Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (Paperback)

by Will Richardson (Author) "Tim Berners-Lee had a grand vision for the Internet when he began development of the World Wide Web in 1989..." (more)
Key Phrases: Write Web, Big Shift, File Edit View Favorites Tools Help (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This book deals with such a hot topic in a wonderfully practical way. We need a solid book explaining and illustrating and letting teachers know about these powerful tools. This book meets the need in an awesome way!" (Mike Muir, Director, Maine Center for Meaningful Engaged Learning )

"This author is a gem! It startles me to be 'pulled' so happily through a text about these new Web tools in the context of good literacy instruction." (Gary Graves, Senior Research and Evaluation Advisor, Technology in Education )

"Richardson shares first hand classroom experience of how the read / write web opens up new possibilities for students to learn from each other and from authors, scientists, and other professionals."

(EducationPR, wordpress.com )

"Whether it’s blogs, or wikis, or RSS, all roads now point to a Web where little is done in isolation . . . That’s not to say that in this new world students don’t do their own work. But it does mean that responsibility for that work is in some way shared. Learning is a continuous conversation among many participants."

(techLearning )

"Shows teachers how to integrate new Web tools into their instruction to both enhance their practice and foster student learning. Gives guidance on teaching students how to use the Internet responsibly."

(Education Week, April 26, 2006 )

"This comprehensive guide on how to incorporate podcasts, screen-casting, blogs and other multimedia features into today's journalism brings convergence to the classroom." (Melanie Lo Communicator )

"Richardson understands digital tools and is able to translate that understanding to his readers. He writes about teens using the software in appropriate and innovative ways to illustrate what can and should be occurring in classrooms." (Teachers College Record, June 2006 )

"Very user-friendly. Gives a step-by-step method through which students can maximize their learning strengths and transform into engaging, successful learners." (Magdalena M. C. Mok )

"An absolute must for anyone attempting to keep up-to-date with Web tools for the classroom. Preservice or practicing educators, teachers, administrators, parents, or interested parties can find all they want to know about the new tools of the Read/Write Web, including what they are, what they do, how teachers use them, and the first steps to take toward using them." (CHOICE, September 2006 )

"Clearly and persuasively written, the book is loaded with information about the cutting-edge Internet features that make up so-called Web 2.0. Richardson meticulously makes connections between these tools and the classroom. He is comfortable writing about both the pedagogical implications of the technologies and also the directions for using them." (Los Angeles Times, 6 March 2007 )

"This is the book to read if you are keen to use Web tools in your classroom but aren't quite sure where to start. Richardson's book makes clear not just how to integrate such tools in your classroom, but why you should and what difference it can make in your teaching." (New Zealand Studies of Applied Linguistics, July 2007 )

Product Description
For both novice and experienced "techies," this practical resource shows how to use blogs and other new Web tools for innovative, interactive teaching and motivated learning.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Corwin Press (March 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1412927676
• ISBN-13: 978-1412927673
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,535 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book For Classroom Teachers, June 24, 2006

By	Janice Powell (New York) - See all my reviews

I'm not someone who necessarily "loves" technology, but with so many of my high school students using blogs and just spending so much of their time on the Internet, I decided to get up to speed. This book was recommended to me by friends who had seen the author speak, and I have to say that I'm simply amazed by how well this book lays the groundwork for these technologies and how clearly it points the way to get started. I've decided to start a blog to use as a place to reflect about my teaching, and I'm already looking forward to this fall to try some of the other great ideas in the book. Whatever you do, don't believe the one negative review in this list. This book is aimed at classroom educators who need to start understanding how important the Web is becoming to all of us. It's a great book, one that every single teacher should read.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth every penny, March 29, 2006

By	Chris Champion (Harrisburg, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Note: while there are some spoilers here, I will deliberately LEAVE THINGS OUT so you will have no choice to read his great book. I could not put it down and I learned so much, even though I've been Podcasting since September and Blogging (sort of) for two years.

Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson is a great resource for any teacher or instructional technologist who wants to integrate technology into the classroom. Will begins by quoting Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web - the vision was that it was a "read-write web" - with web users not only collecting information but creating it as well. In his book, Will gives many examples of how to do this:

Blogs: great for class portals, an online filing cabinet, e-portfolios... but better: a collaborative space for students and teachers to react to questions and scenarios - all online where Will has arranged for his students to meet authors or students from other schools to discuss a topic. Student writing becomes authentic, relevant. Will recommends that teachers blog themselves before introducing blogs to their students (just like a teacher of writing should be a writer himself, or a reading teacher should read on her own). Will dedicates an entire chapter to "getting started" with blogs - with juicy tips and tricks, as well as resources for new bloggers.

Wikis: after a discussion of the origin of the wiki (wiki-wiki - Hawaiian for "quick") and a discussion of the most well-known wiki, Wikipedia, Will discusses the uses for wikis in school: you can create an online text for your classroom, a lesson plan exchange for teachers, and he gives a good introduction to creating your own wiki using PBWiki.

RSS: OK- this is where my brain began to melt. I was blown away by the difference between what I THOUGHT RSS was good for and all of the ideas that Will has for them. To quote his chapter on RSS: "I think it's the one technology that you should start using today, right now, this minute. And tomorrow, you should teach your students to use it." After reading this chapter I did, and I will. Seriously. This chapter was an epiphany for me.

Podcasts: amateur radio, with lots of possibilities. There are many resources given in his book but the Education Podcast Network is the best known and a great place to start. Will gives some great tips on software to use like Audacity - and how to use Skype to record interviews (using software from http://www.powergramo.com ).

I hate to sound like PBS's Reading Rainbow, but if you want to find out more, you really should buy and read his book. It is very well written, organized, and is an invaluable resource for any teacher willing to try technology in their classroom.

62 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Gee Whizz, June 16, 2006

By	Declan Hayes "Declan Hayes" (Tokyo Japan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (Paperback)

This book is a mixed bag. The entry blurb says it was published in 2006 but page 112 of this very very short book has the author telling us he expects podcasting to be big in 2005. just as blogs were big in 2004, the year he probably wrote this very very small book.

The book is sometimes useful in giving out some urls so we can look at what others are doing or what is available out there. However, a common problem with all these entry level books is they lack focus and a targeted audience. Is the book for teachers from grade school up to university level? This is an important question as it would dictate what approach to take.

For the hefty price of this book, I got to look at a few new sites. But that happens most days when someone puts me on to a new thread for free. Other than that, I got very little out of it beyond a broad brush approach of what the author is doing, which is relevant to him but not to me or you.

I use Wordpress which gets only passing mention in this shallow book. I was considering buying the Wordpress Quickstart book which comes out at the end of June. But that version is already out of date and the Wordpress site has enough supporting documents to fill a small library. So why either the book when Google is better?

And why buy another geewhizz book, which has one shallow chapter on Flickr ( google it if you don't know what it is, visit the site, save a few photos and you have what is in the Flickr chapter).

Most books like this agree books are going out of fashion. But they keep spewing out over priced books like this. Still the big font was easy on the eyes.

Also, teachers have to generally work to a platform, a curriculum that has been externally set. But the book does not delve into that; instead it goes on about a teacher here and another there doing some seemingly cool things with the kids in their class. Gee whiz.

My verdict: worth skimming through if you find a discarded copy hangiing around.