Abstract:

The present paper reviews the application of new media, with emphasis on Web 2.0 tools (e.g. blogs, social media and networks) in the classroom of primary school students. The approach is two-fold: on the one hand, we examine their integration in the actual ongoing (traditional) teaching process, whilst on the other hand, we study their use as independent tools for media literacy purposes.

The present study progresses the research work that started last year with the monitoring of the two-yearly operation of the school blog [ferentes.blogspot.com] that was run collaboratively by the teacher of the 3rd (and later 4th in the consequent year) grade in the elementary Experimental School*, his students and their parents.

After the completion of the two-years operation of the blog, we have conducted a follow-up study combining two methods: firstly, we distributed self-administered questionnaires to the parents in order to access their involvement in the blogging and the related media literacy process, as well as to record their experiences from the interactive activities with their children.

Secondly, we have performed close focus-groups with the primary school students who initiated their active participation in the blog, in order to access the impact of the integration of the new media in the educational process and, at the same time, to record the diffusion of alternative media and cultural patterns in their daily lives.

Using this case study as a basis for our analysis, we develop a working online framework for the creation and development of a new blog that will be run collaboratively with the teacher and the primary school students of the final year in order to monitor the enhancement of the teaching process with new technologies as well as introduce empowering knowledge to the class.

*The Experimental School of the University of Thessaloniki, is a special public school, in close ties with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The University Committee appoints a School Supervisor, who is, in general, a professor of Pedagogical Studies in the Department of Philosophy of the University (information available at http://piramatiko.web.auth.gr/init_en.htm, last accessed 28/4/2011).

Keywords:

Digital literacy, web 2.0, social media, weblog, primary school.