Time For Something New
After all our frustrations with edublogs over the past year I might have found somewhere else to host a web space for us to use in 2009. I read about Weebly in a post from Graham Wegner so headed over ther to check it out. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that we had in the ‘old’ edublogs it may suit our purposes for this year. It may also be a useful place for students to set up their eportfolios which we are starting this year – yes, finally ditching the paper ones!
You can check out new space, Rooms 3’s Conversations here
January 4th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
I agree that the Weebly interface is easy and very user friendly to use. My issue as a student blogging platform is how to maintain comment moderation control but then again, I haven’t used it for very long and may not have found all of the right features. Sometimes students can be overwhelmed by too many options and that can prevent them from focussing on the writing – Weebly keeps things simple and clean.
January 4th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
I’m thinking that you must be able to set up a feed to monitor comments. That’s how I have monitored my student blog content and comments on edublogs. I may also try Wordpress as they have free blogs too – anything to get away from the ads!
January 5th, 2009 at 2:41 am
Hi,
Your reference to e-Portfolios first caught my attention. May I first congratulate you and your children on all their hard work. Their blogs make very interesting reading and show a lot of potential for collaboration and general e-Portfolio work.
I do, however, question whether the blog is the ‘container’ for the e-Portfolio or rather a well designed e-Portfolio should be the ‘umbrella’ from within which the blogs and wikis are accessed.
I say this because I am somewhat concerned that your children’s blogs appear to be public and I’m sure that you understand the issues that Al Upton has had to address.
Your children write freely and this is good. However, in making their work public at least two concerns need to be addressed:
(1) The children reveal information about themselves, their family and friends that perhaps should not be made public.
(2) The collation of details from any one blog would enable a predator to compose a detailed picture of almost any child.
Obviously I don’t know how much co-operation you have had with parents in the publication of these blogs but here in the UK we are advised very strongly not to allow the publication of materials that might identify the children (although you Photos wiki is properly controlled). I am genuinely interested in your thoughts about my comments and trust that you are not offended by them.
If you wish to contact me off-list please do so at: rjt@maximise-ict.co.uk
W: http://www.maximise-ict.co.uk
P: http://www.raytolley1.xfolioworld.com/
B: efoliointheuk.blogspot.com
Kindest Regards,
Ray T
January 9th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Hi Mrs Crowe, even though Room 3 will have a new class blog this year. Will you still use this one?
Stay in touch
Naveen
January 9th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Naveen, Yes I will keep this one and will continue checking your blog posts so that I can find out about what you are doing!!
I’m not definite on changing blog platforms just investigating what else is there.
Hope you’re enjoying the holidays. Remember you can still email me if you need anything etc
January 12th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Ok. Thanks. I sure will email you if I need anything. And yes I am enjoying the holidays. Not really looking forward to College though. How have your holidays been so far?
January 26th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Hi, wondering what eportfolios you are using this year ?
i am interested in finding out more and wondering what you will use, costs, etc ?
thanks