A Call for Help to the Blogosphere
On Monday, November 13th I'm making a presentation to my district's Software Review Committee in defense of blogging technology. Currently all blog sites, including those specifically created for the educational community, are blocked by our filters. I will speak about my goals for blogging which include wanting a place for my students to publish and get feedback on: reflections, writing pieces in progress, and independent research. I will also go over how blogging fits with the Illinois State Standards, NETS standards , 21st Century Skills and our District Technology Plan goals. The goals and the educational rationale are easy to cover. What's difficult to explain is the way blogs create communities of learners; it's a community that I'm seeking for my students. I believe children deserve a true audience for their written thoughts and ideas. I also believe that people do their best work when they have the opportunity to share ideas with multiple people who have similar interests.
The purpose of this post is to ask the Blogosphere to help demonstrate HOW blogging creates a community of learners. I'm asking that people who share my passion for educational technology comment on behalf of blogging. What are examples great classroom blogs? What are the observed benefits of student blogging? Why is blogging an example of powerful learning rather than "technology fluff"? Please add your voices to mine so that I can show the power of blogs in education!
The purpose of this post is to ask the Blogosphere to help demonstrate HOW blogging creates a community of learners. I'm asking that people who share my passion for educational technology comment on behalf of blogging. What are examples great classroom blogs? What are the observed benefits of student blogging? Why is blogging an example of powerful learning rather than "technology fluff"? Please add your voices to mine so that I can show the power of blogs in education!
posted by Tracy Fowler | 8:50 PM
11 Comments:
In addition to the educational reasons you state above, I think it’s also important to talk about teaching our students how to be safe and responsible users of these new tools. It’s the old argument about learning about something in school versus learning about something on the (cyber)street. You teach fifth graders, so presumably they will soon be going off to middle school/junior high and then on to high school – where they will be using these tools. Even if they are blocked from using them at school, they will use them at home. Even if they are blocked or monitored at home, they will use them at the public library or a friend’s house. Even if they are blocked or monitored there, they will use them from their cell phones. Do we want to block blogs and other social networking sites and pretend that that protects our students, or should we instead teach them how to use them safely, responsibly and productively? Obviously I believe the latter. Not everyone will agree – but I still think it’s imperative you have that conversation. This is a conversation that needs to occur no matter what the final outcome is, just to educate everyone – including staff, parents and students – about both the good and the not-so-good side of these new tools.
As far as successful examples of blogging, there are a ton out there, but let me throw a few more in from my school (where we’re just getting started).
- How about the Biology class that is blogging about genetics, and the teacher invited in the parents to “observe” on the web – and participate if they want to? (http://syersbio06.blogspot.com/)
- How about the Assistant Principal who stops me in the hall last spring and said, “I just observed one of your teachers (http://21ckakos.blogspot.com/) [“your” meaning in my staff development], and I saw something I’ve never seen before. She got to the end of the class and a student said, ‘We’re not done talking about this. Can you post it on the blog so we can continue the discussion?’ I’ve never, ever heard students ask for homework before.” And there were 72 comments by the next morning?
- How about the Social Studies class that blogs about lots of different topics in their curriculum, but also about topics like What do grades mean and are they helpful?
- How about the Language Arts class that has a fishbowl discussion (http://learningandlaptops.blogspot.com/2006/10/fishbowl-101.html), with the inner circle talking and the outer circle live blogging – and somebody from the University of Delaware is “watching” it live on the web? (http://annesmith9h.blogspot.com/2006/10/fahrenheit-451-fishbowl-68-91-period-2.html and http://annesmith9h.blogspot.com/2006/10/fahrenheit-451-fishbowl-91-110-peroid_25.html)
- How about the Government class that had over 200 comments on two posts that were optional? (http://meyerapgovt.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_meyerapgovt_archive.html)
- How about the Language Arts class that recorded “This I Believe” podcasts, posted them on the class blog, and had a comment from New Zealand by the next morning. (http://smithenglish9.blogspot.com/2006/09/this-i-believe.html)
- How about students commenting so many times on a non-class blog about using laptops (http://learningandlaptops.blogspot.com/2006/09/becoming-one-with-text.html) that we had to create a new post? (http://learningandlaptops.blogspot.com/2006/09/conversation-continues.html)
- How about the 12th grade Language Arts class in Colorado that will be blogging with a 12th grade class in Alabama (once they are reading the same or similar novels at the same time)? (http://smithewl.blogspot.com/)
All of these are communities – communities of learners. They are students who are engaged in and care about their world – and blogging allows them to participate in the conversation in ways that just aren’t possible in the limited class time we have. It allows their voices and ideas to be heard – by their peers and by others around the world – and for them to hear other voices and ideas. They learn from each other. And these are all examples from the first year of blogging in our school, where we are still trying to figure out the best ways to do this, and haven’t yet actively sought out others around the world. Students going above and beyond the requirements, students taking an active role in their own learning, students sharing their thoughts and ideas and listening to others’ thoughts and ideas – this is not fluff, it’s powerful learning. And these are critical skills for them to have in order to be successful learning, working and living in the 21st century.
The following websites contain information that will be useful to you.
