Blogging with Students - A Powerful Literacy Activity

Using blogs with students is still a hot topic.

Sue Waters posted this earlier in the year. It is a guest post by Kathleen McGeady.

Students needed to be skilled to make contributions to class blogs. Providing guidelines or scaffolds to ensure that student comments are of good quality is a starting point that will contribute much to student literacy development.

Blogging in class is about literacy and learning.

Particularly, at the secondary level, if students are to learn (content and skills) from having their own blogs, then the process needs to be scaffolded by each teacher to suit the learning outcomes of individual subjects or key learning areas.

A model reflecting the types of texts that students need to succeed in each subject will ensure maximum improvements in reading and writing skills.

Creating a Class Blog- Identifying Current Effective Practice (1)

One of the best models around is the Edublogger experience, start here:

Week 1 – Create A Class Blog | The Edublogger:

@suewaters has begun to write support and how-to posts for the latest "Student Blogging Challenge". Her blog, posts and in fact anything that Sue puts her mind to are must-reads for educators.

"The next Student Blogging Challenge starts in March and this time we’ve decided there are tasks that need to be done BEFORE your class actually takes part in the challenge.
So each week for the next six weeks we will give you a new task, with how-to info, to help you with your class blogging.
This week’s task is to create a class blog"

The week 2 task is to set up blogging rules and guidelines.
My comments:
I particularly like the "Blogging Cycle" graphic that she has created. This graphic makes explicit the key elements of the blogging process. It is a useful beginning and has started me thinking about ways to connect this Cycle to literacy and subject-related outcomes in a more explicit way for bloggers in NSW public schools.

This elaboration is a Work in Progress.

More Sites2Review

More worthy finds from my Twitter and blogger PLN.

Huge list of blogs on educational blogging.

A-Z example of educational wikis.

Programs for your computer that are fun and free.

Bloom's Flash tutorial

Should I create a new blog on a different platform?

I have been thinking about setting up a new blog.

In fact, yesterday I even got the edublogs sign-in page up and ready to go!
But, at the last minute I hesitated, thinking, do I really need another blog?

The sensible answer is probably no. The emotional answer continues to be yes.

I believe, I can separate my posts into websites useful for learning for my new blog and other types of posts to remain with this blog to ensure I do justice to two blogs.

I still use "Blog This!" an awful lot as the lazy person's way of blogging topics of interest.

I will spend time checking out the useful information at these sites.

Getting started

Check out these class blogs

New edublogs features

This is a work in progress ... what are the issues?

Creating a blog for your students. Why and How?

My digital learning journey began in 2007.
The steps are documented in one of my very first posts in 2007. My November post outlines the steps I took.

I settled for a google blog. At that time it was blogspot, soon to be renamed blogger.com

Click to begin to set up your blog using google Blogger platform or the edublogs platform.

This YouTube video may also assist.

Commoncraft produced Blogs in Plain English video.

Learning with Blogs and Wikis is a worthwhile read by Bill Ferriter in Educational Leadership.

50 Useful Blogging Tools for Teachers says it all- almost ...

Blogging: Basics and Beyond is worth a view on SlideShare.

To blog or not to blog? A post by Graham Stanley.

Nik Peachey has written Blogging as part of the community.

This post discusses blog safety

These blogs show what teachers are doing:

Global Teacher is a virtual blogging environment which exists to promote curriculum excellence through the use of Web 2.0 technology. This directory acts as a 'front door' to a virtual staff room that is filled with rich resources, global projects and examples of teachers and students using Web 2.0 technology in exciting ways.

Feeling ready to delve more deeply into the possibilities, check the blogs of these top users.

Mrs Wyatt's inspirational work on several blogs with global blogging projects.
http://tbarrett.edublogs.org/
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/07/17/the-best-practical-ed-tech-blogs/
http://electriceducator.blogspot.com/
http://mrslachance.blogspot.com/
http://classroom-technology.weebly.com/
http://marynabadenhorst.globalteacher.org.au/thinkingbrainstorming-tools/

Resources for blog posts
http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery-swgfl.html

Where to for student and teaching blogging 2009? - Part 1

On Twitter in 2008, we experienced a feast of tweets about teacher, student, class, leader blogging. There were competitions, challenges and all manner of tips for current effective practice professional and student blogging.

Here is a selection of posts I identified through Twitter. Many of these edubloggers have multiple posts on blogging effective practice.

tasteach aka Sue Wyatt and Sue Waters initiated and sustained a brilliant global student blogging competition. Student friends on Bringing us Together blog. Planning is on for 2009.

Sue Waters also launched the Improving your Blogging with the 31 Day Project. She is looking to something in 2009 also.

In her latest post she references Steve Dembo's 30 Days to Being a Better Blogger.

educationau's Blogging Corner an edna group managed by Kerrie Smith and Alison Hall ran a successful blogging project in 2008 and has plans to launch the Blogging Corner Carnival in 2009. Check out the website and prepare for the adventure.

Anne Davis wrote: Rationale for educational blogging

David Warlick has contributed Why blog?

A case for using blogs in education

The langwitches blog of Sylvia Tolisano provided some very useful lesson plan guidelines for teachers on scaffolding student blog comments.

Tom Barrett wrote: Blog post instructions

For the new school year in NZ, in a web 2.0 tools for writers teacher training session, more ideas for successful blogging are provided.

Some benefits of blogging have been articulated in the following posts:

Paul Bogush wrote in his blog: How has writing for a world wide audience changed the way you write?

