Blogs, Wikis, Post-It Notes...Oh My!

Yep, I'm a self-proclaimed "Post-it Note" addict and Staples office supply snob with a(n) obsession passion for all things organized. It's only fitting, then, that I tackle class readings in an equally as systematic (color coded and labeled!) fashion. Now, I'm sure I'm not the first to realize that this is a powerhouse of a text, chock full of purposeful strategies to connect students and facilitate rich, authentic conversations. It's a pretty easy read for this once self-proclaimed tech phobic, and I'm eager to put some of Richardson's suggestions into practice. I took a few minutes to check-out Vicki Davis' blog, co-founder of the Flat Classroom Project, and while she is certainly a leader in the field of global collaboration, I'm not a fan of paying to participate in a student project (Yep, the "Flat Classroom" is now a brand!).

However, I do have several favorite teacher blogs that I'm sharing here [I've now subscribed to them via GoogleReader - brilliant time saver, I must say!] Head on over to 3rd Grade Thoughts, A Cupcake for the Teacher, and First Grade Wow (she posts ALL of her exceptionally creative units for *FREE*), and peak at some other incredible FREEBIES, classroom management strategies, and daily activities. As a new teacher, I can't get enough of this sharing. If you're thinking about debuting a blog(s) for students, I encourage you to explore the following links that I've bookmarked for future reference. I absolutely LOVE this GoogleDOC with a sample blogging permission slip for parents and guidelines for students. Here's a Wiki from Mrs. Yolis' class, documenting the benefits of blogging -- great info to share with parents and students.

In terms of Wikis, I was slightly less familiar with the platform and only mildly intrigued. Given that GoogleDocs allows for real-time collaboration and blogs have the potential to generate plenty of student conversation, I wasn't sure whether Wikis filled any unique need in the classroom. After perusing Welker's Wikinomics, I certainly see the benefit in housing review material, notes, videos, etc. in a central location for students to add to and reference. As someone who tends to stray away from group work given the inevitable social loafers, I especially like how a Wiki allows teachers to track students' contributions -- pretty ingenuous! Make sure to stop on by Wikijunior where I found some VERY comprehensive "developed books" such as Geometry for Elementary School , chock full of visuals and student-friendly explanations. Wikibooks, given that they are governed by teams of editors, may prove to be the ideal supplement to out-of-date textbooks.

Some food for thought: I may be a proponent of blogging about classroom activities in order to engage parents and fellow teachers, but do you think it's asking too much of already time-strapped teachers? What about Twitter? Do any of you Tweet updates to parents? With respect to Wiki implementation, what part should you play as an educator, as your students create and edit new material? How much overseeing do you think is warranted?