Richardson Chapter 3 and 4

Wikis and Blogs!!!  Oh my, is there a lot for me to learn.  While reading these two chapters, this quote by Richardson stood out to me: “Regardless of how educators feel about the potential of wikis, and I can understand the hesitancy many teachers feel, one thing remains certain: The collaborative environment that wikis facilitate can teach students much about how to work with others, how to create community, and how to operate in a world where the creation of knowledge and information is more and more becoming a group effort” (p. 69).   I would say that this quote definitely expresses my thoughts on wikis. I am nervous about them, yet, at the same time, I am quite intrigued with the idea of them.

 I have had many thoughts floating through my mind.  The ideas of wikis are still very new to me, yet I am beginning to see how great they could be.  For example, while searching for examples of wikis I came across Mrs. Ballweg's 3rd Grade Class wiki.  I could definitely see myself, at some point, doing this within my own classroom.  I love the idea of student learning being collaborative.  I like the fact that they can go in and work on this “working document,” adding and taking away what they feel is best.   Seeing students working and learning together is something that is extremely important to me.  I have a lot to work on before ever putting something like this into play within my classroom, but I could definitely see the benefits of using wikis within the classroom.

Richardson chapter 1 and 2

While reading Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classroom, I really began to look at my own classroom.  As a third grade teacher, I struggle with the idea of a child having too much technology.  I feel as though sometimes these children are around technology way too much.  .  However, this is our future and I believe that I need to embrace this within my classroom and incorporate technology as much as I can.

            One thing that Richardson (2010) wrote that caught my eye was, “The National Technology Plan released in January of 2005 went as far as to admit that ‘today’s students, of almost any age, are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy.  They prefer to access subject information on the Internet, where it is more abundant, more accessible, and more up to date’” (p. 7).  I must admit though, with-in my own district, unless I teach myself, there are not tons of classes on technology within the school.   However, I would say that I completely agree with Richardson’s comment that teachers don’t have the same level of education with technology like the children of today.  I am 27 and my third graders, at times, know more than me.  The reason is that since they were born, technology has ALWAYS been around them.  Would you consider this a good thing or a bad thing??  I have a huge issue with that.  Many students of today do not go outside and play, they go home after school and sit in front of some technological instrument.  I am not sure this is the best either.  However, I am a realist and I do realize that as educators we do need to incorporate the technology to help our students be prepared for the future.  I do, however, also believe that the technology does not need to be on in the classroom all the time.  Let’s get a good combination of using technology for these students and working on being able to sit and listen to a lecture or lesson and take notes, because whether we like it or not there will always be people (bosses, etc.) who are not fond of technology.  I feel there needs to be a nice balance of both.