Coles Class Community : Why Blog?? PRESENTING for the SSU Tech Showcase

Blogging for Students

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Basic Format (user-friendly)
Lets doors open to collaborate with other students, get feedback.
Online (always accessible)
Giddy students (Active Engagement)
So many possibilities...

Why use blogging in the classroom?

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Basic Format (user-friendly)

The format of blogging is simple and oh so organized!
No matter what site you utilize for blogging, the same basic components are there.
Through the simple format students can still personalize if they have individual blogs.
Can upload (integrate) images and videos
Insert links for a convenient place to access curriculum
automatically connects you to sources via the internet
Chronological
Subject orientated

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Lets doors open to collaborate with other students, get feedback.

Blogging can allow students to interact with other classrooms (campus, locally, nationally, & globally)
Students can get feedback from other students & the teacher easily (this can be set up to be approved prior to publishing).
You can invite professionals to leave comments (for example; my students had an art blog and a group of artists gave feedback to them).
Comments are the most exciting component for my students in 4th and 5th grade!
Publishing and collaborating pushes students to think about what they're talking about. Participatory culture.

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Online (always accessible)

Students can access blog from home (i.e., class blog, other student blogs)
Parents can view blogs, check out curriculum links, watch videos with their child.
Teachers can use any computer, phone, tablet, etc to work on blogs, leave feedback, etc. Blogger has an "app".

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This is the best part!!

Giddy students (Active Engagement)

Students love blogging!
In my research project, I worked with students who present with super high anxiety to write even a sentence, they were begging me to do their blogs.
Start with exploration to open the door.
FOCUSING on the public/publishing element is a motivator for students.
Blogging builds a writing connection.

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So many possibilities...

Any SUBJECT can be a focus of a blog...
Art Blogs (publish, critique, and reflect)
Literature Blogs
Altering perspectives (being a character on a blog)
Class Newsletter blog (collaborating as a class)
Homework blogs
Teacher centered blog (updated information) or as a tool for lesson planning, daily schedules
FLIPPING THE CLASSROOM blog
Portfolio blogs (showcasing readiness, form of presentation)
Study of other blogs

The emphasis on collaboration, creativity, and publishing all connect to students of the contemporary society and embraces the qualities of participatory culture. This in turn sets up the classroom conversation to include elements critical to the modern student (i.e., online safety, what publishing means and the imprint of that, projecting oneself, etc.).

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The organization and functionality of blogs tune into simplicity but still is a vehicle for creativity of writing and personalization.

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Blogs provide a place to be reflective while also being recorded into a virtual space making the teachers life that much easier.

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Useful links/tools

www.colesclasscommunity.blogspot.com

(my class schedule blog)

http://www.blogger.com/features

Blogger via google, connects to your google drive

www.pinterest.com