The use of blogging in the classroom and Katie Vadakin's Blog

I viewed Katie Vadakin's Blog because I liked the way she answered my survey questions on google docs. She seems laid back but passionate and caring and I saw things in her that I would want to exemplify in my classroom. That being said, there were some things that Katie and I don't agree on. In her blog on Fisch Bowl, she disagreed with the comment that computer illiterate teachers would compare to illiterate teachers in the early 1900s. I think this comment is harsh and leaves a lot of anxiety with teachers today, but it is true. With all of the resources to be found online now, there is no excuse for teachers not to be educated in current technology. This will be important in my class because of plagiarism. Katie and I did agree that blogging definitely has it's place in the classroom.
When we started the blog assignment, I was overwhelmed and, honestly, I still am. I have a much better understanding of it now though.
Assuming that my class will have access to a computer lab so that each student will have a fair chance to participate, I will implement blogs to record reading journals and possibly assign bonus assignments. Blogs are such a useful way of communicating. The way Dr. Strange posted our assignments and used links was very convenient and they could be looked at anywhere the internet is available. Everything is together on one page available at all times, how could that not be seen as a good idea? I also loved that we could just link our blogs to foliotek and the standards would be there. Through posting text, pictures, video and links, a person can give a very thorough explanation of almost any subject.
I also found it useful to follow the blogs of other teachers. Mr. William Chamberlain's class blog and blog, "From the Teacher's Desk" will remain on my bookmarked pages long after EDM 310 is over. For me, reading his helpful suggestions, constant updates and challenges is encouraging.
I appreciate someone so dedicated to education and so helpful to others. That is what blogging allows; an endless opportunity to network with others and learn from others at a much faster rate. Mr. C also introduced our class to many other teachers who offer support and help and they are across the country from us. Technology is amazing.
Blogging helped me organize my thoughts and visualize my goals. I hope that it will do that for my students in the future. I learned how to first make a slide show, then post it to my wall. I am proud of myself for learning something new and I hope to continue my knowledge of it. I fear it will be more difficult without the help of Dr. Strange, but there again blogging saves the day. I will always be able to pull up our class blog and revisit helpful links and instruction pages made and posted by Dr. Strange. Blogging puts a great light on what you can learn from others.