module 3 news engine, blogs, wikis, and rss feeds instructional technology
TRANSCRIPT
Module 3News Engine, Blogs, Wikis, and RSS feeds
Instructional Technology
SharpSchool Module 3 Agenda
• Introduction
• Connections Map– 21st Century Skills
• Using the news engine on your website.
• Create a blog page
• Adding a RSS feed to your webpage
News Engine
• Keeps students and parents informed of what is going on in your classroom.– Assignments , special classroom
events, etc.– Places a portal from your
announcement page to your home page.
Classroom Activity
Add a news event to your website
WIKI BLOG
Definitions:
A collaborative website which can be directly edited by anyone with access to it.
A personal or corporate website in the form of an online journal, with new entries appearing in the sequence as they are written.
Writers:
Many authors such as teachers, students, parents, administration.
Typically one person, such as a teacher, administrator.
Others can comment, but not edit Content:
Grows rapidly. Grows slowly, one post at a time.
Constantly change and continuously updated. Discussions can take place on pages of a discussion forum.
Discussions take place in the comments of a post, typically approved by blogger.
Blogs
• A blog (a contraction of the term weblog) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
• Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.
• "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
• As of December 2007, blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 112 million blogs.
– Wikipedia.com
Blogs
• An informative way of communicating with the world.
• An Online Journal where you share your thoughts, opinions and ideas on a topic.
• A blog can be used for classroom topics, projects, debates, and discussions as a tool to enhance your classroom online.
Blog examples:
http://carver.tulsaschools.org/blog/One.aspx?portalId=4092570
http://whitney.tulsaschools.org/blog/One.aspx?portalId=2840077
Art Teacher:http://zarrow.tulsaschools.org/blog/One.aspx?portalId=4977934
It’s all in how you promote and integrate your blog—
determines participation. Clear expectations!
Why Use Your Blog WITHIN SharpSchool as
Opposed to Blogger, etc.?• More control• More secure• Blog available only to those you
allow• More control over comments
Discuss
Turn to your neighbor and share
how you plan to use blogs on your
website.
Class Activity
Add a blog page to your class website
Wikis • "Wiki" is a Hawaiian word for
"fast"
• A webpage where anyone can edit, create, or change the information on it
• Wikipedia is a “Wiki” website
Wiki Examples
•http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/
•http://itcboisestate.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/10-best-practices-for-using-wikis-in-education/
Wiki on SharpSchool
Coming soon! They are available but you have to use HTML coding. Will soon be available
using the basic editor.
RSS feeds
• “Really Simple Syndication”• A subscription to the latest
information from different places
• You receive them all at once: they come to you!
RSS feeds
You
RSS feeds
You
RSS Feeds and SharpSchool
• Adding an RSS feed to your class website can give parents and students constant updates from websites that can help them be successful in your classroom.
Classroom Activity
• Adding a RSS feed to your site:
Nedra Weinreich of the SpareChange Blog