Reflection: Web Spaces

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Before commencing the unit, Digital Pedagogies in Secondary Schools, as part of my Bachelor of Education (Secondary) degree at CQ University I was unsure of the nature and purpose of blogging and pondered what constituted a blog. My understanding of the universe of digital spaces and their possibilities for publication and student learning has expanded from the unit’s content in the first three weeks. The idea of Website Logs, commonly known as Blogs, was one component of virtual spaces that captivated my interest and became the subject of my reflection.

WPMU DEV. (2013, July 7). What is a blog?. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjwUHXoi8lM&ab_channel=WPMUDEV

A blog is a website or online platform that allows one person or a group of people to regularly publish textual or multimedia content. A blog often follows a chronological format, with the most recent posts appearing first and combining text, images, videos, and other forms of media related to the topic. Blogs can cover a wide range of topics, including personal journals, political commentary, news, entertainment, and more. They can be utilised for several things, including information sharing, opinion sharing, community building, and product or business promotion. Since it offers a relatively simple and accessible way for anyone with an internet connection to share their ideas and perspectives with a potentially large audience, blogging has grown in popularity in recent years. To promote interaction and conversation among readers, many blogs also include social networking and other interactive features. The technical features that blog offers, such as their usability, accessibility, multimedia integration, customisation, feedback and assessment capabilities, and collaborative features, might be advantageous in educational settings. These elements can enhance learning, promote teamwork and communication, and give a place for evaluation and feedback.

Before starting my blog, I investigated several platforms before settling on Blogger. Layout settings, post and comment settings, mobile and email settings, and permission settings are just a few of the options available in the Blogger site's settings that enable you to create a unique and practical blog that meets your needs and preferences. You can add additional users to Blogger as authors, editors, or administrators, granting them varying degrees of access and permissions. As it allows several users to contribute to the blog and manage its content, this feature is especially helpful for group blogs and collaborative projects. Blogger gives you several choices for limiting who can view your blog and its contents. You have the option of setting your blog to private, which limits access to just those users who have been invited or added as members, or public, which allows anybody with internet access to view it.

To protect the safety and well-being of both the students and the larger community, it is crucial to consider a number of legal, safe, and ethical guidelines when utilising Blogger technology with students. While teaching students to use online spaces, teachers should consider certain legal, ethical, and safety regulations identified by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (2022), this includes:

1.      Manage safety online - In dealing with online risks, students develop the required technical, social, cognitive, communication, and decision-making abilities. They are aware of the risks associated with online content, such as harmful user-generated content, and the methods for coping with them.

2.      Manage digital privacy and identity - Students are aware of the importance of managing and defining their own online identities. They design and maintain their online personas to effectively communicate their stories while acknowledging the potential effects that their personal use of digital media may have on their digital footprint.

3.      Manage digital well-being - Students think about the nature and effects of using online technologies. They come to understand how actions like excessive screen time, heavy digital workload, multitasking, and distraction can affect their health, work productivity, well-being, and way of life. They are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of using digital technology in terms of how it may affect health and wellness.

 


Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2022). Digital Literacy.
https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-general-capability/digital-literacy

The SAMR model is a framework that aids teachers in successfully integrating technology into their classrooms. Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition are the letters in the acronym. These are some examples of how the SAMR model might be applied to blogging in the field of science education:

Substitution: At the substitution level, a traditional teaching approach is directly replaced by technology without materially altering the learning process. For instance, posting announcements, assignments, and other classroom-related information on a blog platform that serves as an online bulletin board. This might make it easier to notify students' parents about what's happening in the classroom.

Augmentation: Technology is utilised at the augmentation level to improve the learning task in some way. Students could, for instance, use a digital lab notebook on a blog platform in place of a traditional lab notebook. This might make it simpler to collaborate, share, and organise data.

Modification: Technology enables a considerable change of the learning task at the modification level. For instance, students could chronicle their experiments and findings using blog postings rather of the conventional lab reports. More creativity, multimedia integration, and audience sharing might be made possible as a result.

Redefinition: Technology allows for the introduction of new tasks that were previously unattainable at the redefining level. For instance, students could work with students from various areas of the world to conduct experiments and post their results using a blog platform. As a result, learning may be genuinely global and collaborative.

Hogan, L (2011, Jan 14). SAMR – A model for Instructional Technology Use

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRo9cfp2baA

 

References

 

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Digital Literacy. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-general-capability/digital-literacy

Hogan, L (2011, Jan 14). SAMR – A model for Instructional Technology Use

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRo9cfp2baA

WPMU DEV. (2013, July 7). What is a blog? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjwUHXoi8lM&ab_channel=WPMUDEV

 

Comments

  1. Alex Shepherd29 March 2023 at 05:27

    Hello Sheryn, what a wonderful and informative blog. Your setting out is eye-catching and the softer shade behind text is easy to read. I especially gained a perspective on how to deliver concise information, but still have the 'warmth' of a reflective piece. I very much enjoyed reading your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ruth30 March 2023 at 22:11

    Hi Sheryn, I like the relatable and reflective opening paragraph, it made the post inviting to read and opened the reader to also challenge any negative ideas about blogs.
    Although, the first thing I noticed were the video and pictures added to the blog, but there was no immediate reference as to why they were put there. Next time I suggest writing a quick blurb for the video such as 'This video of 'xyz' is a great resource to understand 'abc' further' etc.
    I also suggest possibly use dot points and bold font to highlight terminology or headings to make it more readable as a blog compared to an essay. But otherwise, it was easy to read and follow and had some good points.

    ReplyDelete

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