and communication among students as well as the ability to build deeper understanding across the curriculum; creating a collaborative learning community (Poling, 2005). As a result, blogging has been widely been adopted by educators to improve student learning.

Goals & Intended Outcomes

The design of successful educational activities, and particularly those involving technology, is largely dependent on an understanding of theories of pedagogy that describe how the learning will take place (Salmon, 2000). In a constructive learning environment, the authentic opportunity for learners to publish artifacts of learning is critical. Blogs afford these types of authentic opportunities by allowing students to publish their thoughts for real audiences (Ferdig & Trammell, 2004).

To ensure a strong supportive learning environment focused on academic excellence is worthy mission for any school. To then help students acquire the knowledge and life skills for academic, social, and emotional success brings the school to a new level. As a goal schools look to educate students to be critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, effective communicators, and socially responsible, engaged citizens who are college and workforce ready. Schools look to use data from multiple and varied assessments to improve student learning. Teachers enhance student self-esteem and employ a variety of strategies to meet the academic, social, emotional, and safety needs of all students. The professional learning communities adopt best practices for learning.

Schools strive to continuously improve each student’s level of achievement and growth. A cohesive comprehensive curriculum, instruction, and assessment system is aligned to the Common Core Standards and schools ensure that all students meet or exceed benchmark criteria. However, teachers must continue to prepare students to use digital technologies to appropriately access, manage, integrate, evaluate and create information to successfully function in a knowledge economy.

As students progress in their learning, it the duty of the educators to develop and implement consistent practices to support expanded opportunities for community and international learning both face-to-face and online. Educational research and theory have demonstrated the importance of social interaction in teaching and learning. Drawing on Vygotsky's educational theory, educators highlight the "knowledge construction" processes of the learner and suggest that "meaning making" develops through the social process (Ferdig and Trammell, 2004). Therefore, as students appropriate and transform knowledge, they must have authentic opportunities for publication of knowledge.

Blogging creates opportunities within the existing curricula to reach out to and communicate with students across the country and around the globe. Blogging develops opportunities within the existing curricula for students to participate in online learning. Blogging has the ability to opens up assignments beyond the teacher-student, allowing the world to view student work and provide encouragement or feedback on their writings giving students a legitimate chance to participate (Ferdig and Trammell, 2004). Blogs provide opportunities for diverse perspectives, both within and outside of the classroom. The classroom extends from the physical constraints of those who fit in the classroom to a limitless international audience (Ferdig and Trammell, 2004).

Implementing blogging technology is focusing on a student learning. Educational blogs allow students to take ownership of their learning and publish authentic artifacts containing their thoughts and understandings (Ferdig and Trammell, 2004).

Details of Audience

Blogging in this case, is being discussed as it relates to middle level education. Although blogging has been used a grade levels lower and higher than the middle level, the audience here is primarily for the fifth to the eighth grade administrator or classroom teacher who is interested in pursuing blogging in their classroom and/or school.

Technology Involved

Simplicity and interactivity are two key elements that have contributed to the blogs popularity (Alexander, 2006; Scheidt, 2009). Any person with a computer, basic computer skills and an Internet access can blog.

There are several blogging solutions for the classroom, with some more expensive and involved than others. The least expensive solution is to adopt a web-based blogging service, which offers blogging software and hosts the service via the Internet (Ferdig and Trammell, 2004). Creating a blog on most of free services takes less than five minutes and often offers options such as web-based editing, public and private blogs, support for plug-ins (e.g., adding comments), and various templates (Ferdig and Trammel, 2004). Typically these web-based blogging services have a FAQ section to provide support with technical issues and troubleshooting

An effective network is essential for the success of technology implementation. Al-Weshail, et al. (1996) describe a network as a collection of interconnected individually controlled computers, together with hardware and software used to connect them. This network capacity is vital to accomplish global communication and to afford all students access to online learning. This requires the review of bandwidth capacity, and hardware needs as well as the replacement and upgrade of workstations, servers, infrastructure (internal and external) and software to sustain interconnectivity. The goal is to have a fully operating system to implement a fully networked computing and information technology environment (Al-Weshail, et al, 1996, p. 29).

Policy and Financial Issues

As with all technology investments, it is important to not only have the financial officers involved in the funding process but also to also ensure that there is a line item in the budget to indicate the support of costs (Al-Weshail, et al, 1996, p. 35). The budget should allow for allocation of purchases and other expenses necessary for the implementation of the blogging technology.

Within the financial consideration, a school wired framework for training as it relates to the chosen blogging platform should be developed. Educators could additionally benefit from specialized professional development or summer programs designed by school districts specialists. Essentially the training of teachers and professional development must be budgeted for each fiscal year upon review.

