How can blogs be used in the classroom?

October 29, 2007

Blogs are an online source that provide a person's insights on current events, or particular subjects. Blogs can be used in the classroom to get students to reflect in a journal, to encourage group work, and to share course related information. Teachers should make sure that their students are writing about important and informative subjects. Blogs should not contain personal information.

What are wikis and how are they used in education?

Wikis are websites on the internet where people can communicate electronically. Usually within a wiki, many people contribute to a specific topic. Information on the wiki can be changed, altered, or deleted. (also be known as "open editing") On a wiki, YOU are the author. You have the power to write whatever you want.
In education, it is important that students know that websites such as wikipedia are not always trustworthy. Because people have the power to change the information, someone could
have easily come into the wiki and contributed information that was false. Students should also be aware that some wikis have biased information.
Wikis can be used in the class room when group work is assigned. Students within groups can create a wiki to collaborate information. If one student sees that his partner has added information that is incorrect, he can correct the information. If someone else finds more information they can add it to what a classmate has already wrote. This is helpful so that students can work on a project outside of the classroom