A few weeks before the summer ended, my school decided to host a professional development on blogging. I decided I would go since I would have the iPads in my classroom and I am trying to incorporate as much technology as possible. As I sat in the room I realized that maybe this whole "blogging" thing wouldn't be so bad. I created a blog for my class so that each week a student could write a summary of what happened or what they learned in class that week. School has been in session for 3 weeks so far and I haven't had the chance to have my students blog yet and its killing me!
When our first assignment came out to create a blog I was excited...now I would be forced to use one and couldn't put it off any longer with other things that seemed more important. I started to look around at some other blogs and low and behold I found some awesome apps that teachers around the country are using in their iPad classrooms! Some of these apps I had never even heard of but they are wonderful! Bloggers around the world were showing projects that students had created via their blog using apps that they had recently talked about. You really believe the benefits when you look at end results.
I stumbled upon one blog from Marygrove College discussing blogging in the classroom and the benefits that it can have for children. I decided to recap their five main points and elaborate on how I feel about them as well.
1. Blogging Encourages Literacy Across the Curriculum
This is so true! Students in my class can blog about reading but then turn around and blog about how to answer a difficult math problem. Students can record themselves and input their voices or podcasts into their blog. Students can explain a science experiment and share with others in our class. Not only can students write about what they have done but blogging allows students to then discuss with fellow peers about their projects or ideas. That collaborative discussion is easily completed through a blog. Even the shy students would start to feel less embarrassed about speaking in front of others but more confident in their ideas being presented.
2. Blogging Reaches Out to the "Others"
The Online Grad team explains that the days of one size fit all classrooms are over. Kinesthetic learners will love the hands on approach to their learning and that this may be one of the first assignments that they actually enjoy or turn in on time. Blogs are not your traditional assignments that teachers give in the classroom. The fact that they can be creative in the design of their blog as well as what they incorporate into each of their posts is all up to them. It puts the learning back in the hands of the student!
3. Blogging Allows Freedom
Blogging now becomes a less threatening environment. Blogging allows students to publish their own thoughts and opinions without the fear that they may be wrong. Now of course the teacher can look for the proper grammar and sentence structure because I feel that every student whether they are writing their own opinions or writing opinions of others should be able to write properly. I feel though that students will know they are posting it online where others can see they will take that time to make sure that it looks the best it can look. With this freedom that blogging allows it also can tie in the "netiquette" for use of the internet. Many students wouldn't even think there is such a thing because they haven't been exposed to it yet. Blogging will allow students to learn about proper netiquette.
4. Blogging Builds Computer Skills
As our world continues to strive to a technology based center, computers and computer skills will be the way of the future. Blogging allows students to be able to use a computer, type, insert graphics, videos, or hyperlinks into their postings. Students have to learn how to properly cite images and words that they use from others via the internet or books. Students have to learn which media tools will help get their point across the best. Therefore they start to become "global digital citizens".
5. Blogging is Fun
Blogging is still new in the classroom and I know that when I mentioned the word "blogging" many of my students perked up because they weren't sure what it was. When I explained that one person a week would be able to write online what our class learned for the week they were jumping to see who would be the first person. If I can start them young enough I believe that writing will be a subject that these students may enjoy much more.
I truly believe that blogging has a special place in the classrooms of K-12 teachers. The benefits that can be seen just by having a classroom blog seem immense. Imagine having students so excited about sharing their learning that they can't wait to blog the following day. Blogging puts learning in the students hands and it really allows you to see if they understand a concept without your normal test or quiz. Starting tomorrow I am going to make time in my classroom for that student to be able to blog because I see how beneficial this could be to my students. I won't be using the "we ran out of time" excuse any longer.
Will you blog?
References:
If you had asked me this question a month ago, my answer would have been NO! NO WAY, I teach kindergarten! Well, my answer has changed since then. After reading about technology and the need for our students to be immersed in it, I have really woken up to the fact that students need to be exposed to technology in a meaningful and positive way. I am seriously considering starting a blog for my students this year. As a matter of fact, I started my own school website (which I was never motivated to do before) and my idea is to incorporate their blog in it. Like you, other classroom related things have taken my time and I have not been able to follow through with it so far. I do not want to give up on the idea, so reading your blog has motivated me to go on until I am able to put it into practice.
