Blogs and Wikis in Education

1.) Blogs and wikis are fun and useful tools to engage students in thier own learing process. There are several ways in which blogs and wikis can be incorporated in K-12 classrooms, such as posting presentations instead of using the common powerpoint presentation or poster boards. Studnets can present thier information in a new and innovative manner. Blogs and wikis can also be used in the classroom for peer review and editing activities. Students can post papers on thier blog or wiki sites, allowing other students and/or the teacher to comment on the studnet's work by providing feedback on various aspects of the paper. Another interseting way that blogs and wikis can be incorporated into the classroom is by having mock debates on the sites. Students can work in groups or individually to debate with other classmates regarding certian issues. This is a fun and interactive way for stuednts to voice thier opinions without actaully speaking duirng class.

2.) Aggregators, whoch are used to organize a variety of web feeds, can be incorporated into the classroom in a variety of differnet ways. A useful way is by downloading media files which can present information to students in a nontradtional manner that may help visual and auditory learners. Aggregators provide fast access to RSS content and serve as an electronic way to obtain information on the web.

3.) There are numerous pros and cons of using blogs and wikis in an educational setting. Some of the pros include, allowing students to openly communicate with one another in a manner that can improve typing and writing skills. Blogs and wikis allow quit and shy stuednts to have an active role in class discussions. Another benefit of using blogs and wikis is that its an electronic tool that is free to use and can improve stuednts computer and technology abilities in a fun manner. Cons of incorporating blogs and wikis in the classroom include several challenges teachers may face such as keeping the material updated and organized in a way that is easy for the studnets to access. Students may begin to explore other social networking sites that are inappropriate. Some students may have poor computer skills and using blogs or wikis may make them feel inadequate, however using blogs and wikis provide students a way to improve thier computing skills.