Chapter 6: Community Building with Technolgies

Before reading this chapter, I was somewhat familiar with a few of “community building” resources mentioned including wikis, blogs, and chat rooms. I learned much more about how these technologies work and how they can benefit learning and community building in the classroom. I think this chapter provides future teachers with a huge array of specific sites that can be used both in and outside of the classroom. I really enjoyed the chapter because I learned a lot of new information about resources that I previously had no idea even existed such as knowledge forums and international community building sites. I also think the examples throughout the chapter of specific community building activities are beneficial because they helped me to better understand the content being addressed.

While reading about Knowledge Forum, I learned how these forums help students construct knowledge by facilitating collaboration and teamwork. I learned the goal of Knowledge Forum to promote intentional learning where students contribute, store notes, connect ideas, and obtain new knowledge. After visiting the website, I learned that Knowledge Forum originally based research on K-12 classrooms but has expanded to other settings. What I liked most about the site is that it provides research-based information to support the idea of community knowledge building. I had never heard of Knowledge Forum before reading this chapter so the information about it was new and somewhat confusing to me. I’m still not quite sure how of if I would use Knowledge Forums with my future students.

After reading about wikis, I gained a greater understanding of how they work and how they can benefit learners. I agree that wikis such as Wikipedia are a great resource because a whole community of learners can contribute to a wiki. I really like how wikis are usually user-friendly and can be edited or revised. I think I will use wiki’s with my future students for some class projects or activities. A great example of a wiki project is the one created by Dan McDowell about the Holocaust. When students get the opportunity to contribute information and share ideas or information, they are learning more about the subject being taught. I think students’ learning is enhanced when they can collaborate with one another in the classroom. Another wiki example that I liked learning about was the juggle wiki page. This site provides a great example of how wikis can promote community learning and interaction.

Before reading this chapter, I did not have a clear understanding of the difference between a wiki and a blog. I learned that although blogs were originally intended for personal use, they are becoming more interactive sites. This blog is the first one I have ever created and I really like using it. I think blogs can be very useful in the class for students to write down their thoughts or ideas and comment on peers. I will probably have my future students create blogs that they will use to answer questions and exchange or critique ideas. I think blogs are great because they can be used for many different purposes. One blog mentioned in the chapter that I particularly liked was the National Geographic blog that provides information about expedition opportunities. I think students would enjoy and learn from this site because it lets them read about explorers and expeditions as well as comment on postings and ask questions to experts. I also like the site because many different expeditions are listed for students to explore and learn about. Teacher-created blogs and student-centered blogs benefit learning by allowing students and teachers to share a build understanding on specific topics learned in class. One example of a classroom blog that I would be likely to use is one like Mrs. Watford’s 8th Period blog. This blog gives students journal entry topics that they will respond to.

One component of community building with technology that I was unfamiliar with before reading is building with international communities. I learned a lot about iEARN learning circles, Global Schoolhouse, and KidLink. I think these communities are beneficial to student learning because they can learn and relate to other people from around the world. I would like to use one or more of these sites with my future students. Two of the learning circles that I like are at iEARN and include “Places and Perspectives” and “Computer Chronicles.” Both of these sites provide students with community building learning opportunities with people from other cultures and geographical locations. Although I think learning circles are beneficial for learning, I think some of them may be more developmentally appropriate for older students. When researching Global Schoolhouse, I found it to be more appropriate for students because it is made to link kids from around the world. This site is great because it contains many resources for learning and multiple programs for community building. Another international community site that I enjoyed and learned a lot about is KidLink. KidLink provides information in many different languages and is a very kid-friendly site. I would probably use this site with my students because it gives them the opportunity to interconnect with many other children.

One of the most useful sites for personal teacher use is Tapped In. I like the idea of the Tapped In site because it gives educators the opportunity to connect with other educators and exchange ideas. Sites such as these can provide new teachers with information and resources to help them become better teachers. Also, although I like the idea of electronic bulletin boards such as NetNews and UseNets, I will probably not use them in my classroom. I will be more likely to use wikis and online social environments because these sites are usually more suitable for student use. All in all, I really enjoyed this chapter because it gave many resources and examples of community building information that enhances learning in the classroom. After reading this chapter, I am more likely to use these suggested sites with my students for community building and for specific educational experiences.