Now that you have had a chance to view various teacher blogs, student blogs, blogs about blogs, etc..why should we use blog with students? In a comment, incorporate the new ideas you learned tonight. Link and cite the blogs you refer to in your comment.
The New Wave 
Teachers should use blogs with students to motivate them and enhance their learning experience. It can be an informal way of communicating with students in a safe environment. In the blog “20 reasons why students should blog” it discusses that students are able to use multimedia and learn how to support their opinions. In Mr. Austin’s class blog, the teacher is able to remind the students of important announcements. There are various ways students and teachers can use blogs.
I learned that blogs are a great idea to connect students with teachers to make meaningful relationships and enhance learning in and out of the classroom. I also learned about specific blogs that I can use in the future.
http://edublogs.misd.net/mraustin/
By: Patricia K on September 20, 2011
at 11:21 pm
You’re correct, blogs can have many different purposes. It’s probably a good idea to start with a teacher blog, then open it up to student blogs after you feel comfortable.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:14 am
Teachers need to blog with students to keep up with the technology that they are getting involved with. A lot of students will go home, spend time on the computer before reluctantly getting off to do homework, but what if that homework was on the computer? What if students no longer had to lug home those 40 pound books to read four pages out of? Technology is available for students to interact with each other, even if they life far away or if they are unable to get transportation. Blogging can even help remedy problems where students are absent and they need to submit an assignment.
Teachers need to keep up with the technology being presented to them. School does not have to be a boring pen and paper event with thick textbooks and out-dated library books. There is a world of information on the web and teachers should introduce students to it so they know how to use the information wisely and in ways that will help them, not hinder them.
By: Kaitlyn Cane on September 20, 2011
at 11:26 pm
Good point about eliminating textbooks and helping with absentees. The possibilities are endless!
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:15 am
I think that students should use blogs because it gives them the opportunity to connect with other students/professors/teachers from around the world. It is important that students can bounce their ideas off of other students as well because blogging can be used for educational purposes as well. Blogging also incorporates creativity and innovation. Students who are interested in technology and who have never used any blogs before will find learning about blogs very interesting. My blog example demonstrates students working together as a community in their classroom. This supports the class working together as a whole using social interaction and learning how to use technology.
By: Michelle on September 20, 2011
at 11:27 pm
It’s true that blogs can really open up the world to students. Modern day pen pals!
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:17 am
I think micro blogs are the new “in” thing because i know personally i have never done a blog or even really looked at them. I just use facebook and twitter and i know many of my friends do the same. I feel like if my generation is already starting to cut off blogs then we should be using the micro blogs more which is why i linked an example of a good micro blog. This teacher gives advice to teachers or tells about things that she is doing in the class or funny things that have happened. I think blogs would be a good thing if you want to have a class discussion about certain things because people could share there ideas and respond to other students ideas!
By: Candace Weaver on September 20, 2011
at 11:27 pm
I think it’s smart to think ahead about the possibilities of micro-blogging. I think blogging still has a place, as you mentioned, but teachers need to keep moving along with what’s popular today.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:18 am
Blogging with students allows them to share ideas without being nervous about speaking in front of the class. Oftentimes students think they are too cool to raise their hand and say how they feel about a certain poem or event in history. Blogging allows them time to sort out their thoughts and share with others what they were thinking in class.
Blogging is also useful for teachers to show other teachers what has worked for them and what has not. It allows for a community of educators sharing a wealth of knowledge about effective teaching strategies.
One of the blogs I really liked was http://scholastic-scribe.blogspot.com/2009/09/making-grade.html. It was written by a teacher and talked not only about the classroom, but about life lessons as well. I am a firm believer that teachers should not only impart educational knowledge to their students, but life knowledge as well. This teacher seems to have a good grip on both.
By: mandi waldron on September 20, 2011
at 11:27 pm
I like the idea of teachers sharing with one another, too. Often, teaching can be very isolating, especially if you are not on a team that shares and collaborates. Blogging can allow you to connect with others that might have the same issues as you.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:20 am
Teachers can use blogs with students in order to answer questions outside of the classroom referring to homework or things they had learned in class. Teachers can also use their blogs as a form of homework, having students answer questions they place on their blogs which pertains to certain information they learned during class.
The blog “Ask a Teacher” allows for parents to ask teachers particular questions they may have regarding their student’s schooling. This is a great tool because it allows parents to have another form of communication with their child’s educator. This blog also supplies information regarding technology to new teachers, showing them examples of how advanced technology can be used in classrooms aged as young as Kindergarten.
“Ask a Teacher”- Blog:
By: Brittany Hughes on September 20, 2011
at 11:28 pm
Good point about teachers using blogs as a form of homework. If a teacher does decide to do this, a “Plan B” is needed. Give students other options for the assignment in case of technical difficulties!
