Blogs, Wikis, Forums & Podcasts

What every parent wants to know

By Tammy Earle

"Social software enables people to rendezvous, connect or collaborate through computer-mediated communication and to form online communities." Wikipedia

The Internet has changed how we communicate. New forms of social software can provide interesting methods of communication, especially for our children, and exciting opportunities for classroom learning. Most young people are already surfing the Internet, sending emails, chatting on MSN and exploring other newly acquired technology applications. You may not realize it, but your child might also be using forums, blogs, wikis, and podcasts. Many parents don't know quite as much as their children about these new types of "social software", but here's your chance to learn!

So, what's the Difference between Forums, Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts? Forums (a.k.a. online discussion boards) allow users to post a topic for others to review, similar to a bulletin board. Forums enable individuals to develop and share an idea or a set of ideas, preserving the logical flow. Other users can view the topic and post their own comments, one after the other, to form a discussion thread. Most forums require users to register so there is control of the membership.

Online forums have played an increasingly important roll in education, partly due to the growth in distance learning. But additional techniques have emerged more recently, such as blogs, wikis and podcasts.

People use 'blogs' (short for weblogs) to write their ideas and publish them on the Web. Blogs are like online journals, sort of like an online "newspaper column". The author posts a message and readers have the opportunity to add their response or comments. The best blogs are those that inspire a response from the audience.

Blogs can be beneficial learning tools that encourage writing and improve communication skills. In a classroom setting, blogging involves students in thoughtful, reflective writing and critical reading. Blogs allow writing to be interactive, and they serve as a tool for engaging others in discussion. While classroom discussions can sometimes become dominated by more outspoken students, weblogs allow every student to have an equal voice.

Dayna Ellis, a teacher at New Brunswick's Rothesay Netherwood School, uses blogs to extend communication in her Middle School French classrooms. Through the weblogs, students are able to express their opinions, en francais, in an authentic situation. "Unlike classroom discussions, weblogs provide a space for students to use their French in an arena that is accessible to all members of the community, students and teachers alike. Students take pride in their blog writing, knowing that it will be read by their peers."
If you what you need is information, then you should consider using wikis. A wiki is a modern type of encyclopedia, one that is built online collaboratively by a team. Individuals write wiki content, and other individuals are able to add to or edit the content. The name 'wiki' is Hawaiian for "fast"; the term highlights the ease with which wikis can be created and updated. Most wikis are open to the general public and the content is periodically peer reviewed. The most famous example of a wiki is Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org), an online encyclopedia with articles that are written and edited by site visitors. Although Wikipedia has had some problems with people vandalizing the information on the website, the popularity of the site suggests that the benefits of having an open site maintained by its users outweigh the problems.
At Rothesay Netherwood School, history teacher Charles McEvoy uses Wikis in his Senior History classes. "My students didn't realize that anyone in the world is able to add entries to Wikipedia. Our students are now writing their own scholarly articles for Wikipedia, and are also expanding and correcting existing wiki articles."

Podcasting is the newest of the social communication tools. A 'podcast' is simply an audio blog; that is, sound is substituted for text. Podcasts take on additional communication features such as sound effects and music, affecting a broader format of communication. Podcasting originally began with Apple computers; however it can now be done on any type of personal computer. Podcasts are becoming more mainstream; you may have noticed that the CBC has been publicizing its podcasts on their television news broadcasts.

In the classroom, Podcasting is an exciting tool which adds an audio dimension to the lesson. Students can create radio broadcasts very easily using just a computer and a microphone. Student podcasts are becoming more popular because they are fun for the creators and the audience.

Now that you know the basics about podcasts, wikis, blogs, and forums, let's address the issue of Internet safety. As technology continues to advance, it is important for students, parents and educators to keep current with the technology. There are many resources available to help children, parents, and educators avoid the negative side of the Internet. These resources can make our overall online experiences much safer, and thus more positive and enjoyable. There are many Internet resources available that address the issue of Internet safety. Some of these include:

• Net Smartz - http://www.netsmartz.org
• Get Net Wise - http://www.getnetwise.org/
• Blogsafety - http://www.blogsafety.com
• Tips on how to blog safely