Although this is not my first time blogging, it is the first time I am blogging for educational purposes. In the past I would consider my blogging more like journaling. I hope that from this course I will have my own "online portfolio" of how to use the internet and all it has to offer within my classroom.
The first blogging assignment :
"post an entry on your blog describing three ways that you could or are using blogs in your own teaching and mention the standards from your field that student blogging would meet"
In the beginning I think that I would start my students out by having them complete simple tasks, in order to get aquatinted with the site and ease them into the blogging world, by posting assignments and and commenting on/ responding to the classroom blog. Also as a launching point I would like to have a listing of listening links which they could click to listen to/ watch and post comments about.
Once the students are acquainted with the idea of blogging I would like each student to start their own blog. Giving them their own space will allow the students to take ownership and (hopefully) pride in the way their blog looks, the content they write and post, and comments they make. We have all experienced how it feels when someone comments or "like"s a picture, post or comment on FB. I would hope that blogging would in the classroom would have a similar effect.
Finally, I would like to use blogs to bridge the gap between the classroom and home. Using the internet is a great tool for parental communication. Using the blog as a one stop information spot where parents can become informed as to what is happening in the classroom, see their own child's best work, and look at pictures is extremely useful and an advantage for both the teacher and the parent.
The above mentioned uses of blogs in the classroom meet the k-12 TESOL standards of
Listening
Listening is an active skill. By highlighting an assortment of listening tasks across standards, the need to involve students in active listening and purposeful listening skills development becomes clear.
Reading
English language learners process, interpret, and evaluate written language, symbols, and text with understanding and fluency. Learning to read in a second language may be enhanced or hindered by students’ level of literacy in their native language. Students who have a strong foundation in reading in their first language bring with them skills that can be readily transferred in the process of learning to read in English.
Writing
English language learners use written communication for a variety of purposes and audiences. Writing can be used to express meaning through drawing, symbols, or text. English language learners may come with writing styles influenced by their home cultures.
I am looking forward to being able to learn more about blogging. I am also excited to take what has been traditionally used as social technology and see how it can be transformed into social learning technology.
4 comments:
I like that term "social learning technology" because that describes how we in the education field can use it.
I particularly liked your suggestion for using a class blog as a site for parental communication. Student work can be displayed in addition to assignments and upcoming events. When parents are included in the learning process, more learning and less parent to teacher miscommunication seem to occur.
You have some really great ideas for implementing blogging in the classroom. Starting off students slowly, especially in the elementary grades, is pertinent to ensure they have all aspects of the program before giving more difficult assignments. I also like how you want a blog to inform parents. In most cases, students are usually more successful when they have the support both at home and at school.
I like your idea about using blog to bridge the gap between the classroom and home. Parents play an important role in education. But many parents just left their children in schools and do not pay much attention to their children's achievements. Using blogs to connect parents is really a good way to help parents understand their children and provide these children with appropriate assistants.
You mentioned the nice feeling that one gets when someone "likes" a post on Facebook. You made the connection between this and the ways that student might boost their self-confidence. I hadn't considered this but it might actually help avoid things like cliques in the classroom (if students can connect over hobbies, for example). Did you think about adopting Dr. Burgos' idea of a Kudos page? Students might really like this idea and feel special if they receive them.
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