Blogging in the ClassroomBlogging in the Classroom

By: Lindsay PowersBy: Lindsay Powers

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Table of ContentsTable of Contents• Tital Page Tital Page Slide 1 Slide 1• Table of ContentsTable of Contents Slide 2 Slide 2• ““Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools

for Educators” Summary 1for Educators” Summary 1 Slide 3 Slide 3• ““Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools

for Educators” Summary 2for Educators” Summary 2 Slide 4 Slide 4• Personal ReflectionPersonal Reflection Slide 5 Slide 5• ““Classroom Blogging: two fundamental approaches” Summary 1Classroom Blogging: two fundamental approaches” Summary 1

Slide 6Slide 6• ““Classroom Blogging: two fundamental approaches” Summary 2Classroom Blogging: two fundamental approaches” Summary 2

Slide 7Slide 7• Personal ReflectionPersonal Reflection Slide 8 Slide 8• ““Blogging in (and out of) the Classroom” Summary 1Blogging in (and out of) the Classroom” Summary 1 Slide 9 Slide 9• ““Blogging in (and out of) the Classroom” Summary 2Blogging in (and out of) the Classroom” Summary 2 Slide 10Slide 10• Personal Reflections Slide 11• Conclusion Slide 12• Works Cited Slide 13

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Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools for "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools for

EducatorsEducators

● ● Before blogging was introduced Before blogging was introduced into the classroom people all into the classroom people all over the world used blogging over the world used blogging everyday to upload videos, everyday to upload videos, pictures, and text. Educators pictures, and text. Educators have been slower to adopt blogs have been slower to adopt blogs in the classroom for several in the classroom for several reasons, but as more people reasons, but as more people become familiar with blogs more become familiar with blogs more teachers are finding that it is a teachers are finding that it is a much easier way to communicate much easier way to communicate with parents, students, and with parents, students, and publish student work. Schools are publish student work. Schools are finding that it has become a much finding that it has become a much cheaper way to communicate with cheaper way to communicate with others and even manage courses others and even manage courses and student’s through a blog. and student’s through a blog. 3

Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools for "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools for

EducatorsEducators

● ● An example of a website an elementary school used to communicate with An example of a website an elementary school used to communicate with parents and keep them informed about the latest updates about the school parents and keep them informed about the latest updates about the school : :

[http://[http://lewiselementary.orglewiselementary.org/]/]

● ● A blog that a school used to publish a book the class had collectively written A blog that a school used to publish a book the class had collectively written was to show the parents what the students had completed. was to show the parents what the students had completed.

[http://weblogs.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/beesparents][http://weblogs.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/beesparents]

● ● Tools like these are very helpful for a school to use. Using a blog is free and Tools like these are very helpful for a school to use. Using a blog is free and a school can avoid the costs of sending out letters or flyers to keep in a school can avoid the costs of sending out letters or flyers to keep in touch with parents. touch with parents. 4

Personal ReflectionPersonal Reflection

• This site is great for a teacher to read before This site is great for a teacher to read before deciding to use blogging in the classroom. This deciding to use blogging in the classroom. This site tells what kinds of blogs to you that are safe site tells what kinds of blogs to you that are safe and it also gave examples of how to use the blogs and it also gave examples of how to use the blogs and in what ways you van reach out to the and in what ways you van reach out to the community. The article also points out what a community. The article also points out what a benefit it would be to the school financially. Using benefit it would be to the school financially. Using flyers or mailing out weekly letters to the parents flyers or mailing out weekly letters to the parents can be costly for the school. Using a blog is can be costly for the school. Using a blog is completely free and parents can check it out completely free and parents can check it out whenever it is most convenient to them. whenever it is most convenient to them. 5

Classroom Blogging: two Classroom Blogging: two fundamental approachesfundamental approaches

• This article was about This article was about taking two different taking two different approaches to blogging approaches to blogging in the classroom. The in the classroom. The first approach is to get first approach is to get students to blog is students to blog is through extrinsic factors through extrinsic factors of quantitative evaluation of quantitative evaluation and accountability. This and accountability. This mean that the teacher mean that the teacher gives the students gives the students assignments to blog assignments to blog about and then keeps about and then keeps track of how often they track of how often they post their work. post their work.

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Classroom Blogging: two Classroom Blogging: two fundamental approachesfundamental approaches

• The second approach involves The second approach involves drawing upon the factors of drawing upon the factors of motivation intrinsic to each motivation intrinsic to each student. This means that the student. This means that the teachers motivates them to teachers motivates them to write about their interests, post write about their interests, post photos and get involved in photos and get involved in social networking. This is more social networking. This is more qualitative blogging than qualitative blogging than quantitative, which is what the quantitative, which is what the first approach recommended. first approach recommended. The point of this type of The point of this type of blogging is to show the students blogging is to show the students that using computers in this way that using computers in this way can be fun and expressive. can be fun and expressive.

