The Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging
By Julie Sturgeon
The Journal
February 2008 Issue
Summary
This article discusses the benefits and downfalls of classroom blogging. According to Brock Dubbels, a high school teacher in Minnesota, blogging in the classroom is beneficial for his students. He says that students perform better when they know their peers will be reviewing their work instead of just the teacher. However, Dubbles notes that blogging is not all fun and games. Teachers need to be aware that without strict guidelines students will push the envelope on what is appropriate and what is not. In some cases students’ inappropriate remarks have gotten their teachers in trouble. Some teachers avoid using blogging in the classroom for this very reason. The article goes on to suggest some don’ts for teachers when using blogging in their classroom. “Don’t just dive in,” “don’t confuse blogging with social networking,” “don’t leap at the freebies,” “don’t force a sequential style,” and lastly “don’t leave the blogging to the students.” All these are valuable suggestions for any teacher considering implementing blogging in their classroom.
Questions:
1) Would you consider implementing blogging in your classroom?
Yes. I would consider implementing blogging in my classroom. I feel students would respond well to the implementation of a technology they are familiar with and find fun. I am aware that some students would try and take advantage of the situation and get away with writing inappropriate material. In order to curb these tendencies I would work hand and hand with the technology staff on campus to implement strict security procedures so that I could track down students who violate my guidelines.
2) Are there any other don’ts you would add to the five mentioned above?
No. The five don’ts of classroom blogging seem to be all encompassing. I cannot think of any more don’ts to add to the list. However, when I start teaching and implement this idea in my classroom I might be able to come up with more don’ts. I always find that once you start actually doing something rather than just talking about it you learn more and discover better techniques and work out the little quarks along the way.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Journal #2
Speaking Math Using Chat in the Multicultural Math Classroom
By Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson
Learning and Leading with Technology
February 2008 Issue
Summary
This article focuses on how math classes can use chat rooms and forums to help students learn math. A chat room is an online ongoing talk between two or more people. It is like e-mail but you don’t have to wait so long for a response it is instantaneous. Children use chat rooms all the time at home to stay in contact with their friends. Students can now use this same technology to help them in the classroom.
There is a bit more structure involved in a classroom based chat room verses a common online chat room such as AIM. Teachers have control over what their students write for the most part. Teachers help to guide students learning by giving them assignments to complete in the chat room. For example, students would respond to a teacher’s question such as, “Are a factor and a zero the same thing? If you said yes, define factor. If you said no, tell the difference. Use the words: expression and factor.” A question like this gives students the opportunity to discuss among themselves to discover the answer in a fun, creative way.
Questions:
1) Can this idea be used in non-math classrooms to benefit students?
Yes, I believe that this is a great idea that could be used in any classroom. As a future teacher I would like to implement this idea in my lesson plans. Students respond well to other students’ feedback and have the ability to bounce ideas off each other. I would use this idea in my U.S. History class to help students review for exams. I would ask each student to explain one important battle that occurred during the Civil War. Students would be required to explain where the battle occurred, when it occurred, who were the important generals involved and lastly who won. I believe that this would be a good exercise for students to not only help them review important information but also they could help fellow classmates who are struggling.
2) How might this be a negative influence in the classroom?
This could be a negative influence in the classroom because students who do not have access to a computer at home would find this assignment to be very difficult. As a teacher I have to remember that not all my students come from family’s that can afford to own a computer. If a student had to go to the school or public library to complete this assignment it might make this assignment less enjoyable for that student to complete.
By Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson
Learning and Leading with Technology
February 2008 Issue
Summary
This article focuses on how math classes can use chat rooms and forums to help students learn math. A chat room is an online ongoing talk between two or more people. It is like e-mail but you don’t have to wait so long for a response it is instantaneous. Children use chat rooms all the time at home to stay in contact with their friends. Students can now use this same technology to help them in the classroom.
There is a bit more structure involved in a classroom based chat room verses a common online chat room such as AIM. Teachers have control over what their students write for the most part. Teachers help to guide students learning by giving them assignments to complete in the chat room. For example, students would respond to a teacher’s question such as, “Are a factor and a zero the same thing? If you said yes, define factor. If you said no, tell the difference. Use the words: expression and factor.” A question like this gives students the opportunity to discuss among themselves to discover the answer in a fun, creative way.
