Tools for Online Engagement

From an early age, students of today are being constantly exposed to continually evolving technology. Whether through parents or older siblings, even pre-schoolers are familiar with terms such as “text message” and “email”. In some of the 2nd and 3rd grade classes I have taught, students already have their own email accounts and use them to communicate with family and friends. Several of my students as young as 5th grade have pages on social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook. These kinds of technology have proven themselves to be more than trends or “fads”. As a matter of fact, social networking sites such as Friendster and Myspace were precursors to other Internet phenomenon such as YouTube.

Often times, if I open up a browser and type in YouTube.com, student interest is immediately piqued. What happens next usually comes in the form of a question: “Mr. Swift, can we watch ‘Chocolate Rain?’” “No, No…can we watch the those guys dancing on the treadmill” another student will say. “No! What about that one with the puppets and the ticking noise?” chimes another. “Oh Yeah! That is funny!” respond several other members of the class. My point is that students of practically all ages are very aware of digital content and their host mediums. If this is the case, then isn’t it appropriate for teachers to harness relevant online mediums and get as much leverage as they can from student interest and excitement?

I’m not suggesting that teachers use the aforementioned social networking sites to communicate with their students - that would be inappropriate. Rather, teachers should take advantage of Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and digital storytelling to transform student learning, as stated in the Tools For Online Engagement and Communication article.

Blogs, which are an integral part of social networking sites, provide students with a personal means of sharing their thoughts and work. I agree with the concept of blogs as a form of self-expression for students as outlined by Jospeh Tomei and Richard Lavin in Tools For Online Engagement and Communication. Their advice about the success of a blog hinging on its reflection of the blog creator is invaluable. Students, particularly those in their adolescent years, are struggling to find their identity and providing them with an appropriate form of self-expression provides an outlet for their personality to develop.

Wikis are something I have been interested in implementing in my classroom. I like the idea of a collaborative learning space where students can contribute and share knowledge and ideas. One challenge I have found is that I see my students only once a week, and I am still searching for a way to develop and maintain the momentum necessary for such an online community. Tomei and Lavin’s suggestion that “weblogs can act as an entryway into using wikis by establishing a firm foundation for learners” (393) is invaluable to me and I plan to introduce blogs next year as a first step towards using wikis.

This past school year I implemented some digital storytelling projects and found them to be very successful. Students were eager to learn how to use the equipment and software necessary to complete these projects. Not only were they expressing themselves while learning digital literacy, on a deeper level students were honing their collaborative learning skills through completing these projects in groups where each member had a defined role. I plan on expanding these projects in the future.

The use of blogs, wikis, and digital storytelling in the classroom acts as a gateway to many of the concepts outlined in the Techno Expression article. These mediums of online interaction provide educators with the opportunity to teach students proper etiquette (“Netiquette” as defined by Kevin Kelly and Ruth Fox) necessary for successful online interactions. Teachers also have an opportunity to teach students “best practices” for maintaining safe interactions online. These skills will serve students well as members of a global society that relies so heavily on online communication to accomplish everything from planning family gatherings to completing business transactions.