Blog is short for Weblog
According to Will Richardson, author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, “Blogs are the first widely adopted easy publishing tool of the Read/Write Web." All types of people use blogs for many different reasons. Blogs can be used to create personal journals, for resource sites, or to filter daily news for large or small audiences. Creating and using blogs allows people to share, collaborate, and make connections online no matter what the topic, subject, or reason.
“A Weblog is an easily created, easily updateable Web site that allows an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the internet from any Internet connection” (Richardson, pg. 17). Creating blogs are as easy as composing emails. What really differentiates blogs from regular Web sites or Web pages is that they are not static chunks of information. Weblogs are made up of daily updated reflections and conversations that engage readers with ideas, questions, and links. They make reading and writing interactive causing readers to think and respond. For example, teachers or educators who create blogs might include some of the following: reflections from daily teaching or work, links to important or interesting educational sites on the Web, ideas for projects or lessons, and maybe even samples of student work. Readers of a blog like this would have a chance to respond to the thoughts and ideas of posts. What makes a blog unique is that it allows both readers and writers to communicate regardless of the time or place. Some add-ons of blogs include: photos, photo albums, quizzing capabilities, links to bookmarks, graphics, videos, and audio files; just to name a few. Even though Weblogs are relatively new, they are being used in classrooms as class portals, portfolio’s of student work (e-portfolio’s), collaborative space for classroom projects, and even as school web-sites. Research shows that blogs used in the classroom have been adapted in many ways, and have been used to motivate, enhance, and strengthen learning in reading and many content areas, as well.
You can start your own blog by clicking on the following link: http://www.blogger.com/
You can start your own blog by clicking on the following link: http://www.blogger.com/
*Here is a good website for ideas and resources for using blogs as educational tools: http://www.schoolblogs.net/wpress/
When teaching reading, writing, or any subject, it is always important to first try out what you want your students to do and then model and explain use for your students. The easiest way to get started with blogging as a teacher is to look at some good sample blogs created by educators. Taking a look at some interesting blogs and responding to some posts can be a good way to start your blogging experience.
Sample Blogs:
Weblogs can be play a very important role in your classroom, especially for enhancing reading instruction and motivating students in reading and writing. Blogs are easy to implement in your own unique ways. Blogs can be especially useful in reading classrooms when they are used by teachers and students as publishing tools. Just as it is important for literacy teachers to show their own reading and writing and model positive behaviors towards them; teachers who want to use blogging with students need to blog as well. Blogs can be used with young elementary students, middle school students, or high school and college students. Using blogs to enhance reading instruction is important for several reasons.
· Use of blogs can expand students’ audience for writing which can be a powerful motivator
· Blogs can “expand the walls” of the classroom – connects students with others outside of the classroom
· Blogs easily organize and allow sharing of teacher and student learning, which in turn promotes lots of reflection and metacognitive analysis
· Blogs also support different learning styles and gives all students a chance to participate and share.
· Blogs teach students the new literacies they will need – writing in a blog can teach important skills like research, organization, and synthesis of ideas.
· Promotes connective writing – writing and reading connected to others
Blogging to Enhance Reading instruction in the Classroom:
· Students can write about personal reactions to topics, readings, or books in class
· Students can write reflectively about reading or summarize a reading
· Blogs can be used as journals for reading and/or writing (connective writing)
· Students can publish creative stories or other types of writing for larger audiences and receive feedback from those who respond to post (either those in the class or outside)
· Even elementary students can use blogs to communicate with authors- Students can ask questions and reflect on answers after communicating with authors, friends, teachers, and parents to promote learning.
· Students can become experts on topics that they are interested in by using blogs and participating in reader response
· Provide on-line articles/readings for students to read and respond to.
· Publish examples of good student writing and invite others to comment
· Post classwork, vocabulary activities, or grammar games
· Post assignments based on literature readings and have students respond on their own blogs
· Create student reading or writing portfolios
· Create online book club discussion groups and/or communicate with authors of books read and discussed
· Write about class topics including new vocabulary words learned
· Create writing portfolios to show and share students’ best writing
Excellent Blogs Used in Classrooms to enhance Reading/Writing Instruction:
Anne Davis’ “The Write WeBlog” http://www.tinyurl.com/51yr59
This Weblog is a place where Anne Davis’ fifth grade share and discuss their learning about writing. All students had their own blogs where they could reflected on their writing and process and were able to have conversations about their writing with readers outside of their class, because each blog was open for anyone to read and comment on.
This Weblog was created by a high school teacher who used The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd in junior and senior literature classes. The teacher’s initial idea was to have the students use blogs to create an online reader’s guide to the book. This teacher was able to get the actual author of this book to actually participate in the students’ blog discussions!!!! (How Cool is This?). Sue Monk Kidd followed the students’ blogs and answered and discussed questions they had at the end of the book.
Kathy Cassidy’s Weblog http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337
First grade teacher Kathy Cassidy uses blogs with her First grade students during literacy center time. Kathy’s students have the chance to go on her class blog and post their writing for parents, other students in the class, and students across the country to read and respond too! This blog illustrates how easy it really is to use blogging in a literacy classroom with even the youngest students!
First grade teacher Kathy Cassidy uses blogs with her First grade students during literacy center time. Kathy’s students have the chance to go on her class blog and post their writing for parents, other students in the class, and students across the country to read and respond too! This blog illustrates how easy it really is to use blogging in a literacy classroom with even the youngest students!
*Check out this Video that showcases how teacher Kathy Cassidy uses blogs with her 1st grade:
