Change of Thought

Blending Technologies - Flickr and Blogger: I've been thinking about the simple addition of technology to course curriculums and sometimes it just takes thinking "outside the box" when looking at our curriculum to see if certain tools can be used in place of what we are so used to doing....

Blogger is a free service that allows electronic journaling and electronic "diary" entries - Blogger also allows for free hosting of the student "blogs" and Flickr.com is a free photo -sharing- storing service that allows students to upload photos and keep a web photo album online for anyone with an Internet connection to view. (A great idea for faculty too)

Flickr.com can be used in conjunction with Blogger.com to create a photoblog which allows students to blog about digital photos! A very interesting use of new technologies that (in some cases) can be used in place of PowerPoint Presentations in classrooms.

For Example:
An electronic plant photoblog kept by students for the entire semester identifying plants while also allowing the world to see what varieties exist in a certain region

An electronic photoblog of the marine life that lives in the waters of a region that is available online for everyone to see what a specific region contributes to the world's ecosystem

An electronic photoblog of the architecture of buildings that make certain areas and cultures so unique to the world

Using these new technologies in your curriculum provides an opportunity for 'reflective learning', a strategy that will enhance student learning and an obvious result from blogging is an increased fluency in writing.

The possibilities are endless of how you might decide to use these tools in your course curriculums. It just takes a change of thought!