Using Blogs to Explore Curriculum

By Karen Hornberger

Who I am

Where I am/Where are you?

Do you actively…Read a blog

Write a blog

Ask your students to participate in a blog

What is a blog?Blogs (short for "web logs") are online diaries or records that are typically authored by one person, however, they can have more than one contributor.

In a blog, the author posts text and/or video or audio and, typically, others respond to the entry.

Comments placed upon the blog by respondents allow for discussion.

A blog post can be published by a teacher (or group of teachers) and students can contribute to the discussion.

On a basic level, students can respond to a prompt by the teacher and the discussion can end at that point. The teacher grades the students based upon participation.

How can blogs be used educationally?

The Power of Dialogue...

…Face to Face v. Blogs

Sticky Wall Time:How does classroom discussion

differ from blogging discussion?

Blogging Educationally

Students can also be taught how to participate in a discussion with each other using cyber-etiquette basics.

Not only should students have guidance in how to format a reply to another respondent but also how to respond politely during debate.

How can blogs be used educationally?

Who is the loneliest character in Of Mice and Men?

AB states, "People say Curley’s Wife is the loneliest character in the book because she has nobody to talk to except Curley and she doesn’t get to have her dream. However, I feel Crooks is the loneliest because he is black and he can’t change that. Curley’s Wife can just get divorced with Curley and can go and strive to become a celebrity. She has a chance to change her life, she just didn’t know that. But Crooks can’t change - he will always be black. In the time and place this novel was set, he will always be looked down upon because he is black."Your essay is very persuasive and convincing but I disagree with your thesis statement where you say "crooks is the loneliest because he is black" I disagree because there is more to him being lonely than just that's he's black

Note: You can format your response @AB or… AB states, “Although…”

It is nice to give compliments when you debate and it is also important to support your own argument with specific details. This author has given compliments but does not state who she feels is the loneliest and why...

On a higher level, students can be taught to research outside sources to support their blog response with expert opinion.

Through this process, students learn how to quote and cite information gathered from an outside resource to support their response and they also learn how to connect their own analysis to both the original post and the research that they have gathered.

This practice reinforces the concept of supporting statements (in writing and in conversation) with valid and authoritative fact.

How can blogs be used educationally?

What does SAFETY IN SCHOOL mean? Is it fair to ask everyone to advocate for him/herself? Where does the responsibility lie for ending peer cruelty?

Example Student Response:According to Margaret Sagarese and Charlene C. Giannetti in their article The Bystander: A Bully's Often-Unrecognized Accomplice, "A Canadian study of student bystanders to bullying episodes found that 43 percent of respondents said they tried to help a victim. The remaining 57 percent stood by and watched, but did nothing. Of that number, 33 percent confessed that they should have attempted to help a victim but didn't. The other 24 percent responded, "It was none of my business.“ It is their business. Bystanders make or break bullying episodesNote: You should format your response naming the author(s) and title of your resource and properly format quotes in quotation marks. This person properly formats the quote but never seems to tie the quote to the original post and elaborate with personal thoughts/opinions in relationship to the cited source.

Sticky Wall Time:Thoughts/Project Ideas…

On an even more advanced level, students can be taught how to create their own blog, thus achieving self guided learning.

How can blogs be used educationally?

Jason Suter expanded his past project

http://hanoverscience.edublogs.org/

this year, using Blogger with 11th and 12th graders. In contrast they are maintaining their own blog page. This was more difficult for him to set up. They are using Google Reader and take a day every other week to read each others blogs. The students are following environmentalists using Reader and Twitter to find information to write about and relate to class. Would you believe that with nearly 60 posts turned in every other week, there is rarely a repeated topic?

Here are his detailed instructions on the project:https://sites.google.com/a/hanoverpublic.org/environmental/pln-and-blog-instructions

Here are his requirements for the project:https://sites.google.com/a/hanoverpublic.org/environmental/class-information/blog-requirements

How can blogs be used educationally?

Sticky Wall Time:Thoughts/Project Ideas…

The Nuts and Bolts of BloggingChecklist for blog contenthttp://www.palisadessd.org/palisadeshs/Forms/TakeSurvey.asp?PageNumber=1&SurveyID=6LH454313573G

Things to Keep in Mind:On the Cautionary Side:

Remember that everything you post is viewable by the public. If you are writing something intended for a certain audience, there is no promise that the audience the content is directed towards is the only audience viewing the content. Remember to only post professional postings and anything personal that is stated would be something that you would state to an audience representative of students, parents, administrators, colleagues, and community members.

Remember that while posting, the tone of your statements may be misconstrued or lost to your audience due to the electronic nature of your communication. Here is an interesting article which speaks to that concept.

Blog PlatformsMany sites are set up to host blogs.

Here are links to the three popular blog sites http://edublogs.orghttp://google.com/bloggerWordpress

Using NetVibes to house student blogs:http://www.netvibes.com/mrsal#Student_Blogs

Dominic Salvucci has his students author their own sites using netvibes - it is a nice way to organize the entries.

Rubrics and PLN for blogginghttp://palibrarians.wikispaces.com/Blogs

PLN Blogging Groups:http://www.classroom20.com/group/studentblogging

My Blog:http://www.palisadessd.org/6063423912582/site/default.asp

Thank you!Good Luck using blogs with your

students!

My contact info:

Karen Hornbergerkhornberger@palisadessd.orgTwitter: @khornbergerSkype: karenrhornberger