Maintenance is a component of a technology plan to be considered within the finances of technology investments (Al-Weshail, et al, 1996, p. 29). The upkeep and repairs of equipment and such facilities will ensure the longevity of the equipment, adequate staff instruction and budges that are cost effective.

The safety of students is a consideration, which is of the utmost importance. Schools may consider linking student blogs to a teacher owned blog, using a pseudonym instead of the students’ real names, and requiring a password to limit public access. However, using some of suggestions limits the globalization, which is a benefit to blogging. Li, Bado and Moore (2013) look for the provision of detailed instructions and rubrics on writing one’s own blog and on commenting on others’ blogs, especially with regard to negative comments. Ideally, a profession learning community (PLC) should be created to develop a policy, which works per grade level, per school and/or for the school district as a whole. Invite administrators, parents, community members, teachers and other individuals who may bring in different perspectives related to blogging globally. The goal is to focus on the results and positively affect student learning (Fullan, 2007, p. 73)

Effectiveness

Studies show that many teacher education programs in the U.S. have not integrated technology appropriately (Hossain and Quinn, 2013, p. 1). The design of successful educational activities, and particularly those involving technology, is largely dependent on an understanding of theories of pedagogy that describe how the learning will take place (Salmon, 2000). The successful implementation of blogging into the curriculum will enable teachers to develop their abilities to create environments that support student teaching and learning. This can be evaluated via student portfolios and student demonstration of learning. Administrators can also look to highlight ways in which teachers seized the opportunities for integrating blogging into their teaching practices.

MacBride and Luehmann. (2008) suggest blogging practices that teachers could consider when structuring their classroom blog sharing resources, student-responding to teacher prompts, recording lessons' highlights, posting learning challenges, reflecting on what was learned and engaging in on-line conversations.) Li, Bado and Moore (2013) suggest effective blogs have multiple creative ways of writing to increase students’ interest, inspire collaborative work and promote critical thinking amongst students. Churchill (2009) notes classroom rapport within groups and the whole class as being essential. McConnell (1999) also addresses the importance of supportive learning environments to students’ deep learning.

References

Al-Weshail, A., Baxter, A., Cherry, W. Hill, E., Jones III, C., Love. L., Woods, J. (1996). Guidebook for creating an effective instructional technology plan. Retrieved from http://www.nctp.com/downloads/guidebook.pdf

Alexander, B. (2006). Web 2.0: A new wave of innovation for teaching and learning? Educause Review, 41(2), 32–44. Retrieved on April 4, 2014 from http://www.educause.edu/ ir/library/pdf/erm0621.pdf.

Collins, A. & Halverson, R. (2009). Rethinking education in the age of technology: The digital revolution and schooling in America. New York: Teachers College Press.

Deng, L., & Yuen, A. H. (2011). Towards a framework for educational affordances of blogs. Computers & education, 56(2), 441-451.

Ferdig, R. E., & Trammell, K. D. (2004). Content delivery in the ‘blogosphere’. The Journal, 31(7), 12-20.

Fullan, M. (2007). Leading in a culture of change. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.

Hossain, M. M., & Quinn, R. J. Examining Relationships between Preservice Mathematics Teachers’ Gender and their Perceptions of a Blogging Activity in a Euclidean Geometry Class.

Hurlburt, S. (2008). Defining tools for a new learning space: writing and reading class blogs. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 4(2). Retrieved on April 5, 2014 from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol4no2/hurlburt0608.htm

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2006). New literacies: Changing knowledge in the classroom. McGraw-Hill International.

Li, K., Bado, N., Smith, J., & Moore, D. (2013). Blogging for Teaching and Learning: An Examination of Experience, Attitudes, and Levels of Thinking. Contemporary Educational Technology, 4(3).

MacBride, R., & Lynn Luehmann, A. (2008). Capitalizing on emerging technologies: A case study of classroom blogging. School Science and Mathematics, 108(5), 173-183.

Nelson, J., Christopher, A., & Mims, C. (2009). TPACK and Web 2.0: Transformation of teaching and learning. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 53(5), 80–87.

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Ohler, J. (2011). Character education in the digital age. Educational Leadership, 68. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Character-Education-for-the-Digital-Age.aspx

Papa, R. (2010). Technology leadership for school improvement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Poling, C. (2005). Blog On: Building Communication and Collaboration Among Staff and Students. Learning & Leading with Technology, 32(6), 12-15.

Reeves, T. (2014). Blogging and Interculturality: Investigating Appropriateness of a Blog to Support a Cohort of International Students. International Journal of Global Education, 3(1).

Salmon, G. (2000). E-moderating: the key to teaching and learning online. London: Kogan Page.

Scheidt, L. A. (2009). Diary weblogs as genre (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved on April 4, 2014 from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?

U.S. Department of Education. (2014). Assessment: Measure what matters. http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010/assessment-measure-what-matters


Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/images/excerpts/TLPREP-excerpt.pdf