Apples and Oranges

I had planned a "vs." post before I spent time with the Google Groups and Blogger apps. Things changed as I read about and worked with them, however. I realized very quickly that this model of comparison would not fit. I do not see Groups and Blogger as all that similar -- more of an "apples and oranges" scenario. As such, I think that it would make sense to look at each separately, and give examples of where both could be successfully used in today's classroom.

Google Groups

Google Groups is an application that allows users to create an online gathering place devoted to a specific theme (i.e. cross stitch, educational policy, a particular sports franchise) and post their thoughts and ideas about it. Specific topics related to this theme are begun by the group members, and a threaded conversation ensues. Beyond posting rich text posts and replies -- enhanced with links and media -- not much more is done with Groups. Based on earlier versions of Groups in which I have participated, I believe that this is a conscious choice on the part of Google, which is currently in the process of retuning their flagship apps, deleting others and reorganizing, in general.

At first, I saw this paring down of features in Groups as limiting but, as I began to reflect on how I would use Groups in a classroom, I saw it as more of a strength than a deterrent to using Groups. Students can easily be distracted from the main components of an assignment with an app with too many bells and whistles, and this can detract from the final product. I have been an instructor in classrooms K-6, and seen all ages struggle with knowing when to move on and stop tweaking the sounds, colors and special features part of their online efforts. If I wanted my class to turn in something that was text-heavy, to collaborate quickly and often, I could see Google Groups as being a good online destination for students. Below are some ways that Groups could be utilized:

• ongoing conversation about the pros and cons of a local, state or national law or policy
• book reviews, with commentary from others who have also read a given book -- or questions from those who would like to read it
• "homework helper" thread, with classmates offering ideas on where to find help online, and tips and tricks that have helped them succeed

In summary, Google Groups is a good application for assignments that involve a lot of "collaboration by conversation". The simplicity of the format gets students into posting quickly, with little to distract them from the topic at hand. A benefit of creating this online group is that it can stay archived from school year to school year -- giving students who are new to a course of study or grade level the combined experiences of their peers who have already traversed the topic.

Blogger

Blogging is something with which I feel somewhat comfortable, and Blogger is an application that I have used before. My husband is a contributing writer to a comics blog, and my daughter regularly posts to her classroom blog, adding commentary and original written pieces, and reading what her classmates have added. I have seen the vast potential of blogging as a collaborative tool, a perfect example of how Web 2.0 "changes everything" about how we teach, work, play and communicate as a society. Like Groups, the heart of the blog is its ongoing conversation. A blog can be maintained by one author, giving his or her take on the given topic to which they have devoted the blog. However, a blog can easily be divided into subtopics or "features" that reappear in regular intervals. It is not just a chat, but can be the equivalent of an online newspaper -- with regular columns and columnists. The ability to quickly, in WYSIWYG fashion, gather links and media to enhance the topic makes it similar to many "social" applications. The more people who become involved, the more opportunity for teaching and learning to take place. Because of the nature of the blogging community to link to each others blogs in a blogroll, you have many more resources connected to the original resource. A community of members grows quickly, and the body of information about the given topic can increase exponentially. Here are just a few ways that a blog can be used in the classroom:

• create a writing blog for a communication arts class, with different days of the week providing different types of assignments for the class (i.e. "Poetry Mondays", "Critique Tuesdays")
• subject area blog, originally created by the teacher (but continually built by the students), of helpful websites, reviews of online apps and "how to's" (i.e. math algorithms explained)
• parent-teacher organization meeting place, where upcoming events and school happenings can be discussed -- with an archive of slideshows and videos of past school functions

In summary, Blogger is an app that has so much potential to keep everyone in the school community -- administrators, teachers, students and parents -- "in the conversation". The body of information that affects all of us in today's Web 2.0 schools grows and changes constantly, as the "school community" can now involve individuals from all over the globe. An online presence in the form of a blog not only connects the students to more information, but makes them active participants in the body of information, contributing their knowledge and experiences to the collected works available. When you can teach others about a subject, you really know that subject. Students can demonstrate that knowledge in much more complex and diverse ways in a blogging environment, and many learning styles are accomodated by its multimedia approach.