Questions:
1) Can this idea be used in non-math classrooms to benefit students?
Yes, I believe that this is a great idea that could be used in any classroom. As a future teacher I would like to implement this idea in my lesson plans. Students respond well to other students’ feedback and have the ability to bounce ideas off each other. I would use this idea in my U.S. History class to help students review for exams. I would ask each student to explain one important battle that occurred during the Civil War. Students would be required to explain where the battle occurred, when it occurred, who were the important generals involved and lastly who won. I believe that this would be a good exercise for students to not only help them review important information but also they could help fellow classmates who are struggling.
2) How might this be a negative influence in the classroom?
This could be a negative influence in the classroom because students who do not have access to a computer at home would find this assignment to be very difficult. As a teacher I have to remember that not all my students come from family’s that can afford to own a computer. If a student had to go to the school or public library to complete this assignment it might make this assignment less enjoyable for that student to complete.
Journal #1
Social Networking for the K-12 Set
By Jim Klein
This article featured in Learning and Leading with Technology Magazine in the February 2008 issue focused on integrating helpful, easy-to-use, technology aids to assist students and teachers in the classroom. Teachers need a way to communicate between one another, share teaching strategies, and get in touch with their students. At the same time, students need visual aids to help them learn new ideas and the ability to communicate with teachers at the push of a button. Both of the challenges teachers and students face is connecting with each other and learning new ways to find information. By implementing social networking in the classroom both teachers and students will have the tools they need to succeed. According to the article, “SUSD Teacher and Student Community sites, dubbed ‘learning landscapes,’ we [education technology leaders] aimed to provide the tools and resources our educators and students needed to better communicate, collaborate, learn, share, and grow not only among themselves, but with the community at large.” The SUSD Teacher and Student Community sites allowed both teachers and students to access a web site in which they could post comments and read comments by other students and teachers.
Questions:
1. What information could I post on this type of website to help my students learn U.S History?
I could post links to websites, which give both summaries and detailed information about topics covered in class. These links would help students to learn the basic information they need to know for tests and also they could explore topics more deeply if they are particularly interested in them. Also, if I receive many e-mails from students with the same particular question about an assignment, I could post the question and answer on the website so every student who had not yet e-mailed me would know the answer as well.
2. How could my colleagues benefit from this type of website?
My colleagues could benefit from this type of website because we, as teachers, could share information and teaching ideas with one another. Teachers could post links to good websites for other teachers to use at their leisure. By sharing good website links each teacher could potentially improve their knowledge about certain subjects.
By Jim Klein
This article featured in Learning and Leading with Technology Magazine in the February 2008 issue focused on integrating helpful, easy-to-use, technology aids to assist students and teachers in the classroom. Teachers need a way to communicate between one another, share teaching strategies, and get in touch with their students. At the same time, students need visual aids to help them learn new ideas and the ability to communicate with teachers at the push of a button. Both of the challenges teachers and students face is connecting with each other and learning new ways to find information. By implementing social networking in the classroom both teachers and students will have the tools they need to succeed. According to the article, “SUSD Teacher and Student Community sites, dubbed ‘learning landscapes,’ we [education technology leaders] aimed to provide the tools and resources our educators and students needed to better communicate, collaborate, learn, share, and grow not only among themselves, but with the community at large.” The SUSD Teacher and Student Community sites allowed both teachers and students to access a web site in which they could post comments and read comments by other students and teachers.
Questions:
1. What information could I post on this type of website to help my students learn U.S History?
I could post links to websites, which give both summaries and detailed information about topics covered in class. These links would help students to learn the basic information they need to know for tests and also they could explore topics more deeply if they are particularly interested in them. Also, if I receive many e-mails from students with the same particular question about an assignment, I could post the question and answer on the website so every student who had not yet e-mailed me would know the answer as well.
2. How could my colleagues benefit from this type of website?
My colleagues could benefit from this type of website because we, as teachers, could share information and teaching ideas with one another. Teachers could post links to good websites for other teachers to use at their leisure. By sharing good website links each teacher could potentially improve their knowledge about certain subjects.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
