Interactive Internet... funny, it was just a few years ago that I was begging the county to let the students put the newspaper online. They were nervous about the instant publishing and the freedom that students have with Internet publishing. Now, we use blogs and wikis all the time, and running the newspaper articles through three levels of editors seems like complete overkill.
There is something engaging about publishing your work on the Internet, even if it's only a retweeted quote. Our TRT says that it speaks to our need to feel important. Interesting theory. At any rate, there are a number of tools that make it very easy. Blogspot, which is free and very easy to use, is one example, and the one we are using right here. Tumblr has really taken off, and the compelling thing about this tool is that everything is seamless: e-mails, tweeting, posting, photos all can be easily stored and posted, and even sorted into private and public files.
These are the kinds of tools that our students are growing up using, and they won't find their use in the classroom novel. Instead, they may find these kinds of activities an extension of their lives. Hmmmm, sounds like authentic learning.
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