Ideas from readings :)

Here are some key ideas I found useful from the following readings:

Pericles, K. (2008). Happily blogging @ Belmore South. SCAN, 27(2), 4-6 http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/schoollibraries/

1. "Blog" is short for weblog. Blogging is easy to control, simple to set up and can relate to each of the six KLAs. Richardson (2006, as cited in Pericles, 2008, p. 17) defines "weblog" as: "an easily created, easily updateable Website that allows an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection."

2. Blogging is interactive. Blogs provide opportunities for comments, which opens up discussions between audience and author.

3. Blogs can perform different functions and can take many different forms, according to individual and personal needs. Pericles (2008) lists some of the many types and functions of blogs: "From posting assignments and class news, to parent information, to sharing of class activities, to online publishing of student work, to showcases of student art, poetry and creative projects, to places to respond to concepts and ideas dealt with in class, to journal work, to linking with other classes in other parts of the world."

Second Reading:

Barone, D., & Wright, T. E. (2008). Literacy instruction with digital and media technologies. The Reading Teacher, 62(4), 292-302

Barone & Wright (2008) state that teachers should take into consideration three key points regarding new literacy instruction. The three points are; 

1. students need more than practice or use of software programs to be ready for new literacies; 

2. teachers need to adapt to the forever changing new literacies; and 

3. new literacies offer equality within a classroom therefore they are crucial.