How might a blog support the work you do?
I can see how useful a blog would be to middle school teachers who teach the same content area. We could use a blog to have conversations about the curriculum we teach. Which lessons or strategies worked or didn’t work. Also to brainstorm new ideas. Trying to arrange a common meeting time is almost impossible. Blogs would allow us to participate when our schedules permitted and would not lock us into a specified meeting time.
How might you use a blog with students?
Teaching Social Studies I have the students write a journal entry every day as an opening activity. They respond to a prompt that helps them tap into their background knowledge and begin to think about they will learn that day. If I post this prompt in a blog they reply to, it would enable them to interact with their classmates and create a community learning experience. Another possibility for a similar use would be an exit ticket where students write about the most meaningful part of the day’s lesson/activity before they leave the classroom. Students would be reflecting on their own experience and sharing it others. By testing out their thoughts and ideas with others they would begin to develop deeper critical thinking skills. How powerful!
How might they respond to a blog assignment? What concerns do you have about educational blogging?
A middle school student is social if nothing else. Communicating via technology is the way their world works. I can only imagine they would love it if their teacher not only allowed but encouraged them to use both in the classroom! The concern I have is that students must keep it appropriate. Like we saw in the teachers’ blogs, the line between professional and personal was blurry. When working with adolescents, it is extremely important to set limits and that they understand these limits and the consequences of their online behaviors.
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I love your idea about using blogs for student journaling. What a great way for them to share ideas! How do handle situations in which a student is uncomfortable with this because of weak writing skills/learning disabilities? How do help increase their comfort level?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you asked that questions because I hadn't even considered it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have my students journal I assure them it is all about putting their thoughts, ideas, opinions "on paper." I do not expect the same level of grammar or spelling that I do on graded assignments. They are only graded on participation. As long as I can understand what they are saying, they get credit for the entry.
Middle school students love to share their ideas and opinions so I really don't think they would feel uncomfortable posting their journal entry in a blog. Many students with weak writing skills or language disabilities are already using technology to communicate with their friends. I think that technology levels the field even more for these students.
Often what I do for students who have trouble getting the ideas from their brain to travel down their arm and onto the paper is to have someone transcribe for them. In a classroom with several language LD students, this could become a partner activity.
Just some thoughts . . .