Sunday, November 4, 2012

Educational Blogs for the Instructional Designer in You

Blogs are great resources since they allow people to share information for free via the internet. However, there is also a plethora of blogs so it can be overwhelming to find and follow good blogs; therefore, I've listed a few that I think would be worthwhile to view and possibly follow. As a future instructional designer, I found these blogs to be relevant because (a) they're still active, (b) they have links to outside sources which proves they are doing their research, and (c) they promote the use of technology in the classroom, something that is becoming increasingly important in today's society. You can follow these blogs via email, by bookmarking them as favorite websites, or by adding them to your Google reader or any other reader you may use. Enjoy!

Future Education Tech

The number of links and resources are almost overwhelming on the Future Education Tech blog; however, it is organized so well that you will be able to find what you are looking for rather quickly. On the left, there is a   bar organized by subject area that will take you to useful websites with just one click. On the right, you can subscribe by email, look at the blog archive, or find more suggested sites for iPads or sites suggested by the author, Keith.  However, in the center is where all the action happens--there is a short explanation and then a link to the suggested website or an embedded video to watch. Future Education Tech is a well-organized site that is sure to help almost any type of educator (Art, English, Health and PE, Languages, Math, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Science, and Social Studies). In fact, the diversity is what makes this site so relevant and useful for instructional designers.

Cool Cat Teacher Blog

Teacher and blogger Vicki Davis has a passion for using technology in the classroom and she uses her blog as a platform to promote her ideals. She provides links to helpful resources and writes personal reflections about her life as an educator and author. As the winner of the Edublog 2008 Best Teacher Blog award and a finalist for years 2006-2010, Davis' blog is a must-see, especially for instructional designers who must be aware of the new types of technology that can be used to enhance the classroom.

Blogging About The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom

Steven W. Anderson, the director of instructional technology for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in North Carolina, shares his thoughts and links to other sites that help educators do what they do better. Anderson is an avid tweeter who won the 2011 Edublog's Best Individual Tweeter award and was nominated for Edublog's Best Ed Tech Blog  in 2011 as well. Anderson's writing is engaging, thought-provoking, and timely in a society that depends more and more upon social networking and how that helps us connect to the world.

Free Technology for Teachers

The name does not lie; Richard Byrne is an active blogger and educator who finds resources that will make teachers' lives easier and then posts them on his blog. The tabs created at the top of his site are especially helpful for navigation since the right side is cluttered with advertising, but that's really my only qualm. Byrne has created a treasure chest of resources for all types of educators. As the 2011 Edublog's Best Ed Tech Blog, this is another must-see site.

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