Why blog with Students

21st century learning

Because I could see the effect they had on my own learning…

http://theopenclassroom.blogspot.com/2005/12/2005-reflections.html

http://theopenclassroom.blogspot.com/2005/08/classroom-blogging-two-way-learning.html

I decided to try them with two classes in 2005

http://mcleayere1.edublogs.org/

http://erea.edublogs.org/

metacognition

I used the blogs as a means of reflecting metacognitively on their process of doing tasks for assessment. I taught them about metacognition and asked them to practice it…

LEARNING

I introduced blogging as another way of learning

Thinking and planning

http://theopenclassroom.blogspot.com/2005/08/good-day-at-chalkface.html

http://erea.edublogs.org/2005/08/29/more-on-blogging-for-learning/

What sort of learning experiences do our students need?

In the 21st century… We want learners who are motivated

to be lifelong learners Critically literate in every way Digital citizens Reflective and compassionateI’m sure you can add to this list…

CONNECTIONS

The connections they made with students in other classrooms were very funny and educational…

October 17, 2005Thanx Guys! NOT!

hey guys how r ya? can someone plaese comment on my blogs coz noone is and its getting a bit annoying. ok its not that anoying its really buggin me! wats the point of writing one of these things if nones going 2 read it? if nones going to readit then why am i writting this now? i could write heaps or absolutly nothing and noone would no the difference coz noones reads my blogs why am i even comlaining noone will b able to c how annoyd i am that im riting this for no reason. this is really anoying! im sorry this is a really angry blog! i usually write really happy ones! I DON’T LIKE BEING ANGRY. IM A HAPPY PERSON! argh! why do i even rite that coz noones gonna read it so noones gonna c wether i am a happy person or not! does any1 really care? i dont think so! i was really hoping that id c some comments on my last blogs. to no that im not wasting my time just siting here typing away hoping that someone will c wat i rote and read it and even if they do read i dont no coz noones comented! i hope that someone will read this blog and send a comment! and then u might c a happy blog! but does any1 care? i think not coz noone reads my blogs!GOODBYE! NOT!

Comments from classmates9 Comments hello emma,u need 2 relax I thought I should comment because u want someone 2 so here it is a comment lol.r u gonna c the new harry potter movie wen it comes out? we r gonna c it on december 1.well im done now bye.april Comment by April — October 19, 2005 @ 11:34 pm hey emma!Dont worry i read it! Its good that ur a happy person…i hope i am! so now that i have sent a comment i expect a happy blog next time!neway now i have to go and set up my blog account so then i can see all of your blogs!P.s wat are you doin this w/e?P.P.S We are the champions (we are goin to win 2morro!)Love Courtney xoxo Comment by Courtney — October 19, 2005 @ 11:42 pm

Comments from outsideI like the negative stuff. Comment by catlin Hi, My name is Jeff. I live in Snow Lake, Manitoba, Canada. I read your blog. I think you did a good job. It is very greatly done. Mabee you should keep writing and improving it. xoxo well, you talk really negative, and you might wnat to read over your blogs because you seem to make a lot of spelling mistakes.!! buhbi Comment by Hillary — October 24, 2005

conversationnegative stuff is funny Comment by joellee — October 24, 2005 @ 4:24 pm hey my name iss drew i live in jeff’s town and i read your blog and it’s not very well writen but anyways you should keep writing beacous your stuff ia prety funny Comment by Drew — October 24, 2005 @ 4:26 pm http://www.classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=7731

changes

These had been semester long units so I decided to try blogging with a class for a year in 2006 and chose the year eights

http://mccyeareight.learnerblogs.org/2006/02/15/other-students-blogs/

Blogs for reading

This time I used blogs to discuss their reading and viewing

http://mccyeareight.learnerblogs.org/2006/03/26/what-did-amy-learn-on-her-journey/

And poetry

Again the interactions between the students (and parents) were more than I could have hoped for.

http://princess101.learnerblogs.org/2006/04/20/poem-my-parents/

Sometimes they say things you like:

http://gracieh.learnerblogs.org/2006/08/27/teachers-2/

other times not so much (but at least they’re honest)

WHaT HaVe i LeaRNT THRouGH BLoGGiNG?: not much realli…juz how 2 actualli blog i guess

