Wikis and Blogs, Socialbookmarking, and Voice Threads

Though this is my first experience using wikis and blogs, I think these can be a great tools to use in and outside of the classroom as an educator, student, or parent. For example, lets say a student is sick and they need to make-up some work. Well, if their teacher has a blog, that teacher can list what they did that day in class, then the student or the parents of that student can check the blog and not fall behind their classmates. Wikis on the other hand, could help students access assignments or participate in group work, as they would all have access and have the ability to input their own information.

Socialbookmarking and Voice Threads can also be used in educational settings. If used creatively, these tools give people easier access to information in a faster way that builds networking. I would use Socialbookmarking for important information in my class so that students would have an easier way to get help or to get knowledge. Also, I would love to use Voice Threads because these would give our students another perspective of learning and a great strategy for visualization alonside listen to the threads.

I must say, I can't believe how easy it is to use some of these web tools, which can do so many things. I've never really done much on-line, besides web browsing and checking e-mail, so this truly was an eye-opener. All of the activities for this week can be utilized in education in so many ways. I really think voice threads give educators a great way to incorporate certian lessons, while capturing the most important information through the voice thread.

Jonassen, David, & Howland, Jane, & Marra, Rose, & Crimsmond, David. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology(3rd ed.). Prentice Hall.