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Blogs and Wikis in The Language Classroom

This document discusses the use of blogs and wikis in language classrooms. It provides examples of blogs used in education, describing how blogs allow for conversations and engagement beyond just the teacher. Wikis are defined as software that allows easy creation and editing of collaborative websites. Examples of wikis used in education are also given, such as classroom wikis. Overall, blogs and wikis provide opportunities for student voice, creative thinking, and perception of language as a communication tool.

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Hande Karaman
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81 views26 pages

Blogs and Wikis in The Language Classroom

This document discusses the use of blogs and wikis in language classrooms. It provides examples of blogs used in education, describing how blogs allow for conversations and engagement beyond just the teacher. Wikis are defined as software that allows easy creation and editing of collaborative websites. Examples of wikis used in education are also given, such as classroom wikis. Overall, blogs and wikis provide opportunities for student voice, creative thinking, and perception of language as a communication tool.

Uploaded by

Hande Karaman
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Blogs and Wikis in the Language Classroom

Weblogs (Blogs)
Blog is the short form of Weblog.
A weblog is an easily created, easily updateable website that allows an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection.

Blogging today does not require any knowledge of code or FTP. It takes as much skill as sending an email.

What really distinguishes a blog from a regular website is much more than proess; its what youll find there. Weblogs are not built on static chunks of content. Instead, they are comprised of reflections and conversations that in many cases are updated every day.
Blogs engage readers with ideas and questions and links.

Blogs
http://cikolatacikolata.blogspot.com/ http://bizimpastane.blogspot.com/ http://ekmekkokusu.blogspot.com/ http://gelincikler.blogspot.com/ http://www.sinemablog.com/ http://tersaneiscileriyleyanyanayiz.bl ogspot.com/

Examples of blogs in education


Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=13 37 The Anniston Star http://starclassroom.blogspot.com/ Mrs. Myrmel's Classroom Blog http://blogs.oaisd.org/236

In the English as a Foreign Language setting, one can find blogs for professional development, class blogs, and students' individual blogs, among others.

In this sense, unleashing the potential of blogs for language learning will be directly related to teachers' understanding of the pedagogical benefits of such a tool, and the students' perception of its value in their learning process.

Blogs can provide an opportunity to change our writing instruction to make it more meaningful and relevant for our students. Many times our classroom assignments are assignments where students reiterate or restate information they have read with an occasional opinion. Generally just the teacher will see the paper.
Blogging lets many more become engaged.

Blogs imply conversations. And, for these conversations to happen, there first needs to be a redefinition of the educator's presence and role in the blogging classroom.

Educators should facilitate the process of establishing the online conversations within oneself, among learners, with other teachers, and possibly the world. Students will have to get used to the blogging experience to learn how to properly answer posts, how to cite, and how to establish their own blogging tone through their posts in such a way that they find their unique channel of communication in the target language.

Blogging for Thinking Skills


Another aspect of blogging is the promotion of higher order thinking skills. In order to establish a conversation, to encourage people to comment on a certain topic, and to construct knowledge collectively, students and teachers will have to go beyond superficialities, posting entries that increase reflection, analysis, discussion, and synthesis. Students should be writing from their hearts about topics that engage them in the act of writing.

Blogging for Creative Thinking


Students have the choice to organize their ideas and content in their own ways, leading to divergent and creative thinking.

Different roles in the classroom


Blogs give the teachers the possibility to establish a different kind of rapport with and among their students, which is a positive development in the language classroom. Blogging allows the chance to give a voice to each one of the learners. Some who were not prepared to expose themselves in the face-to-face classroom can become brilliant bloggers.

The most positive impact of blogs in the language class is having students perceive the importance of learning a language as a communication tool.
They can learn about different cultures, develop a more comprehensive understanding of cultural differences, and internalize the idea of the benefits of diversity. Blogging promotes the authenticity every language educator seeks, authenticity that makes language learning stick and makes the students embark on a rich cultural experience

Ways to use weblogs in education


http://anne.teachesme.com/2004/10 /05/

www.tedistanbul5thgraders.edublogs.org

Attributes of blogging that show promise for developing our pedagogies Audience & Comments Voice Conversations & Dialogue Ownership & Choices Archives

Creating Blogs
http://www.edublogs.org
https://www.blogger.com/start

References
Arena, C. & Jefferson, C.T. (2008). Blogging in the language classroom: It doesn't simply happen. TESL-EJ, 11(4). Available online at: http://teslej.org/ej44/a3.html

EduBlog Insights, Blogs and Pedagogy. Available online at: http://anne.teachesme.com/2006/05/31/blogs-andpedagogy/

What is a wiki?
A wiki is a computer software that allows users to easily create, edit and link web pages.

Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites.


Ward Cunningham, developer of the first wiki, originally described it as "the simplest online database that could possibly work". The best-known wiki is Wikipedia.

Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. Thats what were doing.
-- Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder (Wales, 2004)

http://www.slideshare.net/jmyrmel/ m-a-c-u-l-08/

Wikis Examples
Recipes: http://www.wikirecipe.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
Travel: http://wikitravel.org/en/Main_Page Quotes: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Main_Page

Sample Wikis Used in Educations


Mrs. Huff's Classroom Wiki!: http://huffenglish.pbwiki.com/ http://mrlindsay.pbwiki.com/

What is a PeanutButterWiki or PBwiki?


PBwiki is a website offering freely hosted wikis. There is not a limit to how many pages or wikis you can create with PBwiki! This tool appears in the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2007 list. With PBwiki; you can make a free, passwordprotected wiki as easily as a peanut butter sandwich!

Why use PBwiki?


When students write a paper, they're usually writing for one person: their teacher. When students know their peers will read what they write, students care and they try harder." online collaboration

engagement beyond the classroom


never ending collaboration

PBwiki is the easiest wiki to use

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