Blogs

In IDT 351, I am learning about different web tools and how they can be effective in different learning or teaching tools other than traditional methods such as open discussion. The first tool we covered was blogs. Blogs are easy to learn, much like the other tools we will be going over. I have learned that blogs can be used as a "voice" for students when contributing to discussions in class. Journal entries using blogs is a common use, like the one I am writing in for this course. In our textbook Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson, lists a variety of ways weblogs can be used in the classroom. Some items from the list were kind of interesting because I would not have thought about them being used other than the pen and paper method since most of my writing exercises in  high school  and college courses were only done on pen and paper for the most part and not the computer, especially in English classes. Maybe now some of my past instructors are adapting these methods into the classroom, assuming they are still teaching.

There are several blogs out there that are useful and free. Blogger, Drupal, and WordPress, just to name a few, are used by many different bloggers. I will be using WordPress in my IDT 480 course soon and I am curious to see what it has to offer since this is my first experience using blogs ever.