BLOGS

Giving students a voice

A website where individuals or groups generate texts, photographs, videos and links.

Blogs in Schools

Blogs are tools and like any other tool can be used appropriately or misused.

Misused blogs occur in an educational setting most likely when there is a lack of direction.

Blogs properly used can demonstrate proper online behaviour and address issues of online safety.

Blogs also play an important role in literacy.

Why students should blog!

People will read their work

Gives students a chance to share what they have learned with others

Participating in collaborative learning projects

Inspire them to learn

Give shy students a chance to communicate with other students/individuals

Getting Started

To create your blog:

First check out my blog

Go to http://coriforbes.blogspot.com/

Create a user name and password

Start to experiment with your blog

First Assignment for your blog

Please post your response to the following question:

Persuade the board of education supporting your opinion on whether you should or shouldn’t have to wear school uniforms. Please use your own voice in your response.

Second Task

When finished your response go on to three classmates blogs and respond to their persuasive piece on school uniforms.

Please be cautious of others feelings and remember writing on a computer does not have facial expressions and students can not sense sarcasm. So be polite and thorough.

Post Articles

Please scan the Internet for articles or examples of persuasive writing.

Read through these examples and then post one on your blog

To post simple cut and paste onto your blog

Teaching Show examples of persuasive writing

Point out the voice in the examples

Do a class example of persuasive writing with voice

Edit the class example

Have students write a persuasive piece on their own choosing their own topic (give them choice)

Post their piece on their blog for the rest of the class to see.

Complete a performance wall with your students

Final Task

Using all that you have learned, researched and the rubric provided please respond to the following question:

Write a letter to the board of education persuading them to build us a bigger gym. Please use your own voice in your response.

Post your response in your blog.

Reflect on what you noticed was different from your first response to your second and now your final response.

Rubric

Reflection

Please reflect on what you liked and didn’t like about this activity

Also go to three other classmates blogs and reflect on two things they improved on and two things they could still work on. (2wishes and 2 stars)

Blogs are unlimited for literacy

Blogs can be use to:

Write book reviews with voice

Persuasive letters

Communicate with different counties and schools through writing

Share opinions on up to date facts about the world

Web assignments

Help your special education students with assignments by:

computer having the option of software that reads all the text

Modify and accommodate lessons

Programs like Dragon can be used to complete assignments , where you talk into the computer and it writes what you say

The possibilities are unlimited in what technology can do for your students that are “at risk” or regular education.