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:22 am
Having your students blog can help them to be creative as well as break down the barriers that keep them from talking in class. When students can freely talk about a subject with out other students staring at them, they might feel more comfortable to elaborate. Students may also express themselves in other ways. Instead of simply saying or writing and answer to a question or reiterating what has been learned about the topic, students can pull from the internet sources to help them explain what it is they are talking about.. They could even find some sort of picture, poem, news article, or song and explain how it may relate to the topic at hand.
By: Heather on September 20, 2011
at 11:28 pm
Yes, I agree that students can often feel self-conscious, and they are probably experienced in typing their thoughts and feelings because of social-networking. Blogging would probably be very natural for some students!
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:24 am
I actually found a lot of these blogs interesting. One in particular that I liked was titled, “First Grader, At Last!” This blog was completed by a teacher to welcome her students to first grade. She wrote a mini letter to them at the bottom telling them about all of the fun things they were going to do during the year, from science experiments to reading fun stories. I thought this was great and very encouraging for the new little first graders!
By: Megan McHenry on September 20, 2011
at 11:28 pm
What a cute idea, and parents would love this as well. Thanks for sharing!
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:26 am
I actually got caught up on your post about privacy and another blog that talked about children’s online privacy protection. It is pretty scary to realize that even if you are very careful with privacy settings, anyone can find out information about you. My roommate typed her name into Google and her hometown, brothers, and parents names popped up. This has me a little concerned with blog use. I think that it is a great social networking technique, but if someone is very tech savvy it could be dangerous. Many people post daily occurrences and/or pictures to their blogs. The blogger needs to be very careful about what is being posted. When it comes to educational blogs I find that they can be very helpful. It opens the floor for conversation and different insight on topics.
http://www.leekolbert.com/
By: Shannon Dorr on September 20, 2011
at 11:28 pm
I am so glad that you brought this up: student privacy is the most important thing to consider when blogging. We will explore this in more detail, but as a rule of thumb, posting pictures of students and using last names is not appropriate. it’s unfortunate that we have to think this way, but we do!
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:28 am
Blogging with students can be very beneficial because it can bring a whole classroom full of students thoughts and condense into one website. Just like what we are doing right now an educator can post a discussion question on a blog and students can leave comments. Students can communicate amongst each other in an environment where they can say what they want to say and get out everything they were thinking.
By: Haley on September 20, 2011
at 11:28 pm
I liked this, too, because I could hear from all of you! Everyone was required to participate, and I could hear many different perspectives.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:31 am
We should use blogs with students because it will give them many more resources, and different perspectives on ideas and topics. Blogs can give people a chance to connect with others who are blogging on similar ideas and they will be able to learn more, or get more information on a topic. Blogs can be beneficial to teachers for the different ideas such as, how to organize your classroom, or the technology free for teachers blog where they are able to get all sorts of new information for free. Teachers can connect with other teachers and see how certain activities work in their classroom and can compare classroom activities with each other.
By: Sydney Dobbin on September 20, 2011
at 11:28 pm
I think blogging is a great way to open students up to different perspectives, something that is really difficult to do.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:33 am
I think that students should use blogs because it is a unique way to express their ideas and is a way of making learning fun. As stated in the 20 Reasons why students should blog, students are having so much fun that they forget that they are learning. It is also stated that there is an increased motivation for writing. Students are much more willing to write in their blogs and comment on the topic posts. Most students will actually take this learning outside the classroom. I also think it’s a great way to incorporate technology in a classroom. Students will be able to learn and become familiar with new techniques and websites that will be helpful in the future.
By: Kelly McGlynn on September 20, 2011
at 11:28 pm
Yes, it’s just a different tool to allow students to express themselves, and it might really capture some students’ attention.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:34 am
Blogs are a great way to engage your students with technology. The use of the internet gets students excited and allows them to create something on their own. It is a way to get their creativity flowing as well as connect with them on another level. In one of the runner up blogs for best classroom blog the students from one school had an ongoing connection with a classroom from another school across the country. You can see their projects, activities and materials that they are working with. Not only can these students get excited and share with others what they have learned it could be an easy way to connect their families and show them what is going on in their classroom. I think this blog is the most practical type of blog that we, as future teachers, can start off using. Eventually lessons and activities can be built from this creation of the blog just through web 2.0 interactions with the world.
http://hccweb2.org/3s2010/
The Blog Dogs
By: Amy on September 20, 2011
at 11:28 pm
I think it’s a good idea to start with a blog where students connect with other students. Think of all the good ideas you could exchange through the blogs!