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Personal ReflectionsPersonal Reflections

• I found this article was extremely helpful. It suggested I found this article was extremely helpful. It suggested how teachers introduce blogging and using computers how teachers introduce blogging and using computers in the classroom. The article mentioned taking two in the classroom. The article mentioned taking two different approaches to this task. The first one being different approaches to this task. The first one being using homework assignments to make students use using homework assignments to make students use the blogging system and the second one using the the blogging system and the second one using the student’s personal interests the motivate and student’s personal interests the motivate and encourage them to explore blogging and social encourage them to explore blogging and social networking. Either approach is very affective. The networking. Either approach is very affective. The students will become familiar with blogging and how students will become familiar with blogging and how to use computers. They will soon start blogging with to use computers. They will soon start blogging with their peers on their own time.their peers on their own time.

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Blogging in (and out of) the ClassroomBlogging in (and out of) the Classroom

• This article gave a lot of helpful tip to encourage the student to This article gave a lot of helpful tip to encourage the student to start start blogging. It also gave different situations that real blogging. It also gave different situations that real teachers used to introduce blogging into the classroom. The teachers used to introduce blogging into the classroom. The Link below tells how a teacher got her 4Link below tells how a teacher got her 4thth, 5, 5th,th, 8 8thth , and 9 , and 9thth grade students to participate in cultural blogging. grade students to participate in cultural blogging.

  http://murcha.wordpress.com/2008/11/20/blogging-across-cultures/ http://murcha.wordpress.com/2008/11/20/blogging-across-cultures/

● ● This second teacher made a Biology blogging site to keep students This second teacher made a Biology blogging site to keep students informed about classes and activities. They called it informed about classes and activities. They called it

This Biology class blog This Biology class blog 

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Blogging in (and out of) the ClassroomBlogging in (and out of) the Classroom

• The second part of this article was giving seven tips to help The second part of this article was giving seven tips to help students start blogging. The tips are:students start blogging. The tips are:

– Post a homework question.Post a homework question.– Start a discussion.Start a discussion.– Invite outsiders to comment on student work.Invite outsiders to comment on student work.– Have students post discussion questions for tomorrow’s class. Have students post discussion questions for tomorrow’s class. – Have students post their notes for the day.Have students post their notes for the day.– Have students create their own blogs for independent study. Have students create their own blogs for independent study.

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Personal ReflectionsPersonal Reflections

● ● I found this article very helpful. Although some of I found this article very helpful. Although some of the information was repeated from the previous the information was repeated from the previous two articles, I did find the seven tips to be helpful. two articles, I did find the seven tips to be helpful. This article would be great for a new teacher to This article would be great for a new teacher to read before deciding to start introducing blogging read before deciding to start introducing blogging into the classroom. This article was very straight into the classroom. This article was very straight forward and it practically did everything but teach forward and it practically did everything but teach the lesson itself. It put together the tips and how the lesson itself. It put together the tips and how to use them. The tips help to motivate the to use them. The tips help to motivate the students to get involved. students to get involved.

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ConclusionConclusion

• After reading the three articles about how to use blogging After reading the three articles about how to use blogging in the classroom I am convinced it is a smart and efficient in the classroom I am convinced it is a smart and efficient way to teach students. Blogging gives the students a chance way to teach students. Blogging gives the students a chance to express themselves. This can be a great self-esteem to express themselves. This can be a great self-esteem builder. Other students are able to comment on their work builder. Other students are able to comment on their work and give them positive feedback. It is also a good way for and give them positive feedback. It is also a good way for students to look at their work a little better. With blogging students to look at their work a little better. With blogging the teacher is not the only one looking at the assignment. the teacher is not the only one looking at the assignment. Parents and other students will be able to look and comment Parents and other students will be able to look and comment on the pages. This might give the student a little extra on the pages. This might give the student a little extra motivation to do a better job or “clean up” the homework motivation to do a better job or “clean up” the homework they have just completed. I am very confident that I will be they have just completed. I am very confident that I will be using blogging with my students in my future classroom. using blogging with my students in my future classroom.

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Works CitedWorks Cited

Campbell, A. (2005). Campbell, A. (2005). Classroom Blogging: two fundamental approaches.Classroom Blogging: two fundamental approaches. Retrieved June 22,2009, from Retrieved June 22,2009, from http://dekita.org/articles/classroom-http://dekita.org/articles/classroom-blogging-two-fundamental-approachesblogging-two-fundamental-approaches

Blogging in (and out of) the classroom. (2009) Retrieved JuneBlogging in (and out of) the classroom. (2009) Retrieved June 22,2009, from 22,2009, from http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/05/blogging-in-and-out-of-http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/05/blogging-in-and-out-of-the-classroom/the-classroom/

Richardson, W. (2004). Blogging and RSS — Richardson, W. (2004). Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and "How To" of The "What's It?" and "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools for Educators. Powerful New Web Tools for Educators. Retrieved June 22,2009, from Retrieved June 22,2009, from http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan04/richardson.shtmlhttp://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan04/richardson.shtml

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