|
Blogs, wikis, podcasts, feeds, ... provide the
capabilities to do variations on the same basic functions. Most of
these tools permit :
-
Creating and editing chunks of text
-
Making those chunks accessible to others on a Web
page
-
Creating and editing comments about those chunks
-
Making those comments accessible on a Web page
-
Adding pictures, sound recordings, and other kinds of
media files to some of the chunks
-
Organizing the chunks.
-
Controlling who has access to the chunks
-
Enabling people to receive notifications about new
items or new modifications of old items
The answers to the following questions determine which tools
(blogs, wikis, podcasts, feeds, ...) are likely to be helpful with the
educational purpose you have in mind.
-
Who should be able to create chunks of text?
-
Who should be able to edit chunks of text?
-
Who should be able to add comments about chunks of
text?
-
Who should be able to edit comments?
-
[Same as previous 4 questions, but applied to
images and sounds instead of text.]
-
Who should be able to organize, re-organize,
delete items/chunks?
-
Who should be able to control access to the
assembled materials?
-
Who should be able to determine what kinds of
notifications are made available about new or changed items?
-
Who should be able to receive the notifications?
How much choice should they have about the frequency and nature of
the notifications?
-
Why not just assign readings in books and give
tests instead of using any other media,
methods? What goals and characteristics of this situation
require something other than readings and test?
Observation from Steve Gilbert
At any instant, a blog is no more or less than a special kind
of Webpage. The differences between a blog and a Webpage are:
1. The purposes and style of the text entries on the
blog/Webpage
2. The minimal level of Web technical expertise
required to launch, modify, or add to the blog/Web page
Back to top of page |