Jose Picardo has written in his excellent blog: How to start you own class or subject blog

Carla Arena has written Blogging away

The blogging cycle and a number of additional links to other relevant posts.

Blogging 101

Teacher blogs for a District approach.

Teacher Weblogs

Blogs by subject

Blogs and blogging- wiki lists

Stephen Downes wrote: Grading blogging

Blog grade rubric

Clay Burell wrote: Blogger training school for a student blogging license. A silver bullet?

Maggie Giev has prepared the SlideShare presentation. Blogging for teaching and Learning

Graham Wegner wrote Reviewing our 2008 student blogs

Anne Mirtschin wrote about the problems and potential of Live Blogging in Education

The business world is also very interested in the value of blogging to the bottom line.

Business- 10 reasons to find a blog buddy and The Psychology of Blogging

Let's hear it for the blog - an interview with Tom Peters and Seth Godin provides a business perspective to blogging.

The 48 Laws of Power Applied to blogging and Blogging is like going to the gym ... for your brain

Learning from Great Blog Conversationalists

25 tips to make a blog work

These are just a sampling of posts. Let me know of the great ones I have missed in a comment.

Looking back to move forward with a plan into 2009.

The twitterverse and blogosphere have been awash with reflective posts on achievements 2008 and forward planning and goal-setting for 2009. Here are some links that will help us keep track of what some of the guru-types are thinking.

Looking back or both ways:
The Learning Circuits Blog: What did you learn about in 2008?
My Journey with Digital Pedagogy Blog: My personal review on 2008
Kim Cofino wrote on her Always learning blog: Making and Impact
Darcy Moore's post: Best of 2008
Karl Kapp in his blog Kapp Notes, answers the ASTD Big Question for January: 2009 Predictions, Remembrances and Challenges.
Read all the Big question for January posts on the Learning Circuits blog.

Some identified their top tools for 2008:
Top Ten Tools

Looking forward:
The Learning Circuits Blog: What are your Challenges, Plans and Predictions for 2009
Tony Searl 2009
Tony Searl also posted one view 2020 earlier in the year.

What those who like to spot the TRENDS:
Trends Shaping Education
Trend Blend

There are stacks of others who have been looking back to look forward with trends, predictions and plans that reach schools, classrooms and students in 2009 and beyond.

Have those mentioned here missed anything of great significance to learning?

I'll get my forward to 2009 goals up as soon as.

Mr Barrett I have got glue on my laptop… | ICT in my Classroom

Mr Barrett I have got glue on my laptop… | ICT in my Classroom:
Tom Barrett wrote on his blog:

"Although I may have led you to think that everything in the image is stuck to the laptop, I have to disappoint you! However I really like this image of my classroom because of just that sort of possibility. I want a learning environment for my class that blends the best tools for what we are doing - a blended tools approach. Whether that be a laptop and access to an online application, a headphone mic set or a gluestick. This is a natural picture of my classroom, it is not what you would see everyday, but the children think of the technology as just another tool. Long may the risk of glue on the laptops continue!

What does this image say to you?
What sort of challenges do we face as educators in creating an environment that blends the best technology tools for learning and what is considered more traditional?"

Great post, perfect graphic, short but powerful! Fit for purpose, is the key!
I print good blog posts to read on the train.
To be effective learners and teachers, we must blend the old with the new and newer and the not yet well formulated and so on ...
I want my grandchildren to colour in with beautiful Derwent colours like I did and then be next minute creating something on the computer.

It's all about learning!

Social learning - the story so far ...

I have been exploring web 2.0 applications for about ten weeks. Still, as far as opportunities go, there is no end in sight. I have signed up to around 20 of the best known social networking and bookmarking sites accessible at my workplace. So I have got the feel of what Facebook, MySpace and YouTube offer without subscribing. It is clear to me that the potential for high impact on teacher and student learning outcomes is very great! All this without the need for a great deal of imagination or high level ICT skills. Time to learn the basics is the key issue.

A brief history of the main stages of my web 2.0, social software for learning journey goes something like this.

Part 1. I heard about del.icio.us at a principal's meeting and when I continued to hear this word, I then noticed the little icon on webpages and knew it was time to sign-up. I have never looked back. This tool is very valuable and can be used in many ways to support learning. The tagging concept these tools use is becoming more and more visible on the web.

I also signed up to and still use on occasions: digg, reddit, blinklist, stumbleupon. In a later episode, I could talk about some of their unique features.

Part 2. Making an igoogle page and exploring the huge number of widgets and apps. available has been a real eye-opener. Google is upgrading its offering on a daily basis. I also set up a pageflakes page and plan to try to maintain this too. First, I need to assess whether I can access the same functions on igoogle and decide if I have the time.

Part 3. Signing up to ning a social network that offers privacy. I have since joined a number of ning groups for educators across the world. My ning page has not progressed as well as I had hoped. It's the time factor and which tool is of most immediate use.

Part 4 Signing up to slideshare. This application is fabulous! I have set up my own group as you can see. There are now around 15 members and I have worked daily to locate over 100 slideshows relevant to my group name. Google Reader has been my main source. I also have a favourites list for other specific learning area slideshows.

Part 5. Creating and maintaining this blog.

Part 6. Creating and maintaining my wiki. My wiki work has been the most labour and learning intensive. It is most definitely not beyond "under construction", but maybe that is the whole intention!

I have dipped into many other interesting poll, quiz and writing tools on the way!

Part 2 next time.

Happy web 2.0 learning!