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:36 am
Blogging with students allows for a more interactive lesson. Getting away from as said before the “sage on the stage” type of classroom. What I found most interesting was on the “Ask a Tech Teacher” blog. Not only does it have lesson plans that incorporate different interactive activities that enhance the lesson, it also gives solutions for simple tech. problems that teachers, students, and parents all run into. The post “Tech Tip #88: 20 Techie Problems Every Student Can Fix” gives 20 examples of problems students face on the computer (actually 80% of the problems students face on computers to be exact) and how to fix them! It is a great way to not only start off a class that includes technology but also a great resource for the entire school year!
SOURCE
By: Lisa on September 20, 2011
at 11:28 pm
Thanks for sharing the great resource! I hadn’t seen this one before. Wonderful idea to begin the year and empower students.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:38 am
I think it will be a very useful skill to use blogging with students. I think that one of the most important aspects of being a good teacher is having a connection with your students. By using blogging with your students, you will be able to connect on a more personally level than in the classroom where you always have to be the authority. Through blogging you will be able to converse with your students on a more equal level than in the classroom, sharing and discussing different ideas and information. I also think blogging will appeal to a lot of students because the future generations that we will be teaching will be much more technology literate than any other generation thus far.
By: Kelly Darcey on September 20, 2011
at 11:29 pm
Yes, good point about teachers connecting with students. A reply can make you feel validated, and a teacher can take the time to reply on her own time. In the classroom, it is so busy, a teacher can’t take the time to engage with all of her students all the time.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:41 am
I had never considered using blogging with students until reading about all the benefits during class tonight. One blog I read suggested a list of
20 reasons why students should blog*. One of the ones I found most interesting was the idea that it provides an authentic audience and students no longer have to feel like their work is only being judged by their teachers because now it has the potential to reach a global audience. This also provides a boost in self-confidence for many students. They are able to be comfortable writing on a blog even if they me be uncomfortable presenting in front of the class. If we use blogging with our students we allow them to share their thoughts and feelings in multiple ways, in this case writing and speaking.
*http://murcha.wordpress.com/2008/03/14/20-reasons-why-students-should-blog/
By: Holly on September 20, 2011
at 11:29 pm
Great point about students being validated by others besides their teacher! It shifts the role of a teacher to more of a guide.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:42 am
We should blog with students because it allows for a more interactive learning environment and lets the students have more ownership over what they are learning in class. When students get the opportunity to learn in a new way, like blogging on the internet, they get more excited about school in general. Both the Maryland Teacher and Technology Standards, and the ISTE, advocate for getting teachers to inspire their students to use technology in the classroom, and blogging would be a great way to do that.
By: Gayle on September 20, 2011
at 11:30 pm
Whenever students have ownership, the quality of work improves, I believe. Good point!
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:43 am
Blogs can truly be a fun and creative way to get students to write. Students of all levels can participate in blogging and writing that goes along with it. Blogging can be something that students become proud of, and put their best effort in to.
https://myclasses9.salisbury.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3191_1%26url%3D
This blog shows Haley’s best effort in her blog and demonstrates the hard work she put into it. She is able to share ideas she learned, and design her own page. Blogs allow students to be creative, experience technology, practice writing skills, and have fun!
By: Megan Ward on September 20, 2011
at 11:32 pm
I think blogging helps writing skills, too, because students need to learn to edit and proofread their work so their ideas are clear. They may be more likely to produce quality work if others will be reading.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:45 am
We should use blogs with students because it opens up a new way that we can communicate and share information about what is going on in the classroom, and out of the classroom. Teachers can put up information that students have done so that parents can view what their kids are doing, and so that students can see things that their classmates are doing if they missed some things in class. In the runner up for best class blog http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com/
she put up pictures and information from the class.
By: Stacey on September 20, 2011
at 11:32 pm
As a parent, I would love this kind of communication. I could be informed of what my child is doing throughout the week, which would help me help my child at home.
By: sherryvalenti on September 26, 2011
at 1:46 am
Blogging is an important tool to use in the classroom because it gives students a plethora of viewpoints and opinions. They are given an easy way to express their own views and reflect on what they have learned. Students can communicate not only with those in their own classrooms, but with students all over the world. Blogging also helps students develop better reading and writing skills. Teachers can use blogs to post helpful links, instructional videos, and assignments. Parents can use the blogs to keep up with what their child is doing in school.
By: Morgan Schell on September 27, 2011
at 9:00 pm
I feel that blogs are a very important aspect in teaching nowadays. I honestly wish they were popular back when I younger. I truly believe that students feel more comfortable responding on a blog rather than in class. On blogs you can have class discussions where students can express their thoughts. In class, these students may be too shy and keep their thoughts inside. Blogs are also a great way to keep connected. Teachers can post things for students to read and respond to. Students are also to express themselves creatively. They can do whatever they what whenever they want to their blogs. As I was searching through different blogs, I found this one that I felt was interesting. I love hands on activities and I feel they are very effective in a classroom. http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337 This blog provides us with different ideas that we could use in our future classrooms.
By: Kelly on October 2, 2011
at 9:12 pm