Blogs are everywhere today and it seems like there are a million blogs for every topic. I began taking EDT classes last semester and for my class I had to actually create my own blog. It took a lot more time and effort than I originally thought but am so glad that I had to do it. I learned a lot in the process and was able to teach myself how to do it. Creating a blog for my EDT classes is great because I can really see the benefit of having all of my stuff in one place and also being able to share all of my research and thoughts with others. By forcing me to get a little out of my comfort zone and create a blog of my own, I realize how much ownership and a sense of pride you accomplish.
Today was my very first experience using and setting up an RSS Reader. I had heard the term before, but had no idea what it was or how it operated. I was nervous at first when I read the assignment directions, but dove right in as soon as I found the time. I was sitting during my prep hour in the teacher’s lounge and I easily created a RSS Reader and subscribed to everyone’s blogs as well as a few of my favorite news feeds. I was so intrigued that the next hour, I had one of my students try it on their computer to see if anything would be blocked because I would like for my classes to use this! I have plans to integrate an RSS Reader tomorrow in at least one of my classes. My students in Entrepreneurship could subscribe to quite a few feeds dealing with current business trends and ideas. It would be an awesome thing for me to introduce to them.
Concerning Dale’s Cone, the blog fits into the ring of “still picture, realistic drawings, radio, records”. Many of the blogs out there have pictures, artwork, links to videos, etc., that draw people into them. They can be interpreted many different ways by different people depending on the viewer’s previous experiences and knowledge. I also think that because the viewer of a blog needs to be able to navigate the different buttons that contain different symbols, that this would fit into Dale’s ring of “visual symbols.” The last ring I see a blog fitting into is the “verbal symbol” ring because it is primarily words. It is used as an outlet for entertainment or news. Therefore, the creator of the blog has to be creative with their use of words as well as the placement of text and images in order to portray a certain message.
I believe RSS feeds fall into similar cones as blogs do. I appreciate Dale’s statement on p. 130 that says, “Thus, the growing mind will obtain its nourishment from a cafeteria of stimulating experiences – an appealing mixture of the abstract and the concrete, the general, and the specific.” The RSS feeds provide a lot of different sources of information all in one place and constantly updating.
Considering Siegel’s concept of “computer imagination”, I agree when he states that “e-learning is more effective when designers use the computer imaginatively to increase understanding.” One way I could creatively use the blog in my Entrepreneurship class is for the students to research different types of businesses (sole-proprietorship, partnership, and corporation) and contrast and compare and post to their own blog. Then the other students could read each other’s blogs to see what everyone came up with. It is a great way to share more information but in a more condensed and organized form. One way my Yearbook students could use an RSS Reader is to subscribe to feeds concerning digital photography in order to keep updated on the newest and latest trends, ideas, etc. This would be a great way for them to constantly be learning new things without me missing out on something. It would also be good for them to share their own finds with the class so all of the students can learn what they have learned. This would ultimately help to solve the problem of being able to keep updated on the constant influx of new technology and new uses of already existing technology.
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