I am a middle school teacher in Anaconda, Montana! I teach 7th grade geography and 8th grade Honor's U.S. history/We the People. I currently have a web page under K12lessonplans. I really like this site because it is really user friendly. Every week I post a blog, and my 8th grade students respond. This works fantastic, in this class. I have 23 very bright students in this class, and I can not always hear all of their opinions on every item we talk about in class. They seem to love to blog with me. It also allows them to blog on current events. We have a discussion table on this site, and they have RSS feeds from the Bill of Rights institute on daily news stories. They pick a story that interests them and then they blog on it, then others get involved.
I have to approve written by the students before it can be posted. The students like this because sometimes they leave me messages they do not necessarily want the rest of the class to read or respond to.
Does anyone have more ideas for my class blogging?
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Tammy,
ReplyDeleteDo all of your students have access to a computer in your class or is the blog a homework assignment? It seems that your blogging experience seems like a great learning tool for your situation. You can also use this website to post assignments and expectations.
Here is a creative suggestion for a blog:
At my school, the students need to memorize facts for the "Great American Awards." Some of these fact include the states and capital, the presidents, the preamble, and a few other things. My principal, made an audio files of her saying all of these facts and if a student brings in an ipod or mp3 player, she gives them the file so they can practice. With a blog, you could post the study notes in an audio format and attach the file for the students to download to their ipods or mp3 player. Dr. David Thornburg in the Laureate video section "The Third Wave," says “Audio is the only technology that you can use while doing something else.” If you create and post these study links, students could listen on the bus, during baseball practice, in a car trip etc... I hope this idea helps.
Hi Charles,
ReplyDeleteYes, in my classroom--I have seven computers and then a computer lab next door to me. So all the students have access to computers all the time. I do give the blogs as a homework assignment though. The k12lessonplans, have my agenda for the week, notes, sample tests or quiz, articles to read, pictures of students from lessons and all sorts of other things.
Thank you for the great lesson and idea with the Audio. I am going to get started on this tomorrow. I am really excited about this!!!!
Tammy,
ReplyDeleteYou are very lucky in to have access to that much technology. I find it hard to implement a blog into my class, because I do not have any other computers for my music class.
I am glad that my suggestion helped you out. Let me know how it works out for you and if it is successful.
I was happy to read that blogging has been successful for you in the classroom. I guess I always worry about having my students’ blog because my school lacks computers. In the classroom, we only have one student computer for my students to use. In the building, we have one computer lab, but it is constantly being used for pull-out classes and etc. In the next week or so, I am going to experiment with blogging in the classroom. My students are reading and class novel and I am going to have them blog their journal/chapter entries. Do you think I will find that my students are being more creative and open?
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