I can already tell this may be a LONG post, so here is a summary:
* Exploring why you would want to use a blog and how it can be an effective classroom tool.
* How to create a blog on Google Blogger (which is similar to most other blog platforms).
* Ideas for setting up lesson plans using blogs.
* Thoughts and additional info about all of the above.
The amazing thing is that I am going to do this all using (mostly) one website! Oretha's lesson was set up as a self-paced learning experience, and I have her permission to share the wiki for the class. I think sharing this wiki is a great way not only to share the learning about blogs (and there are plenty of links that can enrich your learning - I know, I've been clicking on them for several days), but also to show how you can use a wiki to structure a lesson for students (just remember, in this one, you are the student).
First thing, before class, when teachers were signing in, Oretha had a pre-assignment for reading blogs or about them. I, as usual, didn't arrive until just time for class, but was so glad I could check these out at home.
The workshop wiki is found here.
From the front page you see the 3 essential questions, the three objectives/tasks, and a TeacherTube video (which may not load well - come back to it if you want). That's all, clear and simple (remember, this is a model that you can use with students. Keep it simple and uncluttered, to help them focus).
On the right-hand side, under the heading "Sidebar," you will see a Home button and three others, corresponding to the three objectives. You just click on the first one, Explore, and follow the directions. We had time limits on our agenda to keep us moving forward, but otherwise were allowed to select, skim, or read more deeply from a list of articles, as we wanted. I'm intrigued by the idea of what a 7th grader would do with a similar choice. But I also loved that I could go on with the assignment and look up more info later (I always struggle with ideas for enrichment, and here is a brilliant solution).
When you get to the 2nd objective, Create, please take the time to look at the planning hints that are given. It helps you and your students to have a common theme or title. It makea all your web tools easier to remember and find. How many of you have started something at a training and then forgotten the URL or sign-in information? Use a theme that you know you will remember, or alliteration (your name and another word that starts with the same letter). Use something that will help students remember where to find you, and use it consistently. I didn't take this advice, and now have a wiki and a protopage and a blog with different themes/titles. Think about it before you sign up. Once you have entered a URL (check availability before submitting!!!), you will not be able to change it. You can change the passwords, blog titles, and almost everything else, but that URL is yours for good. Another good reason to double check spelling. :)
By the way, if your brilliant idea for a url/theme is taken, just add a little something to make it unique, like your school initials or separating the words with a hyphen or using a text abbreviation like 2 or U. Remember, the goal is to find something easy for you and students to remember.
For Design, the third objective, you won't need to create a poster or give a presentation, but notice how the wiki combines individual and group work with whole group presentation. This kind of lesson excites me, and I want to do more like it in my classroom. I wasn't as excited by the lesson plan forms - I'm still looking for one that I like.
There are also a couple of other links on the sidebar and even down in the "credit" that I clicked and explored. That is the nature of Internet communication, surfing from one place to another to another and another, finding connections we don't expect.
You may have noticed that the first 3 bullets on my summary above pretty much match those 3 objectives on the wiki. If you want to know about those, I challenge you to use the wiki to teach yourself. You can do it, just like we did in class. But I'll be happy to help, if you need me. Just email or post a comment here.
There were some additional things we discussed in class, as well. We talked about various uses for a blog. Maybe you want to create a blog just as a one-way communication tool between you and your students/parents. You don't have to enable the comments feature. You can just TELL. You could also post links to online articles or embed photos or videos that extend your assignments. Students seem to be willing to explore information online that they avoid in a textbook, especially if the digital information has movement or sound. We're all a little ADD, I guess.
Or you might want to post discussion questions and allow/assign students to comment to that post. If you have clicked around on the Explore page above, you will find examples of teachers who use this tool in class. Doing this may require you to sign the students in somehow, either by letting each of them sign up for Blogger accounts (must have their own individual email accounts to do this) or by creating a class account and sharing the sign-in and password (which might give them too much ability to change things you don't want changed). Look around, see what other teachers are doing, and copy what you like.
Students may require some guidelines for posting comments, or a rubric for grading their comments. I think there are some examples in the many links on the wiki, but I will also share some I have found in a later post.
Blogger has been blocked and unblocked by the district. Oretha has started the process of requesting that it remain unblocked. I feel confident enough of her success that I am (obviously) using Blogger for the two blogs I created for class - including this one. Should the district not unblock it, there are other options that are still available. Maybe I'll save that for my next post, too.
After all, you're supposed to be exploring that wiki! What are you doing still reading this?
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