Blogging is the new craze and it is time we start using it in the schools. I teach fourth grade in Delaware. As I continue to play with my blog and look at others and what can be done with them I am beginning to gather lots of ideas. I hope that you will take a moment to read through my ideas and let me know what you think. I am also asking you to leave me some other ideas on how I can use blogging in my classroom.
One idea for using blogging in my classroom is as a place for students to write reviews about books they have read. They have been taught how to write a summary but I need to go a step further and teach them how to write a review to post for others to read and comment on that do not give away the end of the book. I also would like the students to have the chance to have discussions about books they have read and their thoughts and feelings on the books. As humans we all read things differently and I feel that using a blog will allow the students to hear other students point of views on the book.
Not only do I think this would be a good place to talk about books but I think this would be a good way for students to share about their lives and ask questions of each other. They can post a blog about themselves and others can comment and ask questions so they can get to know each other.
I also like the idea of using it to poll the students. While they are doing their morning work or during center time I can have a poll up for them to respond to and then we will see the results when it is time.
One last idea for using a blog would be to showcase some of their work. However, I have to make sure that the parents give apporval for me to display their work and name on the website. I will send home a letter at the beginning of the year asking for permisson. They will have the option of not having anything about their child on the site, just their work, their work and their name, and a picture of the child if they allow. This will be a nice way for them to show of their work to their family and friends at home if they have access to the internet.
These are just a few ideas that I have so far on how I can use this blog to help create more of a community within my classroom. I hope to entice the students who don't normally like to write using paper and pencil and all the students to want to write more since they get to type it on a website for others to see. I also hope to be able to create more discussion between the students and myself.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Susan, you really have some great ideas. My school hots a website for all students to post grade level book recommendations, much like you mentioned. They leave summaries and why they liked them, as well as classify what type of book it is. It is neat at the end of the year to see the list of the schools top book choices. Twilight won by a landslide. Our only problem was that the site had to be monitored carefully as students often blogged from home and some used it out of context. Polling is also a fun idea to get students involved!
ReplyDeleteSusan, these are all great ideas for how to use your blog in the classroom. One concern I have pertains to using it as a place to share book reviews. Teaching in a third grade class I am aware that there are a variety of reading levels. I know from my own class that many of my lower readers do not like to share the books they have read because they are not on the same level as all of the other students.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to create blogs for all different reading levels (high, medium, lows)? It can be a place where they can share with individuals with the same reading ability. It may take a little more work on your behalf, but it might spark more conversations.
When I do book discussions in class they are based on ability level and they are all participating in the conversation.
Just a thought.
Also, you may want to check with your school about the permission slip for using the child's name and picture on the web. In my school parents choose to sign or not sign a technology release that covers all areas when they enter the school. You may already have this on file and not know. This is something I recently found out about my school.
Wow - you seem to have a lot of ideas for this page. My concern is that there are too many and that you will get overwhelmed during the school year. Is this your first time blogging in the classroom? It is mine and I am going to attempt only one thing this year. Then again, maybe with elementary school, you will need all of these ideas. And, I suppose we will both get excited by all of the possiblities! I hope that it goes well, good luck. Kim
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of using a blog for students to discuss their reactions to the books they are reading. I plan on using an idea similar to that next year with the trade books my students will read.
The displaying of student work is also a great idea, but I think its an idea that will only work if every student and parent is on board and agrees to allow their child to post their work. There are parents out there who are still very apprehensive about having their children's name on the internet in any way and it would be ashame if, for example, only one student couldn't display their work. They probably feel really left out, eventhough its no fault of their own. That's one of the struggles of being an educator. You have so many ideas that you know will work wonders for your students, but you always need the approval of 20 different sets of parents for you to try something new.
Julie, Kim, and Carman,
ReplyDeleteI think permission is going to be the biggest problem. I am hoping that the parents will give atleast permission to post their child's work even if I have to black out the name. That way every student has a piece of work posted even if their name isn't displayed. My school does have a form but it is for picture and name being published on a website. I will have to look into finding out how to get permission for posting student work on the website. In addition, I have a tendency to try too many things. However, I think this year I might just try the polling and book reviews. In response to book reviews and levels... I require 4 books a month for Accelerated Reader a month and then any other books they read can be whatever level they want. Once they have met their requirement a lot of my students tend to reader easier books because then they get more points and chances to get a prize in the assembly. So I don't think the students will feel out of sorts if they are writing a review on an easier book than others (atleast I hope not!) I'll let you know how it goes.