Blogging for the Classroom Spiro Bolos New Trier High School spirobolos.blogspot.com
What is a blog?
“Blogs in Plain English” | from commoncraft.com
“If you are in the position where you need to take a white person to lunch for business or pleasure, saying “I know a great sandwich shop,” will always bring out a smile. The white person will then tell you about the great sandwich shop in the town where they went to college and how they had a crush on a waiter, or that there was some special sandwich that they always ordered. This will put the person in a good mood.”
What is Blogging for the Classroom?
What is Blogging for the Classroom?
Hosting online discussions
What is Blogging for the Classroom?
Creating Class Publications
What is Blogging for the Classroom?
Sharing your lesson plans
Organizing What is Blogging for the Classroom? your activity/event
What is Blogging for the Classroom?
Creating a functional website
Rationales
John S. O’Connor
Wheaton, IL
Winnetka, IL
“Why Facebook Is for Old Fogies”
“It's a teachable moment...an opportunity to address the differences between formal and informal writing. They learn to make the distinction...just as they learn not to use slang terms in formal writing.” — Amanda Lenhart, senior research specialist at Pew
“The Pedagogy of Weblogs”
“Weblogs are truly a constructivist tool for learning.�
“Weblogs truly expand the walls of the classroom.”
“[B]logs archive the learning that teachers and students do.�
“[T]he Weblog is a democratic tool that supports different learning styles.�
“Weblogs can enhance the development of expertise in a particular subject.�
“[B]logs can teach students the new literacies they will need to function in an ever expanding information society.�
“There are many skills and concepts that need to be addressed...to foster these new literacies. It is not just a matter of transferring classroom writing into digital spaces. Teachers need to address...how to cite and link and why, how to use the comment tool in pedagogical ways, how to read web materials more efficiently...�
“Blogging requires us to teach students to critically engage media....[h]ow to become efficient navigators in these digital spaces where they will be obtaining a majority of their information.” — Anne Davis, Georgia State University
Types of Classroom Blogs
Teacher-centric
Student-centric
“...sometimes it did not even seem like a homework assignment.” — Sara D., Class of 2009
Student Blog
Student Blog Student Blog
Student Blog Student Blog
Student Blog
Aide Student Blog
Home Blog (Teacher)
Student Blog
Student Blog Student Blog
Student Blog Student Blog
Student Blog “Outsider�
Student Blog
Home Blog (Teacher)
www.anamericanstudies.com
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[from the Pew Internet and American Life Project: “Writing, Technology and Teens”]
“Forty-seven percent of teen bloggers write outside of school for personal reasons several times a week or more, compared with 33 percent of teens without blogs....
Teens also report that writing for an audience motivates them to write well and more frequently — and blogs are one way of providing this type of audience.” — “Blogging Helps Encourage Teen Writing”, eSchool News
How private is this?
Closed
Closed
Open
Open
What tools do I need?
Tools
www.zemanta.com
Tools
Google Analytics
(Sunday)
Tools
Google Docs / Spreadsheets / Forms
Spreadsheet
Tools
RSS Readers
Advice
What has worked in the past
1) Validate within the classroom
2) Allow comments to count for participation
• Zemanta: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zemanta/2655752114/
• “Drilled”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cayusa/2221656599/
• “Tools”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashland/259178493/
• “Ratchet Set”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigrre/17460796/
• “My Swiss Army Knife”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/herzogbr/2274372747/
• “Wheaton”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveblog/19559607/
• “New Trier High School”: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Winnetka.jpg
• “Questions Answered”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/travelinlibrarian/223839049/
• “Spirals”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nuanc/188202612/
• “Rationale for Educational Blogging”: http://anne.teachesme.com/2007/01/17/rationale-for-educational-blogging/
• “Blogging Helps Encourage Teen Writing”: http://www.eschoolnews.com//news/top-news/index.cfm?I=53663
• Solar System: http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/wallpaper/art/Solar-system-1024_768.jpg
• Classroom: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brajeshwar/324581085/
• “Little Secret”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pricklebush/224674200/
• facebook logo: http://www.socsci.uci.edu/ssarc/facebook_pic.jpg
• “Why Facebook Is for Old Fogies”: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1879169,00.html
• Construction: http://www.flickr.com/photos/desmondkavanagh/2189526652/
• Wall: http://www.flickr.com/photos/svenwerk/1973027093/
• Card Catalog: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emdot/535440373/
• Delacroix: http://www.theartwolf.com/services/wallpapers/delacroix_1280-1024.jpg
• Book (heart): http://www.flickr.com/photos/celedreen/3269920210/
• Information: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eskimoblood/2111672366
• A Tale of Two Cities: http://sbfmedia.relationalhost.com/prodimg/TALE_OF_TWO_CITIES,_A.jpg
• Walled Garden: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8525214@N06/2938379788/