There are fabulous examples of the uses and benefits of blogs in education at this website:
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/#value
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/
There are fabulous examples of the uses and benefits of blogs in education at this website:
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/#value
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/
The amount of information submitted is wonderful! I love this community. Hopefully, after Monday afternoon, everyone in the software review committee will understand the value of blogs. Thanks to all of you who took time out of your day (and nights!) to post!
Tracy,
I'm a third grade teacher in Seattle, Washington. - blogging with my third graders again this year at http://roomtwelve.com. The community of learners that developed last year - and that is developing now with a new class - is unlike anything I have ever seen in the classroom. I've been using computers in my classroom for over a dozen years. I am in my 26th year as a classroom teacher. I have never seen anything come along to motivate student writing like blogging does - it's not even close.
Students write from home. They stay in at recess to write - yes, even the boys! They read the writing of others from different parts of the world. They exchange ideas with students and adults from different cultures. Third graders.
Would this be possible without blogs? Maybe - but certainly not with the immediacy, frequency, and voice that this medium provides. It is the medium students choose to use today. If we teachers do not guide these young learners along the way in this medium, teaching as we go - about safety, ethics, community, academic content - well, then I believe we are doing them a disservice.
My third graders from last year wrote some incredible pieces. Some of their writing was about blogging. I encourage the reading of The Class of 2015, from my own blog, where I quote and link to their articles (their writing is all still there, of course).
I would also encourage the reading of a series of posts I wrote about blogging with my third graders:
Blogging through the school year, part 1
Blogging through the school year, part 2
Blogging through the school year, part 3
Please remember that every single word that appeared on these student blogs (including all the comments) was approved by me, before it appeared there.
Finally, in order for this new community of learners to exist at all, teachers in school districts need to have access to these writings, to the blogs of educators who are helping to build it now.
Tracy, good luck. See you out there - Mark
Mark Ahlness
http://ahlness.com
http://roomtwelve.com
http://arborheights.com
http://earthdaybags.org
Blocking is done to protect schools, teachers and districts...not kids. If we were really interested in protecting students, we'd be teaching them not simply isolating them from issues they experience the second they leave the school grounds.
Blogging is all about reading. It's about connecting. We can choose to create a school where learning only occurs inside the four walls of the classroom, or provide students with the opportunity to stretch learning beyond. If we continue to block and filter we need to abandon the phrase "lifelong learning". Let's instead be content to teaching students about a world that doesn't exist. A world where we are protected from potential danger. I would argue that more students have been hurt by their time spent in school athletics than any danger the internet has ever brought simply by blogging.
In all of the predator cases, students responded to the predator. Let's have these conversations with our students. We are obligated to do so.
As long as districts are more interested in protecting themselves, it's always easier to block than to teach.
Tracy, I just found your blog and "call for help." It's late and I should really be in bed but I wanted to add something to the resources you've already collected here in the way of some links.
I expect my senior math students to write the textbook for the course, not read it. You can read about it here on my blog. They do this on a blog. That post is a year old ... the practice has evolved way beyond even that.
You can read how my classes have evolved in their use of blogs and other web 2.0 tools in our learning here. Mind you, that's from June ... things have changed. ;-)
The best stuff is from the kids own mouths. Read the comments on this post and this one. And finally, here is a podcast where my kids talk about The Scribe Post Hall Of Fame ... listen for it, one of them says that "the ordinary in this class is extraordinary" ... all because of blogging.
There's so much more and so little time and you've already collected some fatastic resources from the other edubloggers that dropped in before me. I wish I could be there with you tomorrow or at least in the audience for support ... in my own way, I will be. ;-)
Good Night and Good Luck! ;-)
compare car insurance
discount car insurance
car insurance quote uk
car insurance policy
aa car insurance
in car insurance
car insurance policy
churchil
l car insurance
mercury car insurance
buy car insurance
direct car insurance
car insurance for mexico
diamond car insurance
car insurance for mexico
cheap car insurance quote uk
low car insurance
best car insurance quote
car insurance for woman
diamond car insurance
state farm car insurance
state farm car insurance
teen car insurance
auto insurance quote
washington car insurance
aig car insurance
car insurance rating
compare car insurance quote
usaa car insurance
car insurance canada
buy car insurance online
http://cheap-car-insurance.quickfreehost.com
Random Keyword: :)
online car insurance
las show trade vegas
Hi Tracy,
I'm relatively new to all this, but am having a blast blogging with my fourth graders. They each have their own blogs and they are really turning into electronic portfolios and much more. The class blog (with kids' blogs on the right side bar) is blogs.dalton.org/edinger.
I've also been posting about all of it at my blog educating alice (medinger.wordpress.com) under the tag Teaching with Blogs.
As a college student preparing to teach, reviewing teacher blogs has been an invaluable way to gain insight into the profession. Blogs serve as a medium for teaching professionals to exchange ideas and build community. As a student myself, blogging has allowed for extensive introspection and reading about other phenomenal teacher's thoughts has been immensely motivating and inspirational. I have full faith in the ability of blogs to help students grow in communication skills, technological adeptness, intrapersonal skills and learning skills. This technology is the future and we are teaching for the future, shouldn't the two go hand in hand?
Post a Comment
<< Home