Wikis, Blogs & Podcasts

• Teaching and Learning with Web-Based Technologies

Objectives

• Explore reasons why Web-based technologies can help faculty teach and students learn.

• Look at challenges and concerns.• Examine basics of wikis, blogs and

podcasts.• Collect some relevant Web

resources.

Challenges and Concerns

• Start small!• Warn students about safety!• Warn students about

plagiarism! • Discuss ads!

Pedagogical Reasons for Considering• Content creation (right brainers will

rule!).• Publishing (visible/audible to others).• Collaborative space.• “Real-World” applications.• READ/READ became • READ/WRITE became• READ/WRITE/COLLABORATE.

Brainers

Left Brain• Logical

SequentialRationalAnalyticalObjectiveLooks at parts

Right Brain• Random

IntuitiveHolisticSynthesizingSubjectiveLooks at wholes

Discussion

• Do you think teaching styles and learning styles should be different for left brainers versus right brainers? If so, how?

We Are The Web!

• Web 2.0• Web 3.0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4n

k0EOE

Evaluate video

Wikis• A collaborative Web site where

users can– Post data– Edit data– Track changes– Compare version– Do group work– Learn collaborative skills– Make wiki private or public

Wikipedia

• Not credible?• Starting point?

Wiki Structures

• One class with single wiki with many pages.

• One class with several wikis.• One class with each student having

individual wiki.• One faculty member with single wiki.• One college department with single wiki.• . . . Endless!!

Wiki Applications

• Google group wiki page• Google docs

– https://docs.google.com

• WikiSpaces– http://www.wikispaces.com/

• PBWiki– http://pbwiki.com/

• MANY others!– www.wikimatrix.org

The Wiki Prayer

Please grant me the serenity to accept the pages I cannot edit,

The courage to edit the pages I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/erm04/erm0452.asp

Blogs

• Web logs• Demonstrates evidence of

evolving thinking over time• Group or individual• Searchable• Automatic updates/subscriptions

Blog Set Up

• Live Journal: http://www.livejournal.com

• Blogger: http://blogger.com • Blogspot: http://www.blogspot.com • Technorati: http://technorati.com/

(mega blog—searches over 71 million bogs by topic, tag or post.

• Demo: http://mnperkins.blogspot.com/

RSS• Content comes to YOU!• Really Simple Syndication • Saves time!• Aggregators:

• Bloglines: www.bloglines.com • Google Reader: www.google.com/reader • Newsgator: www.newsgator.com • Comparison of the 3:

http://labnol.blogspot.com/2005/10/newsgator-vs-bloglines-vs-google.html

RSS (cont.)– Demo: Google blog to Google Reader– Only works if read regularly.– START SMALL!– RSS: A Quick Start for Educators

http://weblogg-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/RSSFAQ4.pdf

– Demo: Add Richardson’s All Events calendar to Reader.

– Yahoo News Feeds: http://news.yahoo.com/rss

Podcasts

– Recording that is compressed in digital form (MP3 file)

– Distributed over Internet– Available by subscription using

RSS feed– Automatically synchronized to

MP3 player

Steps in Creating Podcasts

• Record, Edit, Publish• Use recording microphone and

MP3 software– Audacity – http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Higher Ed Uses– Instructor-created

• Lectures• Homework

– External resources• iTunes podcasts• Guest speaker

– User-created• Oral presentations• Interviews• Field notes

Discussion

• What new tools have you discovered and how are you using them in teaching?

Sample Podcasts

• Subscribe.• http://www.apple.com/education/itunesu/ • http://www.pbs.org/merrow/podcast/

index.html

• Demo: iTunesU – Need to download Apple’s iTunes software first!

Summary: Challenges & Concerns

– Getting yourself started—START SMALL!– Getting the students started:

• Scaffold assignments• Share explicit reasons why you’re using these

tools.– Time/management requirements.

Summary (cont.)

– Webquest? • http://webquest.org/index.php • Inquiry-based activity that involves

students in using web-based resources and tools to transform their learning into meaningful understandings and real-world projects.

– Rubric• http://webquest.sdsu.edu/

webquestrubric.html (10/29/07)

Managing ALL This!

• Social Bookmarking Web site http://del.icio.us/ – Store your bookmarks/favorites online.– Demo: http://del.icio.us/yshafer

• Note icon on IE browser.

Other References

• Pink, Daniel H. (2006). A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future

• Kruse, Kevin. The Magic of Learner Motivation: The ARCS Model, www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art3_5.htm (10/29/07)