Diigo and Scoop.it : Which one do you like?

Recently, Diigo and Scoop came to my life. They are both endearing technologies which will surely help me a lot in the future. Which one is "better"? or more suitable for you? I would like to compare them in the following paragraph.



For a start, let’s talk about their similarity. Scoop it. and DIIGO allow you to access information you have stored online from anywhere-not just your home computer. Both of them are very straightforward and easy to navigate. Besides, both of them can be followed by your partners and to follow others.

For DIIGO, It allows articles to be highlighted to reflect on significant passages or ideas.  This is an excellent tool for remembering significant pieces form the articles.  Websites are listed on your home library and are easily accessible to your followers.  DIIGO also allows for very easy annotation and website addition to your library, so it is easy to continue to add new articles, websites and ideas. For Scoop.it, it will suggest related materials for you automatically such as videos, articles and interviews.

DIIGO and Scoop it. cannot replace each other's place. There is no better or worse. What can you consider is which one is more suitable for certain individual. I hope we will explore more benefits from teaching technologies in the future.

Are You Already Outdated for Your Students?

I also want to ask: who seriously believe that locking twenty-five students and an adult in one small room for several hours a day, every day is the best way for students to acquire knowledge?  In China, there are far more than this number in one small classroom. I suffered more than 15 years of this to get into university. When I become a teacher, I do not want to let the next generation to replicate my experience.

I do not mean studying in classrooms is negative. However, the new generation is growing up in a totally different environment, which is more dynamic, colorful and more technical---they are living driven by smart phone, drive through, microwave,download-it-from-the internet,media. I know I must be innovative to keep their interest and to inspire them. Comparing to their spare time, it would be normal to show impatience to lectures for students.

  I really agree one sentence in the video"Educational Change Challenge": if you put a doctor of  a hundred years ago in today`s operating room, she would be lost; yet if you placed a teacher of  a hundred years ago into one of today`s classroom, she would n`t skip a beat. Education model`s change was dwarfed by the great change of technology. Teacher need to exist in the space the students exist, understand their culture.You have no credibility if you are not where they are. Therefore, multimedia teaching is an unavoidable tendency  in nowadays.

Bloggers for Students and Teachers

I am sure there is a popular saying that the Internet adversely impact the relationship between individuals. While, at least, for blog, i need to say it help us to build a closer relationship with students.

As Rita Zeinstejer said in Blogging in Language Learning, few students will say no if you ask them to surf the Internet. students will not only like to surf the Internet, but also like to display their own voice on the Internet. Everyone can has his/her audience. 

For example, if you distributed handouts of a literature and ask the students to prepare their own point of view in next class, you may not receive many valuable ones. But if you post a literature on your blog, and ask your students come to comment. That would be different.  They know their view will be viewed by teachers, friends and even the one they have a crush on. they may probably forward this literature and dig it in a deeper way to show their intelligence.

       Students can also display their private stories and pictures to get others know them better. So do the teachers. in this way, the teacher may find one silent student in classroom actually have many amazing shining points. and this will become one very valuable material to apply in your classroom. While for students, they will see a out-of- class teacher, surely teacher's personal stuff like teachers' beautiful vacation pictures will short their distance and enhance improve the efficiency of the class.

      Besides, using bloggers to keep your teaching journals is also a great idea.  What you experienced today in class and what have you learned about one article? Students probably like to see a passage about their real life and see themselves from a different perspective. All these can be one step to a higher proficiency of your teaching career.However, when you publish your class experience you may think about others' feelings who involved in your story. 

        Also, blogger is a way of communication, which is an important in Language teaching, it can engaged your students in a relax and free way. The ACTFL -- American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, also suggests communication as a standard in foreign language teaching. It requires the students to provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions and exchange opinions.  all these standards can be satisfied in bloggers. While I believe the more you get familiar with this language teaching tool, the more benefits you will get in your teaching career,  More language teaching standards can be found in ACTFL Standards. In this website, you can explore more teaching requirements and may find bloggers can help you to achieve that.

Teachers' Benefits and Standards of Blog

As a teacher, keeping a teaching journal will help you to analyze your professional skill and have a better understanding of your students.

What you experienced today in class and what have you learned about one article? all these can be one step to a higher proficiency of your teaching career.However, when you publish your class experience you may think about others' feelings who involved in your story. 

Publishing words also need to meet some standard for you aim of building a blog. I  will teach English as a second language in future and therefore need to satisfy the following standards:

COMMUNICATION
Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions
Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics
Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.　( from ACTFL  standards)

More standards can be seen from the following URL:

http://www.actfl.org/advocacy/discover-languages/advocacy/discover-languages/advocacy/discover-languages/resources-1?pageid=3392

If as a teacher you can help your students achieve this, you are succeed in creating a meaningful teaching tool .

Closer Relationship between Teachers and Students

 I am sure there is a popular saying that the Internet adversely impact the relationship between individuals. While, at least, for blog, i need to say it help us to build a closer relationship with students.

 As Rita Zeinstejer said in Blogging in Language Learning, few students will say no if you ask them to surf the Internet. students will not only like to surf the Internet, but also like to display their own voice on the Internet. Everyone can has his/her audience. 

For example, if you distributed handouts of a literature and ask the students to prepare their own point of view in next class, you may not receive many valuable ones. But if you post a literature on your blog, and ask your students come to comment. That would be different.  They know their view will be viewed by teachers, friends and even the one they have a crush on. they may probably forward this literature and dig it in a deeper way to show their intelligence.

Students can also display their private stories and pictures to get others know them better. So do the teachers. in this way, the teacher may find one silent student in classroom actually have many amazing shining points. and this will become one very valuable material to apply in your classroom. While for students, they will see a out-of- class teacher, surely teacher's personal stuff like teachers' beautiful vacation pictures will short their distance and enhance improve the efficiency of the class.

LAI 590! i am coming ~

happy horse year~ everyone~