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Thing #4 – “Creative Forms of Blogging”

Posted by: lbyrd108 | May 29, 2008 | 4 Comments |



Initially, I thought that I would limit what I shared in a blog.  However, after reading the blogs of other professionals and students, I realized that written communication is my most effective means of sharing my thoughts and ideas with others.   As indicated in an earlier post, I enjoy searching for resources that I can use with my students.  Exploring the suggested blogs provided me with several ideas that I can share with my second grade colleagues.   You may also explore these blogs using the links provided for each blog.

In viewing the blog of a second grade classroom that wrote about a duck who had made its home on their playground, I also found a creative way of blogging. The first grade students used KidPix to illustrate their pictures and type “I wonder” statements about the duck.   As part of our Making Meaning curriculum, the students are often requested to share “I wonder” statements.  This would be a format that can be used for students to share their statements.

Why I Don’t Assign Homework peaked my interest because this summer my colleagues and I will be reading “The HomeworkMyth” to determine how we should handle homework for the 2008-2009 school year.  The following excerpt from Myer’s blog about homework was very enlightening for me: “I know there is value in outside work. It falls to the teacher, though, to take that value seriously, to maximize it in creative ways, and to minimize its cost to the student. Are we there? Or are we somewhere else?”

Another blog of interest was Mrs. Edmison’s Class: Questions for One of Our Favorite Authors: Grace Lin>> Third grade students receive a special blog comment from a beloved author answering their questions about writing. What an innovative way to communicate with an author.  This type of blog would be beneficial to our students during Book Week.  During an author’s or illustator’s visit, the students have many questions. However, only a few are answered due to time constraints. This would be an avenue for the students to send their questions to the author/illustrator for a response.

Wow! Patrick’s blog was very touching.  Patrick shared why he was so passionate about passing fifth grade. It was very courageous of him to share the things about which his brother teased him.   The encouraging comments in response to his blog were probably uplifting for him. This type of blog would be helpful to students who are dealing with family issues such as divorce or even problems at school such as bullying, etc.  The students could read blogs of other students who are experiencing similar problems.

Another creative means for blogging was found when reviewing Mark’s Edtech Blog: Is this SSR 2.0? A third grade teacher describes a “new” kind of Sustained Silent Reading. This type of reading would fit right into the Balanced Literacy Curriculum that we have at our school. The second grade teachers are currently reading “The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades”.  Reading of blogs could be a part of the “Read to Yourself” portion of the Daily Five. This would provide ideas for the students as they write their own blogs as well as give them an opportunity to read about things that are happening in the lives of other students their age.    As Mark indicated, it would not be an activity that would be done every day.  This would also require the teacher to search for appropriate blogs for students to review. 

The blogs explored were all written in different forms.  Each blogger can determine the format that they wish to use. 

Personally, I have communicated with my students  and family members through blogs.   With the assistance of our technology lead instructor, I look forward to sharing ideas and communicating with my fellow colleagues through blogging.   

 

 

under: Uncategorized
« Thing #2 – Thoughts About Web 2.0
Thing #5, RSS and Google Reader »

Responses - Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)

I read The Homework Myth this last semester and one definite way we could modify homework was to have it use family members, as in an interview, or resources that the student would have at home. Kohn asserts that traditional homework does not improve learning. I’ll be interested in your thoughts after you read the book.

   By: sandbag on June 2, 2008
at 7:54 pm

You read some really good blogs. I loved the students wondering about Daisy Duck. Now, that’s a fun way to learn science! I really loved the extended interview with the author. Do you know of a way to find out which authors might be more willing to respond to student questions? I guess, though, that if the students contacted an author who didn’t respond, they would learn about the importance of answering contacts. I couldn’t get Patrick’s Blog to open; you might want to check that link. I liked your point about finding blogs that would be worthy and appropriate for students to visit for sustained silent reading and writing ideas. They would love that! You’ve been busy, Lady!

   By: Amy Dean on June 3, 2008
at 8:38 pm

Almost everyone who has gotten this far in the class has commented on the Why I don’t assign homework blog post. I think a lot of us at GAC are trying to find ways to do what is needed for students while making what they do meaningful to them.

   By: josteen on June 4, 2008
at 4:43 am

In discussing the entry, Mrs. Edmison’s Class: Questions for One of Our Favorite Authors: Grace Lin, you mentioned blogging with an author during our Book Week. Thanks for the great idea. I’ll do my best to have arrangements made prior to the week.

   By: fayebo on June 11, 2008
at 8:02 pm

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