WHaT WuLD Yoo SaY 2 oTHeR YR 8′S aBouT THa PoSSiBiLiTY oF BLoGGiNG iN eNGLiSH NeXT YR?: i wuld say why. i dont realli get tha point of it

SoMe PeoPLe SaY THaT “iF BLoGGiNG iS JuZ a DiFFeReNT WaY oF LeaRiNG” WaT Do Yoo Sai aBouT THa PoSSiBiLiTie oF uSiNG BLoGS 2 LeaRN?: i dont understand how yoo learn 4rom blogs so i think it wuld b we a kinda stoopid idea….4rom my point of veiw

Writing their way into knowledge like Grace

What Have You Learned Through Blogging?

To be honest, I’m not exaclty sure what I’ve learn’t through blogging. I suppose it has helped a great deal with my typing, I’ve realised that I use a bit to much slang and I need help with my grammar (which is what we’ve been recently doing in our classes). I’ve learnt about safety issues on the internet overall, how to write a simile poem like a bird learning to fly (scroll further down for more information). I’ve researched and discovered some facts and events that have occured in world wars. This is thanks to our class novel ‘Mr. Tom’ and last I’ve learnt how to put myself in other peoples positions such as placing myself in the teachers shoes and trying to imagine how difficult it really is. So come to think of it…I’ve learnt a fair bit.

Writing about blogging like professionals: Zoe

I have read many different opinions on blogging, so I have decided to write a post based on my own idea of blogging. I have answered the questions that Mrs McLeay set for us to answer, but I have also compared my answer with what other people think.What have you learned through blogging?Fran: Through blogging I have learnt about what different people think and what issues people like to address. It has helped me come to understand what different girls in my class and around the world write and think about the same issues and the way they respond to these. Blogging is all about sharing thoughts and feelings with other people…

Zoe’s blog

http://casper.learnerblogs.org/2006/11/26/blogging-overview/

Next time round

I have learnt about blogging as well, and the same class, “Recreating the Writer”, has had better quality blogging the second time round….

Eden’s bloghttp://eden04.edublogs.org/2006/10/12/the-world/

Watching the news I’ve come to the realisation that the world is in fact breaking. Terrorist, bombs, suicide, droughts, murder the list just goes on and it makes me worry how the world got like this. How one person could have so much hate to take another ones life. It makes me cry to see how many tears have fallen for the innocent lives lost and how it only seems to be getting worse. But then I see things like little Bindy who is so brave. You see she has a great heart and the way she is carrying on her dad’s work gives me a little bit of hope that there is still more good then evil out there in the world. Cont…

Publishing poetry

While on holiday I had to write my “I am” poem and some of my inspiration came from these few things. So I would like to show you it.

I am…I am the flower and the windowI wonder how many people will see through meI hear the shattering of glassI see people try to break meI want people to see the life inside the bodyI am the flower and the window

I pretend to be something I’m notI feel ashamed of the lack of courage I haveI touch the music and the words I writeI worry they reveal to muchI cry as I know no one will hear themI am the flower and the window

I understand there are worse off then II say I know the world is breakingI dream of a day when there is know more sufferingI try to help those I canI hope one day I’ll make a differenceI am the flower and the window

Great blog posts

I decided to do what a fellow blogger suggested and recognise the good blog posts

http://mccb.edublogs.org/2006/09/14/some-great-blog-posts/

To learn

But there is still a lot to learn. I need to insist that students link to what they’re writing about to prevent people like Derek from having to take risks like this one <grin>

Keshia’s Quill: what I learnt through blogging

http://keshia08.edublogs.org/2006/11/23/what-i-leant-through-blogging/

  One. SPAM IS EVIL!!! (Sorry…too much sugar for breakfast.)

  Two. I learned a lot about the environment thanks to my fellow blogger Derek. (He wrote some real detailed stuff)Three. I found out just how easy it is to communiate with someone from another country or maybe on the other side of the world. Are you guys in Canada enjoying your…umm…is it Autumn up there?

Derek’s commentHey!! Thanks for mentioning me in your blog (Well, I hope you are talking about me, otherwise this would be humiliating ).

SPAM IS EVIL!! I remember when I got a whole lot of spam. Luckily, I have my comments sent to moderation. Also, “Bad Behaviour” blocks some spam.

