BP3_2009121_iGoogleScreenShots

BP2_2009121_Web2.0Tools

One neat little web 2.0 I just discovered was a site called Storybird. On Storybird, users can collaborate to create and share stories. After exploring a bit, I began to see all of the exciting possibilities for my classroom. Two or three students can take turns writing a story together and use artwork on Storybird to illustrate it. They can then share it with younger students and help to foster a love of reading. Teachers can create customized stories to teach younger students in an engaging and friendly way. As a bilingual teacher, I can see many possibilities in using Storybird to improve English fluency and vocabulary. Students will be truly motivated by seeing their stories come to life and being able to share them with just about anyone. It would also be useful for students learning a foreign language to create content in their new language.

Anything that gets kids excited about reading is, in my opinion, a beneficial aspect of web 2.0 technology. We are so worried about kids' literacy skills because they are constantly texting and chatting online, we need to learn to embrace these technologies and and help teachers use them to further education instead of fighting against it.

BP1_2009121_BlogsinEd

When blogs first became popular I was working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia. In Bolivia I had only limited access to electricity, and as you can imagine, even more limited access to the Internet. When I came back to the States for Christmas in 2003, it seemed like everyone was talking about blogs. I was a little embarrassed to admit that I had no idea what a blog was, it seemed like so much had happened while I was in Bolivia and I was left behind. As far as the web goes, a lot can happen in just a few years. I have spent the years since I came back struggling to catch up.

Now that I know what a blog is, I have been trying to find out what they are good for. I think some people just use them to make themselves feel important, but some people use them to actually do something important. Education is a place where blogging is truly changing the landscape.

Teachers can use blogs to network and communicate with other teachers, to share ideas of what works and doesn't work, to empower themselves and each other. Students can use blogs to talk to people all over the world. They can develop communication skills that will serve them later in life. They can get feedback for their writing in a way they never could before, and they can find kindred spirits in places they never knew existed. I am really looking forward to exploring this form of communication. The possibilities are mind-boggling (or mind-blogging).