Utilizing blogs in the classroom is a way to have students become highly engaged in the lesson. Having a global audience is extremely motivating for students and encourages them to be accountable for their work, (Richardson, 2009). I am new to the blogging world, but I am thrilled to jump right in and get my students engaged in this learning experience. I can see many possibilities for using blogs in my classroom that would benefit everyone involved. Initially, I would like to use a blog for publishing student work. I teach seventh grade language arts. My students have been preparing for the state writing test; therefore they have been composing several essays lately. I would like to post a writing prompt on my blog and have my students respond to it by a certain day. I would ask them to comment on one of their classmates ideas, and make a suggestion for improvement to the area of content and mechanics to a classmate using their writing rubric.
I think that this is a great tool for the instructional context because the students will have that global audience, (Richardson, 2009). They will have the ability to read their classmates essays, and foster new ideas based on what they have read. The students will be peer-editing, and can receive feedback not only from their peers, but from myself and their parents too! In Richardson's book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms he states, "Comments are a powerful motivator of student writing in blogs, especially when those comments come from sources outside of the classroom walls," (Richardson, 2009, pg. 30). Until now, I never realized how useful blogs can be. I am discovering many ways to use them with my students each and every day!
Stacy,
ReplyDeleteI love your idea! While I teach 6th grade, I keep the 8th grade state writing test in mind as I work with my kids on their writing skills. I have learned the more I have them write, the better the ideas in their writing seems to improve. Blogging seems to be a perfect way to encourage students to write and providing a writing prompt will work really well.
What is the socioeconomic makeup of your your students? I ask beause I have the issue of those students who do not have access to computers at home. I do have one extra computer in my classroom and will allow students to come in before school or stay after school to work with the computer, but not all of my students will be able to do so because of transportation issues. If you have this issue, what are your plans? Another idea I thought of was having computer lab time once a week, but my time with my students is so limited, this too seems to be an impossibility.
I love the idea of blogging and feel the same excitement you seem to feel towards the idea. My only concern is my less fortunate students and hope you might provide some ideas.
Trina
Hello Stacy,
ReplyDeleteYour idea is great and I agree with Trina. These blogs are a great idea and the students will love it and do so much learning! Another concern might be the accessability of student information. Do you know how you will approah this with parents and how you will prepare students for these issues? You might be able to get ideas from a teacher who has already done some blogging in the classroom and Richardson suggests ensuring that everyone, "students, parents and administers know the expectations and the reasoning behind it" (Richarson, W. 2009). You may already have a plan for this and if so, share some tips with me!
References
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press