It is important to engage students in collaborative writing processes using web tools for several reasons. The most important reason is to familiarize students with the word authorship. Students do not know that the nature of authorship is changing, and they will not understand what it means to plagiarize as a consequence unless they are taught that definition. By using internet tools in everyday classroom activities students can see firsthand what types of information is considered public and private, reliable and unreliable, and just become basically familiar with how this changing and expanding world of information and communication works. We cannot expect students to simply know how to behave on the web, nor to know how to use new information that they learn to form their own, educated opinion.

I feel like I should have known a lot of this already (especially since I attempted to set up a blog last school year, but I never used it). Having learned so much today I realize how blindly a lot of teachers are probably navigating the blogosphere, if at all. I still think that literacy has an ever changing definition, its about being literate in the moment, trying to keep up with technology (at least the stuff you can use). These tools could be invaluable to my students, but I think in the near future it will only be a “once in a while” type of thing. If, in the future, students all have some sort of PDA or laptop at school then I think teachers will be able to make things more interactive by using these tools, as is they can only be used in computer labs or at home. Although, even with one student computer in the classroom you could find a way to use this, maybe have weekly posts and require students to post sometime during the week.

It seems to me that technology is evolving faster than schools can accomodate it for affective use, but that doesn’t mean we sholdn’t still try to incorporate it as much as possible.

Tell me what you think!

(ok a bit of an exageration)

3 of the 4 main pro sports teams had the best record in their entire league (assuming the Tigers hold on to that distinction). If this trend holds up then maybe good things are in store for the Lions!

(wishful thinking, I know)

Tell me what you think!

I think roads are important. A simple statement, but there is more to it than you think. I was born and raised in metro Detroit. In Detroit the only method of transportation is roads (for the most part, but I challenge anyone to find more than 5 people who have ever used the people mover), this is not true for most areas of the country, or at least most cities. After living in both Chicago, and just outside of Washington D.C. I realized just how dependant Detroit is on its roads and cars. Those two cities were the absolute epitome of nightmarish traffic. The fact that traffic in and near Detroit, and Michigan in general, is usually better than other major cities seems to go unnoticed to most in the area.

Tell me what you think!