Post on 08-Jul-2015
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Engaging Students in Math Blogging Activities
Amanda Casto7th grade math teacherDruid Hills Academy, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Session Objectives
▪ Create awareness of this cross-curricular and 21st-century tool for demonstrating mathematical mastery.
▪ Model the benefits of student-blogging for multiple purposes.
▪ Inspire teachers with take-away tips to increase student reasoning and writing about mathematics in the classroom.
Blogging Background
▪ 2012– Began personal blog about (math) education, thatmathlady.wordpress.com
▪ 2013– Used Kidblog.org to introduce middle school students to blogging in STEAM
elective class
▪ 2014– 7th grade math students write entries for a grade-level blog posts,
castoscalculators.wordpress.com
What is a blog?
▪ Originates from the word “weblog”
▪ An informational site devoted to a specific topic, cause, or issue
▪ Interactive (audience can leave comments)
▪ Journal
▪ Reverse chronological order (most recent entries displayed at the top of the page)
Why blog about math?
▪ Communicate ideas
▪ Opportunity for students to authentically think, talk, and write about their problem solving
▪ Display projects and achievements by embedding pictures and videos
▪ Summarize and evaluate learning
▪ Increase global and technical competence
▪ Promote literacy across curriculums
Why should your students blog?
▪ Blogging creates an opportunity for student engagement in the learning (synthesis, analysis and evaluation) process.
▪ Students can demonstrate their knowledge using technology and literacy
▪ Feedback can be given to students via blog comments
Setting it up!
One whole-class blog
▪ Ideal for the classroom that lacks technological devices
▪ The teacher or a student-editor maintains one blog site for the class.
▪ Blog posts are general and includes written content from multiple students.
▪ Students submit their blog submissions via email, Dropbox, Edmodo, etc. and the main editor adds content to one blog.
▪ More blog sites available
Multiple individual student blogs
▪ Ideal for 1:1 classrooms
▪ Each student is in charge of their own site, including the format, background, font, etc.
▪ Students have the ability to write, revise and edit their own entries.
▪ Blogging sites such as Edublogs and Kidbloghave a maximum number of students that can blog on an account (keep this in mind if you have a large class).
▪ Fewer blog sites available (safety)
Blog Name
Post Title
Introduction
Student blog entries
Opportunities for Student Blogging
▪ Before a unit (sharing prior knowledge)
▪ After a lesson (exit ticket)▪ What did you learn?
▪ What questions do you still have?
▪ What “stuck” with you?
▪ Did you enjoy today’s lesson? What could be improved to enhance your learning?
▪ After a field trip
▪ Post-test
▪ Summarize a project (perfect to conclude a problem-based or project-based lesson)
Student Work Example 1
Student Work Example 2
Student Work Example 3
Tips on Enhancing Student Blogging
▪ Allow students to explore!
▪ Encourage students to use media in their blogs: practice embedding photos, clip art, comic strips, cartoons, or videos
▪ Assess students’ demonstration of mastering standards of math practice (ex: ability to reason abstractly, persevere in solving problems, modeling with math, using appropriate tools, etc.)
▪ Focus assessment more on creativity and content, less on grammar and writing mechanics
▪ Use comments to give constructive feedback
▪ Allow students to revise their blogs after they have been assessed by their peers
Want more blogging resources?Visit: thatmathlady.wordpress.com/blogging/
Amanda R. Casto, M.S.Ed.
amandar.casto@cms.k12.nc.us
Twitter: @thatmathlady