Digital Text

     In this chapter, I learned about Wikis and Blogs. Fryer talks about the differences between these platforms and how they can be used in the classroom. I learned about the differences between the two platforms, like how he calls a wiki more of an encylopedia and a blog like an online newspaper. Fryer also briefly discusses browsers and which ones are optimal for blogging. From this, I learned that Firefox and Chrome are best for blogging purposes, especially over Internet Explorer. I also learned that there are two types of blogs: client and web-based. A client blog is based and can only be run on one computer, while a web-based blog can be accessed anywhere and on any machine. Most blogging services now are web-based. One benefit of client blogs is that they often allow for greater customization.
     The links that I explored were Thingamablog, Kidblog, and WordPress. Thingamablog is a client based blogging service. This is different from a service like Blogger because the user must download the program to use Thingamablog. I found this service interesting because I have never experienced a client based blogging program. Although it looks confusing, the website provides a lot of support for users, with an FAQ, a forum, and a place to contact the creators. In contrast to Thingamablog, WordPress is a web-based blogging service much like Blogger is. I have seen many blogs that use WordPress and it seems like a good option that has a lot of customization. However, WordPress is more than a blogging service because it also allows users to make websites that are not blogs, such as websites for small businesses. The last blogging service I looked at was Kidblog. I enjoyed exploring Kidblog because it is made specifically for classroom use. It has a lot of privacy options that would probably be beneficial to use in the classroom, especially depending on the age of the students. As a teacher who is interested in incorporating blogging into my future classroom, I think it is important that I am aware of all the options students can use to create their blogs.