ReplyDeleteKindergarten students love sharing their work, this would be a great platform for them to know that their parents and other relatives can see their work. I’m also thinking about paring up with another teacher in the hope that my students know that they are sharing their work with other people as well.
Thank you for writing about this topic. I am looking forward to implementing blogging in my classroom and I really your students have a successful year blogging too!
Eloisa Emeregildo
Hi! I really enjoyed your topic of choice. I think the idea to have a classroom blog and have the students themselves write the blog entries is a great idea. I can see how they would each be so excited for their turn to write, and also be interested in the other blog posts because their peers wrote it. I hope it turns out to be fun and successful for you and your class!
ReplyDeleteThe points you mention are also very relevant to the classroom. I like how you mention the way different types of learners, like kinesthetic learners, would love to use blogs in the classroom. I once had a professor who had us write a small recap at the end of class about what we did or learned. He said that for some people, it helps them put all the pieces together - and it did! The jumble of words and lectures and information can really come together when you recap it in a few sentences. I can imagine blogging for the students being a very similar and helpful experience.
I also really like the idea of 'freedom' for the students, and the pride in publishing their work. I've noticed that a lot of teachers are publishing classroom books that they keep in the classroom or school library, filled with students stories or poetry. The experience for them can be really amazing because they know that this is a published piece of work other people will be reading and they had the opportunity to display their best work. The 'freedom' you mentioned in blogging can be like that for them all the time!
Let us know how the blogging goes! (:
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteYou asked at the end of your blog, "Will you blog?" And my answer to that question is of course I will blog! Currently I am teaching in a self-contained special education classroom setting with students with low cognitive functioning therefore it may be difficult for my students to blog much beyond just randomly typing letters, numbers, characters, etc. onto the screen; however this doesnt stop me. Using your five points that you referenced, blogging across my curriculum to reach out to others being free to have fun with my writing, building my writing and computer skills as a young educator.
Through blogging, I have opened a new door for my students, parents, families, colleagues, and others in the education world to a weekly journal update about educational technology in the special education classroom. This blog assignment has encouraged me to use blogging on my part to better my students through bettering my classroom. Blogging is, and should be, an important part of every educators life. Whether blogging about the days activities, student work, or to use as an upcoming events outreach for families, it can benefit in all areas of education.
I strongly encourage those, like yourself, to guide students in the freedom of expression through technology use and blogging. I am beginning to research picture symbol guided journals for online learning so that I may someday be able to have my students blogging using picture symbols to communicate much like we do through our current classroom curriculum. In the mean time, will you stop by and check out my blog about spED Tech?
http://spedtechjourney.wordpress.com/
Thanks for all your comments!
ReplyDeleteI hope all of the blogging for you all works out as well! I think it will be such a valuable learning experience for all students.
I really liked the idea of it helping clear up any misconceptions...the "recap". Actually made me think of an idea on Friday's for all students - recap moments!
Thanks again!
I really liked what you had to say about blogging. This is a new form of self-expression that combines personal opinion with a kind of journalism. Blogs are self-published on the Internet and draw an audience. This gives anyone a chance to express themselves and comment about any subject which interests them. It may turn into a conversation with others or it may be just informative. Either way, it becomes part of the public domain.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have always felt that the core competency for all kinds of literacy is reading, which supports writing, spelling, vocabulary development, comprehension, and verbal expression, I do believe that practicing these other forms of literacy is also important. If blogging will get children to write and try to express themselves, then it is worth trying. If the technology is available in the classroom, and it appears that it is, then this seems like a wonderful way to get the students to interact and practice their skills. I like the idea that even shy students can express themselves in this way until they gain confidence.
I also like that this introduces the issue of netiquette. Good manners are important, in person and online. The faster students are introduced to the concept that there are manners involved in how they present themselves in writing, the better it will be. This is a concept that we all need to address regularly with our students. Blogging provides an opportunity to learn and use many computer skills and it can be a lot of fun. I think that this is a worthwhile addition to almost any classroom setting.