Student Blogging

I teach a 6th grade computer class, and I have been very interested in student blogging for a while.  We had some setbacks this year, and went the whole first semester without access to computers or the Internet.  Now that we have moved into our new lab, we have been trying to play catch up with our required curriculum.  So at the end of this year, I decided to do a test-run with student blogging.  I know it's a great tool to use, but I just wanted to try it now so that I know a little bit more about implementation next year.

A blog can be such a great instructional tool, because it takes learning beyond the four walls of the classroom.  I know that my students take so much more pride in their work when they know someone else will see it, besides me.  You can use blogs as a way for students to communicate and discuss content, or you can use it for them to "show-off" their own work.  You can also put these two together and have students post their work, and then students discuss and give feedback on each others' work.
 
Currently, I have students blogging on a digital novel we are reading.  They have to post a blog entry after every chapter they read, and then comment on their classmates blog posts.  The first thing I have noticed (and this is new to me since I'm not a writing teacher) is that...well, students don't like to write.  So, I have had to really scaffold the process for them by giving guiding questions for their posts, as well as for how to give quality feedback.  So far, that is the only problem I have run into.  But this is not really a problem, as much as just part of the learning curve.  Students are so used to only turning in a writing assignment to a teacher, instead of having it viewable to other students and teachers.  I will be inviting their English Language Arts teachers to read and give feedback on their writing, for this year's blogs.  Next year, I am toying with the idea of doing quad-blogging, an idea I read about online.  In quad-blogging, you are put in a group with three other classes who are blogging, anywhere in the country.  Every week, a different group posts an original group, while the other three classes offer comments and feedback. The groups rotate so that every four weeks, your class is posting blogs and the rest of the time they are commenting on the other class blogs.  I really hoping that this will take the students pride in their writing to another level!

Back in December, I applied for a Lytle Education Foundation grant.  The grant addressed the need to raise awareness among Lytle Junior High students on digital citizenship.  In the grant, I budgeted for a green screen kit, studio lighting, camera and tripod, as well as video and photo editing software.  The idea is that the 6th graders will take what they have learned about digital citizenship and use our audio/video equipment to create different forms of media to spread the message around campus.  The four pillars of digital citizenship which will be addressed are: cyberbullying, safety/privacy, digital footprint, and copyright.  Students will create PSAs, flyers, and handouts to be distributed and viewed by our entire student body.  Everything that students create will be judged and voted on, and this is how we will decide what will be mass produced for distribution among our student body.  We started working on this project on Monday, and by Friday of this week, students should have a rough draft for their 90-second long PSA.  As we continue moving through this project, I will be blogging along the way and posting pictures of our progress.  I hope we can turn this into a yearly event, so I really would like to keep track of what works and what doesn't so that we can adjust for the coming years!

New beginnings

While I am not new to the idea of blogging, I am new to the role of the blogger.  As a self-proclaimed technology "geek" and technology teacher, I felt it was time that I played the role and practice what I preach.  After all, I will be asking my students this year to utilize blogging as a way to communicate beyond the walls of the classroom.  We will be moving into our brand new computer lab in our brand new school within the next few weeks, and should be up and running upon our return from the holiday break.  This will be a welcome change from what our classroom has come to be as a result of the delayed construction and our temporary housing.  While I love to read, and the kids have adapted well, it will be nice to put the paper, pencil, and books away and power up the computers, iPads, and iPods.  Some of the things I have planned for my classes are way beyond what any of them might have imagined doing in the 6th grade, but I feel that kids will always rise to the expectations we set for them.  So, I look forward to the transition and until then I will continue to find ways to engage these kids with the resources I have!