blog+planning

Blog Planning

Designing School and Professional Blog**
 * Week 3

Reading Blogging / Internet Safety powerpoint from Eduwikipedia Safe Blogging Resources, Darren Kuropatwa, Canada - http://adifference.blogspot.com/2006/01/safe-blogging-resources.html Responsible Blogging Lesson Plan by Stephen Lazar, New York - http://outsidethecave.blogspot.com/2005/05/responsible-blogging-lesson-plan.html Blogger's Contract, David Warlick - http://tappedin.org/tappedin/do/FileAction?ROOM_ID=18099&FILE_ID=33808&state=doDownloadFile

You might like to create a reflective, journal type blog to...
 * Professional blog using Edublogs**
 * Purpose for blog**
 * reflect on your teaching experiences.
 * keep a log of teacher-training experiences.
 * write a description of a specific teaching unit.
 * describe what worked for you in the classroom or what didn't work.
 * provide some teaching tips for other teachers.
 * write about something you learned from another teacher.
 * explain teaching insights you gain from what happens in your classes.
 * share ideas for teaching activities or language games to use in the classroom.
 * provide some how-to's on using specific technology in the class, describing how you used this technology in your own class.
 * explore important teaching and learning issues.

http://landmark-project.com/workshops/handouts/edublogs_setup.pdf
 * Directions by David Warlick**

Anne Davis, Georgia http://anne.teachesme.com/
 * Examples of other professional blogs**

Vicki Davis, Georgia http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/

Anne Davis http://anne.teachesme.com/ published these weblog "Think-Abouts" a while back in an online class. I think they are worth repeating, especially for those educators who are just beginning to think about creating a weblog.
 * School blog**

1. THINK ABOUT what you want to do with your weblog. What kind of weblog do you want to create? What purpose will it serve?

Do you want to create a reflective weblog to blog about your personal teaching experiences or discuss your ideas about teaching in general?

Do you want to present a number of your favorite teaching techniques or ideas for using technology in language learning? Do you have clever ways to teach vocabulary or ideas for using poetry that you want to spotlight?

Maybe you want to create a blog with links to useful learning resources for your students?

Will it be a class weblog to use with a class you are teaching right now? What kinds of information and learning tasks will you provided for your students and what will you ask them to do? Will you focus on one particular skill such as reading or writing? How would you like to involve your students?

These are decisions that need to be made before you start your weblog. To help you make these decisions, in my next post I will post a more detailed list of ways that educators and students can use weblogs.

2. THINK ABOUT what you want to name your weblog. Once you have decided what kind of weblog you want, you wÃÂ¡ll need to think of a name for it. When you create your weblog, no matter which blogging software you decide to use, you'll be asked to name your weblog first. You may find it difficult to think of a name on the spot. So, it's a good idea to come up with a name you like before you start the process. Strive to choose a clever name that somehow reflects the purpose of your weblog.

3. THINK ABOUT specific content. What kind of content do you want to post on your weblog? How much information do you want to include, and how will you organize and present this information. You need to have an overall view and a long term plan on how this weblog will unfold.

There are many aspects to consider. If, for instance, you are using it as a class weblog, how often do you plan to use it with your students? What types of information do you want to include? Will you include assignments, events, announcements, links to resources? Will you assign tasks or publish student writing? How many different types of sections do you want to include, and how will you incorporate use of the weblog into your class schedule?

If you are writing about your teaching experiences in a particular class, do you want to blog daily, or only occasionally? Do you want to focus on everyday activities and how students' learning evolves over time, or do you want to comment only on special events and activities? Will you focus on student progress, insights you gain while teaching, or on what worked well or not in the classroom?

Will you include photos? Will you invite comments from readers? Will linking to other websites be an important part of your weblog?

4. THINK ABOUT your potential readers (your audience) and your own writing voice. Who will read or use your weblog? Your students? Other teachers? Colleagues in other teaching institutions? Will you seek an international audience? It's important to keep this audience in mind, both now as you plan your weblog and later when you have it running online. By doing so, you'll soon become conscious of your own writing voice and writing style.

Tips from Student Bloggers, Anne Davis, Georgia http://itc.blogs.com/thewriteweblog/files/BloomingBloggersShow.ppt I suggest saving the PowerPoint and viewing it from your computer. It takes less time.

objective
 * using SharePoint**

audience

posts

requirements for blogging by students

assessment

Crystal Wright, from Challenger Middle School, has started a blog for our students (from different schools) to answer questions. The address is [|http://mathchallenger.edublogs.org]
 * More examples of blogs used in the classroom**

Anne Davis, Georgia http://itc.blogs.com/thewriteweblog/

Blogging is part of the read/write Web. English is the read/write course. In English you read various genres of literature and then write papers responding to and building on the ideas of the author. In blogging you begin with reading the ideas of others (either on blogs, in articles, or books) and then you write posts responding to or building on the ideas you have read and discussed in class.
 * Discussion**


 * The difference--** with traditional forms of English (written on college lined paper with a pen and turned in for a grade) the audience is usually teacher or at best peers and parents.

With blogs the audience is global and there is an ongoing conversation that occurs with readers from around the world about the student's ideas. Sometimes, there are even comments from the author of the book or article being discussed. It simply doesnt get much more authentic than that. The focus isnt to write a paper and get a grade. The focus is on the process, the back and forth of idea development, and on the refinement and revision of becoming and finding your voice through your writing.

Doesn't sound like fluff to me. Blogging isnt one more thing competing with the curriculum-- it is the strategy you use to "teach curriculum. It is the paper and pencil of the 21st Century.


 * Here are academics discussing blogging: Important as 12th graders will go to college right?**

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/lore/digressions/index.htm

http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i39/39a01401.htm

http://www.blogscholar.com/


 * English Teachers who are asking similar questions and blogging about it.**

http://www.huffenglish.com/

http://teachersteachingteachers.org/?p=81

http://ahighcall.blogspot.com/2005_05_01_ahighcall_archive.html

And finally from a comment on Wes Fryer's blog where he asks for high school bloggers to participate in a conference he is doing.

December 28th, 2006 at 10:34 am
 * 1) Gail Desler Says:

Sorry I didn't make your Dec. 26 deadline, but I thought I would send you 3 short clips anyhow from a blogging project I've been involved with - http://www.bayareawritingproject.org/yvc2c (Yep, a -walled garden using Manila, but we're continuing on and evolving this year with elgg.)

These clips were taken during a videoconference in which students from Bob LeVin's 12th grade English class at Florin High School in California shared with students across the state their thoughts on blogging. Yes, we have written parent permission for sharing the clips for educational purposes. Here is Erica - http://a3wp.ucdavis.edu/nwp06/video/erica.mov Philip - http://a3wp.ucdavis.edu/nwp06/video/phillip.mov and teacher Bob Levin - http://a3wp.ucdavis.edu/nwp06/video/levin.mov

But here is what amazes me about the Read/Write web. I will actually be traveling to San Francisco on January 10 to join you at your MacWorld presentation. The fact that you've already shared a draft and invited commentary, to use your words, "just changes everything." Professional development has never been more accessible (I'm in my sweats right now with my dog at my feet) or more "just in time," or more interactive and meaningful.

Posted by Sheryl Nussbaum Beach in Tapped In, ABPC 21st Century Program

How will blogging in your classroom teach the objectives for your grade level? Do you think blogging will help students in any other ways besides teaching the curriculum?

Week 4 Spreading the Word

Webquest about Blogging by Anne Davis, Georgia http://www.webquest.org/questgarden/lessons/34308-060831081120/