Blogs can have several uses in the classroom. I already maintain a web site where I post homework, study guides, and notices, but I see how a blog could be much more useful for parent communication. By providing all this information in a blog, not only could I read and respond to any questions, other parents might be able to answer the question before I get a chance.
My fellow fourth grade teachers and I have already decided to spend more time on writing next year as we see this as a great weakness in our students. By having students use a blog to publish their writing I believe they will be more contentious of what they are writing. As mentioned in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by using a blog the amount of paper a teacher has to keep up with is reduced. This will also let parents see more of what their students are writing since they don't have to wait for me to correct a paper and hand it back. I also liked the idea from "Spotlight on Technology: Blogging in the Classroom" to have students respond to a situation based on what is being taught in Social Studies. It really encourages higher order thinking skills and forces students to put their opinions and thoughts into words that someone else can read and understand.
Another way I might use blogs in the classroom is when we do our Animal Studies unit for AMSTI (Alabama Math Science and Technology Initiative). The students spend several weeks observing and recording their observations about crabs, frogs, and millipedes. If each group posted their information in a blog, the other groups could respond with similarities and differences between their animals. Again, it would allow the parents to see what the students are doing in class. This is an exciting unit for my students and now they would have another way to share that excitement.
While there are many other uses to consider, I believe these are great ways to introduce fourth graders to blogging.
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Blogging and technology but what do we do when the power goes out. A big storm could end the whole working experience. Although this does reduce paper work if something is important enough to handout or mail really important information to reduce this chance of technology failure.
ReplyDeleteYou have come up with many ways to incorporate blogs into the classroom. I too am thinking about setting up a parent/teacher blog. When using a blog to publish students work, how would you make sure students are feeling comfortable displaying their work for all to read? I know every year I have a couple of students who just struggle with writing---and they know it. How would you help them overcome their fears to displaying their work as well as encourage students to not judge their peers when reading other's work.
ReplyDeleteAshley, I like the idea Jean had about giving students alternative names, like countries, to post under. This would allow students to post without fear of ridicule. I'm sure by the end of the year students will have figured out what names each other are using, but hopefully by that time the students' writing will have improved and they will not be as hesitant to broadcast their writing. Also, for those students who are really struggling I might help them edit in the beginning and wean them off as their writing improves.
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