Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms Chapters 1-3

As a college student that has gone through kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high school before, I have many memories about my days in school and how most of them played out.  When I think back on my younger school days, I don’t recall using the same technologies that we are learning about now; blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc.  It seems strange to me that soon, if not already, elementary students are getting their assignments off weblogs and using wikis to get involved in class activities.  What caught my interest the most in this reading was the way Richardson talked about the “old” read-only web of the past and how the technology has improved in a way that has transformed the way we use the web.  Now that I am using these technologies in this class as well as my personal life, it has dawned on me how beneficial they really could be in a classroom setting.  Technology’s role in learning is so important because without knowledge on new technologies, children will not have the necessary skills to be successful in a technology-heavy society such as ours.  The age at which people are adopting new technologies is getting younger every year, so it is important that we keep up with this by including things such as blogs and wikis into the classroom.  It is crucial that children get the experience they need in order to use new technologies in their futures.

                The truth is technology changes with time.  As we continue to teach new generations, each requires new skills which in turn require new methods of teaching and new media.  As a future teacher, I intend to employ the newest of technologies in order to benefit my students both in and out of the classroom.  By using new technologies such as weblogs, it will make it easier for my students to access their homework, receive class updates, and keep track of their progress throughout each year.  Also, parents will be able to get involved in their child’s learning process by using the media that it accessible from home.  By using these new technologies, I know that I will be enhancing my students learning experience for the better.