Will Richardson

Speaker, consultant, writer, learner, parent

Intel Institutes

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Intel has been running some tech workshops with teachers and they’re using an MT Web log to chronicle their efforts. Looks like the Tulsa workshop is just starting, but the Plymouth one has some interesting content to click through. There are some really interesting ideas for Web log use in the 7/10 entries. Some excerpts:

  • “I would like to be able to implement blogs for use as reflective journals in philosophical discussion groups for advanced readiness readers. I think some students who might be reticent to participate in a whole class discussion might feel “safer” in this more secure thinking/writing environment.”
  • “I’d like to combine blogging with cause/effect mapping. While I plan on doing groups of two, I can see assigning each group a different topic. This way, teams could react to the relationship between cause/effect maps. We could create a dialog between groups which would help us potentially create a master cause/effect map that combines the maps of each team in a class.”
  • “I could use blogs at the end of a class. The students must post the answer to a wrap-up or closing question by either using a computer in class or as homework. The tag board could be useful for helping students to review for a test. A time could be scheduled where the teacher will be online to answer questions. I would not want to take some of the risks of giving 8th graders the freedom to post things on the internet (especially pictures)”
  • “If I had access to computers in my room, I would use the Weblogs tool for a review tool. 3 2 1 comes to my mind. After a lesson and for review purposes, I would have the students write down 3 things they learned, 2 things they could use and 1 thing they still had a question on.”
    Good stuff. Imagine if we had a repository for just the ideas…

    • Comments

    2. Ben says

      Ooh, publicity! Actually, we would very much like feedback about these blogs, which have been really as much about experimenting with the medium as

    3. Ben says

      [hit the wrong button] it they have been an attempt to support the learning that happens at Institutes.

      It has been, I think a success, but there are many ways that we can improve them. Thoughts?