Download iWrite: Using Blogs, Wikis, and Digital Stories in the English Classroom fb2

I recommend this book to teachers who are "afraid" of technology and its ever-changing facets. Our students come to school and sit in classrooms where teachers who do not know a lot about RSS, blogs, wikis, and online social networking outside the realm of Facebook or MySpace. We teach the same old ways and balk at new methods while our students yawn or secretly text at their desks.

This particular book helps teachers explore the parts of computer and Internet technology that can enrich the lives of their students by presenting content in a context/format that their charges understand. This book can help teachers step up to the challenges of using technology to teach, helping students who do not have a lot of online opportunities, and meeting students halfway in the learning continuum by using the platforms they know so well. There are many ways to get derailed when teachers have very limited time to evaluate the world wide web, but this book is like an Internet Road Atlas. If you know how to check your email, attach a document to a message and send it to somebody--and you have an open mind to explore possibilities, try this book. After you explore on your own, go to school with a list of safe sites you could use in your classroom and start a conversation with your IT coordinators so that your students can discover the positive, thought-provoking facets of the Internet.

These teachers read this book as part of professional literature circle.

Dana J. Wilber's book exposes the Web 2.0 world we as a society currently live in and whether we are digital natives or immigrants, as teachers we have to incorporate the technology our students are using on an everyday basis into the classroom. Prior to reading this book I felt I was a digital native (up on the newest technology) however, I was proven wrong. Although I was familiar with blogs and wikis, I would have never thought of incorporating them into the classroom as Wilber demonstrates. Whether you are a digital native or immigrant, Wilber breaks down all of the information into terms everyone can understand and gives many examples of how these tools can be used- not only in the English classroom- but in every classroom. As a social studies teacher, I have incorporated many of Wilber's ideas into my classroom! Wilber not only focuses on blogs, wikis, and digital stories, but also discusses how Second Life, text messaging, YouTube, etc can be included- again, pieces of technology I would have never considered before. I refer to this book almost every day and recommend it to every teacher who wants to add a fun, hip, and engaging technology to their students. (J. Stenshorn)

iWrite is a great book for teachers looking for ways to incorporate Web 2.0 into their classroom. Not only does this book provide great tools for teachers on how to integrate blogs, wikis, and digital stories into their classroom environment, but it also helps teachers to understand the world of technology that our students are being brought up in today. Teachers have to realize that the technology that is used in classrooms has to be fun and enjoyable for the students so they are encouraged to complete work at their utmost potential. Wilbur also states ways that educators can bridge the gap between students' home and school literacies. In order to do this, she states that it is important to make sure teachers are incorporating all types of technologies so all students can feel comfortable in their learning. Not only does Wilbur discuss the various types of technologies that can be used within the classroom and how teachers can engage students in their literacy practices, but she also provides her readers with upcoming technologies that teachers may experience in their years to come. Throughout this book, Wilbur deeply discusses ways that certain technologies can really become interesting and authentic for students in helping them to display their literacy skills and knowledge. Overall, this is a great resource for teachers who are looking for ways to incorporate Web 2.0 into their classrooms to facilitate students learning. (M. Mead)

I would rate this book with five stars. This book is very easy to read and understand because of how the chapters are laid out. Wilber explains that the students we are now teaching are engaging more and more in technology while still obtaining literacy skills. She argues that technological tools, especially Web 2.0 tools need to be integrated into the classroom to keep students motivated. Wilber discusses what blogs, wikis and digital stories are as well as how to set them up and use them in the classroom. This book is great for teachers who are not as confident as others in using technology. After I read the book I felt more comfortable and confident on incorporating these technologies into the classroom. I highly recommend this book for teachers who want to motivate and engage students more. Also, the examples that Wilber gives I feel that they are good starting points for teachers. My favorite part about Wilber's book was the list of resources at the end. She gives several websites that you can visit for blogs, wikis digital stories and other technology resources to test out and try. (M Baggott)

While teachers and administrators spend their time figuring out how to battle cell phones, ipods, and other technology, students are left feeling like their literacies are not valued and their teachers are hopelessly behind the times. Dana Wilber's book is a must read for the adults in schools who are struggling to get a handle on the world of the digital natives. There is no preaching here, just a wealth of practical information on why we need to understand how communication is changing and how we can use it to improve our teaching.

This book is very well written and laid out. I found this very helpful and it gave great resources. For a digital native like myself, this book may seem unnescesary because it explain what a blog, wiki, digital story is, the different parts and how to set them up. This is information that many natives know. Therefore, this book is especially helpful for teachers that truly feel that disconnect between them and their students because technology may not be their forte. However, whichever you may be, digital native or immigrant, the book still gives you great insight for how the tech tools work in a classroom and what it means for you and the students. Wilber really hammers that it's important for teachers to tap into the studnets' world and try to bring that into the classroom. This is how students become engaged, motivated, and begin to apply what they know to new literacies. The best part are all the resources Wilber places at the end of the book so the reader has everything on a few pages. My only wish was that Wilber talk specifically on how this would occur in a range of classrooms (i.e. special education). Would modifications need to be added? What would need to be reconsidered or what would be the best way to introduced these tools? Overall, I would recommend this book to any teacher thinking about taking that leap into the scary world of our students! The book really motivates teachers to think about what these technology tools can do for students and the teacher.