Why Blog with Students

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Why Blog with Students

• 21st century learning

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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/class
  room-blogging-two-way-learning.html

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I decided to try them with two classes in 2005

• http//mcleayere1.edublogs.org/
• http//erea.edublogs.org/

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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

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LEARNING

• I introduced blogging as another way of learning

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Thinking and planning

• http//theopenclassroom.blogspot.com/2005/08/good-
  day-at-chalkface.html
• http//erea.edublogs.org/2005/08/29/more-on-bloggi
  ng-for-learning/

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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 compassionate
• Im sure you can add to this list

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CONNECTIONS

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

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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 DONT 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!

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Comments from classmates

• 9 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 _at_ 1134 pm
• hey emma!Dont worry i read it! Its good that ur
  a happy personi 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 _at_ 1142
  pm

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Comments from outside

• I 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

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conversation

• negative stuff is funny
• Comment by joellee October 24, 2005 _at_ 424 pm
• hey my name iss drew i live in jeffs town and i
  read your blog and its not very well writen but
  anyways you should keep writing beacous your
  stuff ia prety funny
• Comment by Drew October 24, 2005 _at_ 426 pm
• http//www.classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_
  id7731

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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/o
  ther-students-blogs/

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Blogs for reading

• This time I used blogs to discuss their reading
  and viewing
• http//mccyeareight.learnerblogs.org/2006/03/26/w
  hat-did-amy-learn-on-her-journey/

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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/po
  em-my-parents/

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Sometimes they say things you like

• http//gracieh.learnerblogs.org/2006/08/27/teache
  rs-2/

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other times not so much (but at least theyre
honest)

• WHaT HaVe i LeaRNT THRouGH BLoGGiNG? not much
  reallijuz 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

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Writing their way into knowledge like Grace

• What Have You Learned Through Blogging?
• To be honest, Im not exaclty sure what Ive
  learnt through blogging. I suppose it has helped
  a great deal with my typing, Ive realised that I
  use a bit to much slang and I need help with my
  grammar (which is what weve been recently doing
  in our classes). Ive 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). Ive researched and
  discovered some facts and events that have
  occured in world wars. This is thanks to our
  class novel Mr. Tom and last Ive 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 itIve learnt a fair bit.

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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

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Zoes blog

• http//casper.learnerblogs.org/2006/11/26/bloggin
  g-overview/

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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.

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Edens blog

• http//eden04.edublogs.org/2006/10/12/the-world/
• Watching the news Ive 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 dads work gives me a
  little bit of hope that there is still more good
  then evil out there in the world. Cont

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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.

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I am

• I am the flower and the window
• I wonder how many people will see through me
• I hear the shattering of glass
• I see people try to break me
• I want people to see the life inside the body
• I am the flower and the window
• I pretend to be something Im not
• I feel ashamed of the lack of courage I have
• I touch the music and the words I write
• I worry they reveal to much
• I cry as I know no one will hear them
• I am the flower and the window
• I understand there are worse off then I
• I say I know the world is breaking
• I dream of a day when there is know more
  suffering
• I try to help those I can
• I hope one day Ill make a difference

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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-bl
  og-posts/

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To learn

• But there is still a lot to learn. I need to
  insist that students link to what theyre writing
  about to prevent people like Derek from having to
  take risks like this one

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Keshias Quill what I learnt through blogging

• http//keshia08.edublogs.org/2006/11/23/what-i-le
  ant-through-blogging/
•   One. SPAM IS EVIL!!! (Sorrytoo 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 yourummis it Autumn up
  there?

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Dereks comment

• Hey!! 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...
  

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The Power of Comments

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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Recent examples of class blogs
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Mirandas blog

• But, first of all I wanted to talk about writing.
  I absolutely love writing, and its 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 dont
  know what career Im going to choose. Id love to
  be something to do with writing, but my problem
  is I dont know what, or even if Im good enough
  All I know is that I really love writing.

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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

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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

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Some practical handouts

• SETTING 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 POSTS
• Once 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.

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• PRESENTATION
• Your blogs 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.

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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 doesnt 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

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Teaching with blogs and wikis

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

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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.

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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.

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Interactivity and social networking

• As you know, blogging isnt the only form of
  social networking that is useful in education
• There are also wikis

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Two recent examples of global collaboration

• The Flat Classroom Project
• This is between schools in Georgia, USA and
  Dhaka, Bangladesh
• http//flatclassroomproject.wikispaces.com/

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The Horizon Project

• This is between schools in Australia, USA,
  Bangladesh, Austria and China
• http//horizonproject.wikispaces.com/

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Blogging isnt 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.

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Resources not elsewhere mentioned

• http//anne.teachesme.com/2007/05/11/shaping-our-l
  earning-through-comments/
• http//anne.teachesme.com/2006/02/22/thinking-abou
  t-the-teaching-of-writing/

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• http//coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-
  comment-like-king-or-queen.html
• http//jomcleay.com/year9
• http//mrsmac2022.learnerblogs.org

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• http//remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/file
  s/blogging_hand_out.doc
• http//remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/2007
  /05/blogging_and_wi.html