Technological Aid

to

Collaborative Learning

By: Alex Mahony

A Weblog is an interactive Website in which the author can publish/post information to the Internet from any connection

Other teachers and students can respond or add on to any posting on the Blog

They are easily created and updated

They are the most popular Read/Write application on the Web

Enables the utilization of the Internet as a pool of knowledge

Enables your students to connect with other students from other schools, states, even countries

Facilitates reflection on lessons

Can serve as a record-keeping device on what lessons were covered and when

Supports different learning styles among students

Post class-related information (calendars, syllabus, homework assignments)

Provide examples of classwork

Gather/organize internet resources to help find deeper meaning of the content

Allow students to post ideas, helpful hints, or keep as a journal

Allow parents to be involved in what is going on in class

Keep a log of experiences from lesson to lesson

Describe what works/doesn’t work for specific lessons

Explain insights gained from class experience

Post activities, assessments, other resources, etc.

Go to www.blogger.com

Create a Blog

When you are ready, click on

Follow the simple step-by-step process

Press at the end of the page

Be CREATIVE and RELEVANT

Press at the end of the page

Now set your blog up however you like…

From the Dashboard tab, you can…

•add a new post

•edit an existing post

•change your settings

•change your layout

You can add a post by clicking on New Post

To edit or remove a post, click on Edit Post

Under the SETTINGS tab, and then

PERMISSIONS, you can choose to:

•Add or remove authors within your blog

•Allow or restrict readers of your blog

Change the template, add pictures, headings, …

Customize the look of your blog

“Play around” with the tabs and functions not only to make your page attractive and user-friendly, but also to make sure you can explain all of the necessary operations to your students

Remember, they will probably know more than you in this subject. BE RECEPTIVE to their ideas. After all, we are doing this for THEM.

Enjoy Blogging!!!

Alternative Assessment: Have students research and post possible occupations, real-life situations, uses, etc. for the different lessons that are taught. This will not only alleviate the common question, “When will I ever need to use this in my life?” but may also help students begin to think about different career choices. This could be a periodic assignment for your students.

NJCCCS: 4.3C – Use functions to model real-world phenomena

Designate one student each night to post homework solutions, class notes, etc. on the blog to keep any student who was absent “up to date” with the rest of the class. If you do not designate the student ahead of time, it should ensure that each student will take good notes and pay close attention to what is going on in class each day.

Designate a student to post any important formula from class, and then apply the formula to a couple of example problems. This will provide a class log of work that was covered, as well as provide extra notes for students to study from.

NJCCCS: 4.3A - Use models and algebraic formulas to represent and analyze sequences and series

Create a social bookmarking section in your blog and have students find and post interesting and relevant websites that can be used to help explain the topics that are covered in class. This will heighten awareness and uses of the subject matter that we teach them, as well as offer other ways to view the material.

Allow the students to post questions from class discussions on the Weblog. The teacher can choose to allow other students to post answers, explanations, and examples to these questions. If a student answer isn’t posted within a certain time limit, then the teacher can give the answer (extra credit can be given for quality answers given by students)

Offer the Weblog for other students not in your class, maybe as an SAT question bank. Set up a section in which students can post specific SAT questions that they cannot solve, and allow other students to offer up suggestions and answers.

Richardson, Will (2009). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms 2nd

ed. California: Corwin Press