Blogging is a buzzword in some education circles right now. Many teachers find the concept intriguing, but want to know: how will this help my classroom and my students?
As a veteran blogger, I have used several approaches to classroom blogging and there have been benefits to each.
The Occasional Update
When I first started blogging, I only updated about every two weeks. I used the blog as a place to publish pictures and descriptions of activities. I sent home a slip of paper each time the blog was updated, inviting parents to view the post.
The Student-Authored Blog
One of my favorite blogging experiences was when I introduced my students to Kidblog. I was inspired by a local tech-savvy colleague, who already had her Kindergarteners blogging. I knew if they could do it, my students could too! After much research, I discovered the idea of paper blogging. This offline, yet very visual study of what blogging looks and feels like was a great way to begin teaching digital citizenship before my students actually ventured into cyberspace. When the students were ready for the real thing, we used our curriculum's already-established writing assignments and submitted them on Kidblog. Students made thoughtful comments and began to explore the back-and-forth communication that defines the online, collaborative world. This has been my favorite type of blogging to date, and I will definitely pursue this again if I return to the classroom in the future.
The Information Center
A classroom blog can be an information hub that parents and students love to visit regularly. As a teacher, my purpose for blogging changed when I discovered (in "Gadgets" for Blogger) that I could have parents subscribe via email. Over 75% of the parents had email and checked it regularly, so I began updating several times per week. My posts varied to include announcements, reminders, and celebrations of classroom events and accomplishments. I printed each post to send home with families that did not have access. Parents responded with positive comments about how connected they felt to our classroom and how much it changed their conversations with their child about school.
The Communication and Learning Tool
Now that I am in a new role as a Technology Integration Specialist, I have started a new blog for that purpose. My blog is now directed toward the teachers in my district. I post once or twice per week, presenting ideas and tips. I purposely keep the content short and include pictures. Some posts continue into lengthy explanations (to be read by teachers that desire to learn more about that topic). I know that a teacher's time is valuable, and they need to know by reading the title or first few lines of the post whether the content is relevant for their needs.
The Guide for other Teachers
I have never authored this type of blog, but I follow many who do. Matt Gomez and Erin Klein are two of my favorites. Their websites offer regular tips, examples, and links to help the rest of us in our technology integration journey.
Blogging has been an integral tool in my classroom for connecting with parents, providing information, and helping students become good digital citizens. By blogging, a class joins and connects with parents and students in the digital arena.
Have you tried blogging? What has been successful for you?
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. I am very new to blogging, so it was great to be able to read what you have already accomplished and the success that you and your students have experienced. I plan on using my blog as an informational platform. I also appreciated links that you provided. The paper blogging sounds like a technique that I would like to explore further. I am exited as I really feel that blogging will be an excellent tool to engage my parents and community members in what is happening in the art room. I imagine this will lead to more and more student participation, interaction and collaboration. Just curious though, your title LEARNING CURVE...lead me to believe that you were a blogging novice...you are way further UP on the curve then me. Thanks for the detailed description of your success!
Julie
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteJust like Julie, I am also new to blogging. Your post provided me insight into the ways on how to use blogs as effective communication tools outside the classroom. I have been hesitant to start blogging in my classroom because in my current school, there is not a single teacher who uses blogs. I was unsure if my students would be able to participate effectively, properly, and safely. After reading your suggestion on using paper blogging, I now feel that I can ease into the blogging world one step at a time. This enables me to show my students how to respond to a post and I can provide valuable feedback on their effectiveness of their comment. I can then create an online blog for the classroom where my students as well as parents are able to post his or her responses, which will hopefully lead to meaningful discussions held outside the classroom. However, what would I do if I don't get parent consent for a student to participate? I would not want to make a student feel left out. Could I maybe allow another student to share his or her thoughts anonymously?
Also, thanks for sharing the two blogs that you follow. I found them to be very informative and I also subscribed to their blog. I am looking forward to reading more of your posts and learning from a veteran blogger.
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI too, am very new to blogging. I subscribed to your feed as well as the two you bloggers you mention in your post. I am hopeful that I will be able to learn a bit more and pick up some ideas from your posts. The more I read about the blogging, the more excited I get. Thank you for the inspiration.
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! It appears that you are a very seasoned blogger in your classroom. Good for you. I really liked your idea of the paper blog. I am planning using this activity with my class prior to launching them to the World Wide Web. I think an activity like this well be good exposure for my students and it will give me the opportunity to talk about Web safety and blogging etiquette.
Thank you for your recommendations for other people you follow. I will definitely add them to my feed. I know you said that you haven't authored a blog like this before, but I must say, I found it very helpful. Keep at it.
David
Thanks, everyone, for your positive comments. I am glad that my experiences can be helpful to others who are starting out. With technology, I feel that I am always on a Learning Curve and each new thing I try is an experiment! The students benefit when they are involved in the experiment as well. Parents benefit when tech allows them a window into their child's learning. I am eager to learn more and share that learning with others.
ReplyDelete