Presented by:Audra Pickett

Blogging in the Classroom

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Blogging to Improve Instruction in Differentiated Science Classrooms

Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging

Capitalizing on Emerging Technologies: A Case Study of Classroom Blogging

Final Thoughts

Blogging to Improve Instruction in Differentiated Science Classrooms

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By:MICHAELA W. COLOMBO & PAUL D. COLOMBO

Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging

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By:Julie Sturgeon

Capitalizing on Emerging Technologies: A Case Study of Classroom Blogging

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By:Robyn MacBride;

April Lynn Luehmann

Blogging to Improve 1

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Ms. Daniels utilizes blogging in order to meet the needs of her diverse classroom.

Taylor is an advanced student who uses the class blog to locate links that provide more in-depth information than the assigned text.

Robert listens to Ms. Daniels pod/vodcasts to listen and watch Ms. Daniels guide him through how to use reading strategies and locate vocabulary words in the science text.

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“Successful blogging requires content-area master teachers to rethink current teaching models and to make important decisions regarding the effective integration of technology.” (Columbo & Columbo, 2007)

Blogging, although not difficult, is time-consuming and should be part of the curriculum, not an add-on.

Novice teachers should first become comfortable with using the technology, view examples, and experiment before fully integrating blogging into their curriculum.

Teachers need to have access to professional development opportunities, up-to-date technology, and time to share and receive feedback from other educators.

Personal Reflection

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The concept of blogging in order for students and teachers to communicate easily outside of the classroom enhances the opportunity for comprehension.

I liked how Ms. Daniels provided step by step instruction for her lower level reader, while providing links on her blog to give her advanced student the opportunity to explore.

One challenge for my school district will be allowing teachers access to blogging sites at school. All social forums are blocked by our filter.

Another opportunity will be finding enough technically savvy professionals that are willing to experiment with this tool, and then finding the time to share their knowledge with other professionals in the building

I feel that parents and students will need additional training on accessing and correctly utilizing the blog for further instruction and feedback.

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Five Don’ts 1

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#1: DON’T DIVE IN! Set up guidelines, objectives, and proper use of classroom blogs

#2: DON’T confuse blogging with social networking! It’s not MySpace or Facebook; blogs should be academically focused and thought provoking.

#3: DON’T go for the freebie sites! Most blog sites aren’t classroom friendly and can open up the students to outside advertising that the teacher can’t control. Other sites can be too confusing for students to use and set up.

#4: DON’T force a sequence for blog entries! Set up entries according to topic, so students can easily locate or post an entry that fits the academic topic instead of a time period.

#5: DON’T leave the blogging to only the students! Teachers should use blogging to interact with their class and provide feedback; not just to post assignments and lessons!

But the Do-Do’s

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Recognize what blogging can open up for your classroom

“Blogging engages students in creating short bits of writing, which Dubbels says they can then piece together and develop into larger pieces.” (Sturgeon, 2008)

Blogging allows students to use videos, images, and music, which really boosts their interest!

“Blogging is more about exploration, discovery, creation, and the idea that students can do things that are immediately gratifying."

Personal Reflection

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Blogging in my classroom is a tool I can see myself “diving” into. Many times I get excited about the idea of introducing a new concept or learning style into my lessons, but I don’t take the time to test it, have it critiqued, and then stick with it when it doesn’t go as planned the first time.

Taking the time to effectively integrate and keep up with a classroom blog would be my biggest challenge.

However, I’m confident in my abilities to use the technology and put engaging content into the blog!

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Case Study 1

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Mr. K. used blogging as a tool to engage students and provide assistance for his Pre-Calculus class.

Students had to post an unspecified review of the day’s lesson. Here they could also type in formulas, questions, or just a simple review.

Mr. K. would also post a challenge puzzle each Sunday as an extra credit opportunity.

A Del.i.cious account was also set up because students were sharing so many web resources and the class needed a way to share these sites without having to laboriously search the web.

Case Study 2

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Mr. K. noticed that his students were posting and responding to the blog by using typical IM language, so he set up a Chat Box on the side of the blog so students could use their common language.

Another positive outcome of his classroom blog Mr. K. observed was that students were viewing and posting comments and questions on a Saturday night!

He also felt that his connection to the class was established sooner in the semester. Participation in live discussions fed off of the posts in their classroom blog.

Here’s Mr. K’s actual classroom blog! Mr. K's Blog

Personal Reflection

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Although this case study was performed at a secondary level, it does open up the discussion of using blogs as a valuable tool in order to engage students that don’t typically participate in classroom discussions.

I see the potential for a classroom blog at the 6th grade level, but could be used more as a resource tool for my students. In this case, I can post games and useful links to math sites and have students solve or comment on the site.

I also see the opportunity for some of the advanced students in the class to earn extra credit by posting notes or useful tips on how to solve a math problem.

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Blog-clusion

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Blogs have come along way from the common e-journals to educational enhancements.

Expert teachers can utilize blogs in order to meet the needs of diverse learners, as well as provide additional practice and review.

It’s important for educators to remember that setting up classroom blogs take time, practice, and a firm set of classroom guidelines.

Students of any age will appreciate the connections made with the educator, as well as other students, when given another type of outlet to participate in classroom discussions.

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