LiveJournal

LiveJournal.com SWOT Analysis

LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can participate in a variety of social networking activities. These include, but are not limited to, keeping a blog, journal or diary.

__ Resources __ · [|www.livejournal.com] · [] - To get a general overview/definition · [] - An article written in an on-line journal explaining the functionality of the website

__ Strengths __ · FREE! · Easy management, I am able to track personal reading of my students · Students can interact with each others’ writing · Discussions continue beyond the classroom walls · Students write better when they know they are writing to an audience · Creates excitement while blending learning and playing · Invites collaboration · Students see teachers as learners as they work through the logistics of incorporating new technologies together. · A professional learning community is created within the school as well as beyond it. · Allows students to go beyond just interacting with technology to participating and learning in a collaborative way with other students . · Account manager or “maintainer account” can make one account or “community” and have multiple registered users sign-up to that page. · Site allows maintainer account creator to set security settings.

-Daily prompts to promote creative writing

-Opportunities for students to practice basic coding; students can customize layouts in certain versions -Can be used as a personal journal because there are privacy options

__ Weaknesses __ · In order to access better features within the site, you must become a paid member. · Because it is a “chat” space, many internet browsers will have it blocked at the school level. · Younger students need direct, guided supervision and instruction in using this aspect of technology appropriately and safely. · Really need to make a commitment to maintain and update community. · Because students will have access to many unprotected topics and comments, it is important to supervise site use to make sure proper behavior is observed. · Teacher must put in students’ names so they can have access to the community, can be time consuming if class sizes are large.

__ Opportunities __ · Students/teachers can use the site from cell phone so updates can be made from almost anywhere/anytime. · Students can share work with and get feedback from a larger audience. · Online journaling can help students encourage and improve their writing skills. · Students can personalize their journal layout for added interest and buy in. · Can help foster life-long expression of thoughts and feelings. · This site provides a way to empower students by helping them feel that their thoughts and idea are important and allow them to gain respect for the ideas of others.

__ Threats __ · Students could create their own communities and keep them hidden from the teacher once they have access to the site. · Additional features allow students to browse the most popular blogs. Some are not suitable for students. · Time needed for planning, maintenance and comment moderation. -Users can write inappropriate things and choose to make them public. Though students can be controlled by teachers who have maintainer accounts, other users control their own journals that students might stumble across.

__ Ideas for the Classroom __ · Daily journal assignments · Connections (text-to-self, text-to-text, ext-to-world) to current literature that is being implemented in class · Discuss resources for research papers · Peer Editing · Literature circles · Creative writing · Questions to the teacher/other students -Accountability Logs -Students can write fake biographies to show understanding of important people in history