I agree that you can learn lots from blogging...

The Power of Comments

As you can see the life-blood of blogging is its interconnectivity…

…comments

Shaping our learning through comments

Anne Davis muses that: “Students need practice with the standards

that are being taught. Blogging is a great way to provide that practice… helps make it authentic and important to the student. They have ownership … classroom discussions are very important… crucial to take the time to share and reflect on how the comments are shaping our learning.”

How to teach commenting (and why)

Vicki Davis in Georgia USA has a very useful blog post on this, including:

You show the blog author that "you hear them"

Beginners who comment will receive the feedback that will keep them blogging and push them to excellence

Remember the power of words

Teach commenting

Some comment starters: This made me think about…….

I wonder why…….

Your writing made me form an opinion about…….

This post is relevant because…….

Your writing made me think that we should…….

I wish I understood why…….

This is important because…….

Recent examples of class blogs

Miranda’s blog But, first of all I wanted to talk about

writing. I absolutely love writing, and it’s what I spend most of my time doing –I write to penpals, epals, people I know, myself; I keep several blogs, a journal, several folders full of random ramblings, poetry, songs, fanfiction, stories, characters… And after all this, I still don’t know what career I’m going to choose. I’d love to be something to do with writing, but my problem is I don’t know what, or even if I’m good enough… All I know is that I really love writing.

She finishes…

…And I will shut up about my story and Cael. I could go on forever, and I doubt anyone is reading this. X)

Miranda was thrilled to receive comments from England and the US among others

Year 7 bloggers

Sally, who writes and publishes poems and song lyrics

Heather, who writes about what she is thinking about – good and evil, politics and history

Some practical handoutsSETTING UP A BLOG

Blogs can be set up for free at a few different sites. - http://www.learnerblogs.org (for students) - http://www.edublogs.org (for teachers) - http://classblogmeister.com

WRITING BLOG POSTSOnce you have set up a blog, either for yourself, or for

your students, you can immediately begin writing and editing posts. It is simply like a word processor. After finishing writing, simply click save and what has been written automatically goes on the Internet for everyone to read.

PRESENTATION Your blog’s appearance can be customized. Simply

click on the Presentation tab at the top and choose the theme that you like. Many of these themes can be further customized allowing you to place a chatbox, lists of links to other places on the Internet, etc.

COMMENTS One of the main advantages of blogging is that

students can write a post and others either in the class or anywhere else around the world can write comments on them. To leave a comment, click on “Add a Comment” on the actual post and write what you would like.

WRITING GOOD POSTS

Writing online is different from writing on a piece of paper because it can have more stuff on it. For example, a blog post doesn’t only need to be written text. It can also include pictures, videos, links to other websites, etc. We use three rules for writing posts:

1. Divide long pieces of writing into pieces using sub – titles.

2. Include links, pictures, videos, etc. to give people more information.

3. Include a catchy title

Teaching with blogs and wikis

Using wikis and blogs in a classroom feels different. It should be different. It is meant to be.

According to Clarence…

Using wikis and blogs and other online tools is not meant to be something that we struggle to do, trying to find time to fit them in on top of all of the “regular” things we do in our classroom. Wikis and blogs are meant to be regular.

Motivation

Think about it. Kids are motivated. They often want to write more and they want to write better, using proper grammar and spelling because they know they have an audience who will read their work.

Interactivity and social networking

As you know, blogging isn’t the only form of social networking that is useful in education

There are also wikis…

Two recent examples of global collaboration…

The Flat Classroom Project

This is between schools in Georgia, USA and Dhaka, Bangladesh

http://flatclassroomproject.wikispaces.com/

The Horizon Project

This is between schools in Australia, USA, Bangladesh, Austria and China

http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com/

Blogging isn’t the answer to the most serious problems

But it is a tool for learning…. and I cannot now imagine learning or teaching without using blogs.

Resources not elsewhere mentioned

http://anne.teachesme.com/2007/05/11/shaping-our-learning-through-comments/

http://anne.teachesme.com/2006/02/22/thinking-about-the-teaching-of-writing/

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-comment-like-king-or-queen.html

http://jomcleay.com/year9

http://mrsmac2022.learnerblogs.org

http://remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/files/blogging_hand_out.doc

http://remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/2007/05/blogging_and_wi.html