Why should my students blog?

Two years ago, I made the decision that my students were going to become bloggers.  I blogged in high school through LiveJournal and Xanga and loved it.  I had no doubt that my students would think this was "cool" and would enjoy it  more than a 5 paragraph essay on wide-rule notebook paper.

Now, I teach 9-12 high school students.  Most are either in World Geography or World History class.  I decided that blogging would be the perfect way to get them writing.  I was super excited and dove right in only to have it all come crashing down around me.  See, I only have one student computer in my class and the computer lab is usually reserved for math or language classes.  I had hoped students would be able to blog at home only to discover that most had Internet on their phone, but not unlimited plans or access at their homes.  I was pretty upset.  I did at least attempt blogging a few times, but it was very tedious with only one computer.

I pretty much gave up on student blogging after that experience.  Recently, however, so many of the bloggers that I follow have been mentioning student blogging again.  It's almost been like a sign that maybe it is time to try again.  So hopefully next school year, I will figure out a way to make blogging, or at least micro-blogging work for me!

One of my favorite articles on student blogging can be accessed at this site.  Mrs. Ripp lists her top ten reasons why students should blog.  Here is a paraphrased list of her reasons.

1. Audience
2. Easy to store/track
3. Open communication
4. Teaches safe Internet use
5.  Peer teaching
6. Teaches global citizenship
7. Transparency  of learning
8. Become aware of writing style
9. Quick check of understanding
10. Students have a voice

I think the author has listed some very good reasons on why students should blog.  The best reasons I think she has pinpointed are easy to store, open communication, teaches Internet use, peer teaching, and quick check.   

First, we are quickly becoming a paperless society.  Blogging eliminates nuisance such as storage of Composition books, messy handwriting, smudgy ink, etc.   It is easier for both teacher and student.  I can access their writing from my classroom, home, and even on the go on my Kindle Fire.  Students can also access their work from many platforms which means forgetting your supplies becomes a bad excuse. 

Next, blogging opens communication up between student and teacher and peer to peer in a completely new way.  Both teacher and student can bring up questions and opinions in an open forum.  Commenting on strong work, good ideas, etc. can open up even more ideas which can really help students as they delve into deeper depths of knowledge.

Also, our students use technology CONSTANTLY!  Those against technology in the classroom for safety reasons really annoy me because usually they are ignoring the fact that it is a part of our lives that is not going away.  My 6 month old niece already knows how to tap color specific buttons on her Dad's Ipad.  Rather than ignoring these new technologies, I believe that we should embrace them and teach our students appropriate use.  Blogging is just one way that we can do that.  Students learn about Internet safety in regard's to personal information, but also learn Netiquette and global citizenship.  These are skills that will help them greatly in their adult lives.

Finally, blogging gives the teacher an easy way to check for understanding.  It is typically easy for students to avoid a teacher when they are less than confident in the classroom.  However, if every student is maintaining a blog, it is easy for even the quietest student's voice to be heard.  Misconceptions or weak knowledge can be identified in a low pressure situation and alleviated either through comments on the blog or reteaching in the classroom.

I think that this article really brought to life the reasons why blogging is important in the classroom.  It definitely has made me want to explore opportunities for blogging with my students next year.

If you think blogging is something you would like to try in your classroom, here are a few resources that I found useful:

• Article on how to make blogging meaningful for students.
• Youtube video on blogging in the classroom.

Ipads in the Classroom: Do they really make a difference?

Article:  Less than a Class Set (December 2011/January 2012).  http://iwelearning.edublogs.org/files/2011/12/dec2011-iste-article-about-using-iPads-in-small-numbers-qxrko7.pdf

Summary:  This article discusses one of the hottest growing trends in instructional technology, the Ipad.  The article discusses how some teachers/classrooms are hesitant to use Ipads because they are costly and a classroom set is impossible to purchase.  The teacher goes on to discuss a case study where classrooms only had a few Ipads and were very successful.  The author notes one way to use the Ipads is to set up learning centers using other technologies or lessons.  Also, grouping students into pairs or trios promotes critical thinking while using apps.  The article also points out some rules for things you should do if you are only going to have access to a few Ipads versus a classroom set.   

Review:  This article is a really good one.  I know that I would not be able to purchase a classroom set of Ipads, but might be able to get access to 1-2.  I think that I could use the Ipad for things such as Google Earth and History Channel.  My students tend to work well in groups so I would be curious to see how it worked with the Ipad.  The only thing I worry about is how jealous they would get over time spent with the Ipad.  

My Fake Wall

While reading and researching for another class, I came across a site that I just had to share! See for a long time I have had my history students create Fake Facebook accounts on a paper template I found. They had to do paper ones because it is wrong to do on the real Facebook site and Facebook is blocked at school. I thought this was an original idea, but then one of my catalogs had a digital CD or poster version you could order called Farcebook. Still, both of these cost money and the poster one would require printing, gluing, etc. The site that I found today lets you create a fake "wall" on any character you want. You have to sign up to join, but it is totally free.

Baltimore County Public Schools' Resource Wiki for Software, Assistive Technologies, Web 2.0 Tools, Digital Content, and Resources has written a great post on using My Fake Wall. The author posts a description, directions, ideas for classroom use, and ideas for differentiating. Also, I found a great PDF step-by-step tutorial you can use that starts with creating an account and goes through the entire process.

Here are some ways you can use My Fake Wall:

Profile on any historical character, biography on important person from math, science, etc., profile on a book character. You can share the link to your profile with others which makes collaborating and learning really easy.

This teacher shared a project for the book The Outsiders. One of the documents in their downloadable pack is a rubric for the project. Definitely a great tool for assessment!

This is such a great tool that reaches all levels of Bloom's. You have to recall basic information, but by adding relationships, friends, networks, etc. you are reaching higher levels of thinking.

I am so excited to find this site. Like I mentioned, I have been doing a paper copy of this project for a long time, but am so excited about this digital version.

Want to see 2 of the My Fake Wall profiles I found that were really neat? Click below!

Martin Luther My Fake Wall
FDR My Fake Wall

Something to Flip About!

I've been hearing about flipped classrooms for the past few months in my graduate classes. I glanced over this idea the first few times, but recently have grown more interested in the topic. This article got me really thinking about a flipped classroom and how it would work for me in my position. The article is an interview with a teacher who has flipped their classroom. The teacher goes through the reasons for flipping and tips for other teachers. It's a great read, so check it out!

First, a flipped classroom is a classroom where students watch/listen to presentations, lectures, videos, etc. at home. Classroom time is then used for hands-on activities, questioning, explaining, modeling, etc. Check out this infographic from Knewton:

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

I love the idea of a flipped classroom for Social Studies because so much of my classroom time could be devoted to discussion and actual real thinking. I found this list of resources that can help in the flip classroom. Ironically, I use many of them even though my classroom is currently still traditional.

So, that brings us back to my original question. Would a flipped classroom work for me? Currently, I do not think I could have a flipped classroom even though I badly wish to have one. I live in a rural community where many students do not have Internet connections and even those who do, many times do not have DSL or a fast enough provider for streaming. So for now, I'll keep dreaming!

To find out even more about this growing trend, watch the video below from Khan Academy developer Salman Khan. It is quite long, but very good.


What do you think? Can you flip?