Wikis, Blogs and

Web PublishingWritten by

Anita RohlfingFebruary 2011

Information sharing is vital to successful and meaningful

education

Technology has opened many doors for information sharing in

new and innovative ways

Information sharing is important for all types of users, especially

in education

• Teacher to student

• Teacher to parent

• Student to student

• Administration to teachers and families

Some New and Exciting Ways to Share Information

1. Wikis – an information forum where multiple users can view content AND collaborate on editing content

2. Blogs – another information forum where users can share knowledge and insights for the benefit of others to view and follow

3. Other publishing sources – such as glogster.com enable users to view and interact with content

WIKISWikis have many

advantages as an information sharing tool,

especially pertaining to

educational uses

Really?

Key Advantages to Using Wikis as an Information Sharing Tool

• Wikis enable many people to view specific content that has importance in some way to each person

• Wikis enable many people to collaborate in preparing and editing content

• Wikis enable their users to see first-hand how content has evolved through the editing process

• Wikis facilitate teamwork and communication among people who have a common goal, either in education or some other way

http://sacredhearthomeandschool.wiki

spaces.com/• Here’s the address to check out my wiki• This wiki was designed for school families, faculty and Home and

School board members as a “meeting place” of information.• This wiki contains all pertinent, up-to-date information regarding the

business of the Home and School Association.• Anyone can find out any information they might need from the Home

and School Association, but the best part is that they can “edit” in any other relevant information.

• Since the Home and School Association is involved in many happenings and relies on the assistance of many volunteers and families, it is logical and convenient that all these individuals have access to this wiki as a practical, user-friendly way to share information.

BLOGSBlogs also have many

conveniences and advantages, especially in education as it pertains to

communications and information sharing. Blogs enable people to use their expertise to help others,

and for educators, that can make a big difference in

student learning.

Soundscool!

Key Advantages to Using Blogs as an Information Sharing Tool

• Blogs also have the ability to bring together many people with common interests and goals

• Blogs are a user-friendly, convenient forum for sharing information and insights pertaining to a specific topic

• Blogs can be established by anyone, including students, teachers, parents, etc., opening up opportunities for collaborative efforts and discussions and thereby, fostering learning

• Here’s the address to check out my blog

• This is a personal blog, where I have the opportunity to share my experiences with other readers, who might benefit from hearing what I have to say.

• In education, blogs have the potential for educators to share their insights and expertise in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago.

• Blogs create widespread opportunity for student learning, because educators can now tap into a pool of endless information regarding all aspects of teaching. The wealth of information available to educators through blogging is so enormous and the students will be the ones to benefit most from this vast base of knowledge.

http://youngwidowswithkids.blog

spot.com/

Other Publishing Tools

Another publishing tool I truly enjoyed was the “Glog,” a

concept I never heard of ‘til taking this course. It is also an interactive and innovative way

to share content and information with others. I found it to have

many practical applications for education, including lesson

planning; as an assistive resource for special needs

children, and as a creative tool for students in all the

curriculum areas.

Totallycool!

http://rohlfs320.edu.glogster.com/feelings/

• Here’s the address to check out my glog.• I designed this glog as a lesson starter for children K-2, who have

autism spectrum disorders, to help engage them in thinking and discussing human feelings.

• It’s an interactive “poster” that includes several multi-media options to jumpstart the feelings lesson.

• It includes two video clips on feelings, several thinking questions and visuals to help students connect feelings with facial expressions.

• I chose this glog theme since many of the students I work with who are on the autism spectrum have difficulty identifying and understanding emotions and body language.

How does one manage the volume of information

available on the Internet?• One notion I realized in taking this course is that there is so much

information out there, it’s difficult to figure a way to manage it all.• The RSS [Really Simple Syndication] was one tool worth exploring in

order to facilitate the management of so much information.• This tool enables the user to zero in on the most important and useful

areas of interest and to solicit information from those key sites in a convenient and easy way

• I selected 10 sites that contained information of interest to me and subscribed to each site. I will get regular inputs of information from the site and I can peruse these items on my time. From there, I can decide what, if anything, I want to retain and use.

Online Learning• I found online learning to be fun and useful. The “Moodle”

model was very user-friendly and easy to understand, so it was quite conducive to my limited Internet experience. I liked the way the lessons flowed, from reading and viewing lessons about each topic, then applying that learning to the actual creation of specific items ie. blogs, wikis, etc. I would be inclined to take another online course because of the ease and convenience I experienced with this course. I feel the tools covered in the course have many practical applications to education environments and can really enhance student learning in so many ways.

• Thank you