reasons for blogging

BLOGGING IN THE CLASSROOM

BOTTOM LINE

Educational Benefits of Blogs and Wikis Help students to communicate and

collaborate Motivate students to participate Provide opportunities to read and write Postings can be created by students any

time, any place

LEADING OTHERS

Big Picture Small Picture (your classroom) Ease Make It Personal

BIG PICTURE

Part of all of our curricula. K-12 Broad Goals for English-Language Arts

Students will read fluently with understanding and appreciation.

Students will write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Students will speak purposefully and articulately. Students will listen and view attentively and critically. Students will understand, appreciate, interpret, and critically

analyze classical and contemporary literature as well as works of nonfiction and informational texts.

Students will use reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing to:

gather and organize information; communicate effectively; and succeed in educational, occupational, civic, and social settings.

2. Authentic audience - number of reads, Clustr map

3. Expand the walls 4. Participatory culture – jargonese for a

changing world and the new generation

SMALL PICTURE (CLASSROOM)

Engages students with styles where paper doesn’t work.

Tends to engage most students. Gives insight to the students.

http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=212396&user_id=212396&blog_id=755357&position2=12 career/passions

http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=206879&assignmentid=4906 Joe Flood feedback.

Could give feedback as the work progresses, instead of waiting for the work to be turned in. This can be done a few comments at a time, not 80 at one sitting.

Students can get writing back and continue to write. [not interrupting the student flow – research by John Seely Brown]

Students can post more than words. http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?user_id=266813&blog

ger_id=276791 http://tinyurl.com/8thblog http://tinyurl.com/sadamsblog

Students are reading and writing for each other. (Some may not share in class, a way to start the process.)

They can keep their blogs “forever.” Students worked on them during snow days and vacation

voluntarily. hot peppershttp://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id

=212451&user_id=212451&blog_id=895295&position2=20 cold weather experimenthttp

://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=212451&user_id=212451&blog_id=799451&position2=26

Compare and contrast each others’ work. Shoeshttp://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id

=206879&assignmentid=7120 All curricular work in one place ie Seedfolk/Garden

projects.

Posters on the walls, display cases

To posters in the trash . . . . . How long does the work last?

EASE

Doesn’t replace anything in your class. Work can be done outside of classroom time, helps

streamline the process. All ‘papers’ can be together in same location.

They can still do rough drafts, save to the server, print, etc.

Parents can view the students’ work as the year progresses. No surprises for them.

Students are already creating content. (If it’s not digital, it can be photographed, spoken, scanned, videoed . . . ) VT of solar systemhttp

://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=212393&blog_id=720962&position2=600

Students can transport most digital work – “web locker”

Grading in one place; not individual blogs.

Quick turnaround Content driven Student driven

PERSONAL

Communication tool for your class and/or you http://tinyurl.com/sadamsblog

You can post assignments, leave messages, etc. for students, parents.

Can correct within the blog. Teacher comments are seen when the student logs into their own blog.

Informed parents with little effort on your part. Yes, there’s a learning curve. (As with everything,

remember the ditto machine, copier, Word, turning on a computer, email, and electronic grading?)

 Reason for blogging: Tweet from Cathy Brophy – “blogging in

MS? Get them writing, writing writing - for a real audience!-then reading, form opinions and sharing thoughts . . . learning”

http://sautechsig.wikispaces.com