Blog Advantages and Barriers

I think one of the greatest advantages to using a blog in this course is that it allows you to simply say what you want to say. We had many class discussions about technology and education, and some of the discussions became heated. The blog allows us to continue the discussion and really reflect upon our thoughts and feelings. This blog, to me, was like a writing journal, where I could simply write down my thoughts about certain topics. I like the fact that not everyone has to read it, but yet everyone can if they'd like. I guess I just like the idea of the blog being mine. Other people can comment and agree or disagree, but ultimately, it is my opinions, and my feelings being presented in the blog. It really is a great way to get your ideas our there.

I think one of the greatest barriers to the successful use of this blog was the fact that not everyone seemed to be on the same page as far as the blog assignments were concerned. Some people thought we only had to blog when it was assigned, others thought we had to blog every week. Some people didn't know we had to comment, some people thought we had to comment two other blogs, while some people thought we had to comment one other blog. It all was a bit confusing. My problem was that I would check to see if people were posting, and some people wouldn't post until the end of the week, and then by that time, I'd forget to comment. Before I knew it, I was behind on my commenting. I think that making sure everyone understands the blog assignment, and that everyone is maintaining their blog would be a step in the right direction. If everyone is blogging at the same time every week, then everyone could have the opportunity to comment. Overall, though, I really enjoyed the blogging experience. It gave me a chance to express my feelings and concerns about technology in education, and I had a great time.

Just a thought . . .

Over the past few weeks, my EDU580 classmates and I have been hard at work preparing and presenting our technology integrated lesson plans. So far, it's all going quite well. But sometimes, we have a little situation with the technology. It seems to be that whenever you desperately need technology to work for you, it chooses to fail. Why is it that computers just freeze up? Or why do routers sometimes stop working? Or even better, why do some websites go down at the exact moment you need them to up and running? I think the reason for these mishaps may be the same reason why we lose socks in the dryer. It just happens! I've said it before, and I'll say it again. When teaching with technology, have a back up plan. It's the only way to be sure that your lesson goes smoothly. We cannot depend on technology, and yet, we cannot teach entirely without it. We have to remember that we are responsible for the content area that we teach. Use technology to help with that, but don't rely on it to do everything for you. I also think that if the technology does not cooperate for a lesson, don't give up on technology all together. Sometimes, things like Smart Boards not working just happen, and we have to go with the flow. We can always try to use the technology on another day.