Classroom blogs--Integrate Technology

A classroom blog is a great way for students to share their ideas and thoughts about topics discussed in class. Having experience teaching middle school students I know they are all on the social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, so they already have exposure to the technology. They share their feelings and express themselves on those social network sites, so I think that a class blog would pose as a very similar atmosphere.

The main idea behind a class blog however, would be more of a straight forward approach for students and have a common theme to go along with it. For instance, a teacher may pose a question or questions for students (daily or weekly) and then they would respond to the questions as a comment that all subscribers (or users) would be able to read.

The classroom blog is a great place for students to interact about content and even a place for them to post questions, comments and answers amongst each other. I feel that is is important that they have a place to express their thoughts and questions about what they are learning about. The classroom blog may offer extra help to them so they can better understand the material by "talking" about it in a less conventional, classroom setting.

The most obvious question that teachers have about a classroom blog is probably how are they able to monitor content and appropriate usage among students. I would recommend using it more for question and answer opportunities that would be LED by the teacher. For example, a great way to get students using the blog would be to have a question to respond to each week. Post a question on Monday for all students to read and then have them respond to it by Thursday of the same week so that the question could be discussed in class on Friday. A teacher could then take that as a homework grade for class and they would have one each week.

The classroom blog could really enhance a class lesson by allowing students a little more freedom. As students become more familiar with the blog posting and a teacher feels comfortable opening up the forum some, students could be given more privileges. The blog could be a place where students write follow up questions to assignments or content being covered in the classroom. Students could write reflection journals each week about their progress with the content or share what they have enjoyed learning in class.

Classroom blogs will open up a world of technology to the students. They will be able to correspond with one another and their teacher all through this one forum. Many schools have technology available for student use throughout the day so those students who do not have Internet access at home should have no problem with participation. A simple blog post each week can engage the students and help them become more familiar with technology. Teachers that integrate technology into their classroom will help prepare students for their future in the 21st century workforce.

Katie Grote

Spotlight on Emerging Technology: Online Learning in K-12 Schools

My VoiceThread link:

http://voicethread.com/share/1885953/

GAME plan reflection...

As I review my GAME plan and think about the complications and possible successes I could have with following it I see that integrating the technology standards is a must. My students need to learn to develop the skills to work and function in the 21st century learning skills. Many opportunities students will come in contact with in the work force (in the future) they will be required to use those technological skills. Having students work on assignments and projects that require them to use technology is a great way to get them working and motivated about technology!

Many of the issues I see with my GAME plan, like creating classroom blogs, is an easy hurdle to overcome. Since the district blocks many websites due to their content, I just have to work harder to show the importance and learning possibilities for students with the use of classroom blogs. As long as I show I can manage the content and student use of the blog I am sure I can get the permission and website allowance. Another issue is if students do not have access to computers at home, however I can combat that with allowing students to use the classroom computers so they can complete the blog post.

Ultimately, I want my students to be comfortable using technology and developing those 21st century learning skills. I know that with constant reinforcement and use of computers in the class as well as other resources like the Smart Board and clicker system students will be able to see the importance of technology.

Resources

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

GAME plan with students...

The GAME plan process has been really helpful with planning for student success. Monitoring and assessing students is important to making sure that students are understanding content. Integrating technology is another aspect of giving students another way to learn new information. After reading through the NETS standards I realize that many of the standards are addressed day to day in the classroom. However, I have been working hard at keeping students and parents informed about technology usage in the classroom. Keeping parents involved in the classroom has also been what I have been working with. A class blog is a great way to make sure parents are aware of what students are learning about and it also gives them a chance to share opinions and insights.

The NETS standards are a great way for me to assess myself as well and make sure I am reaching those standards for the students. They serve as a guide almost and I can monitor what I have done in the classroom and continue to work on what I lack.

REVISE...my GAME plan!

I have made some progress as the week has gone on. We created a blog that parents can check to keep up with assignments and classroom activities. It is very much like the website that our school uses, so I think that in the future I would want to have it geared more towards student use. I wanted to get a trial run in though and see how it would work.

I have been utilizing my Smart Notebook more, which is a program that goes along with the SmartBoard. It is very similar to PowerPoint, but it is specifically for SmartBoard use. It is a great program, but it is somewhat difficult to navigate! I am working on learning the tricks that go along with the program and I hope to get more in depth with it as the quarter progresses.

A new learning goal I would also like to try to work on is the (4a) “advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.” I would like to incorporate more student research in the classroom and with projects. When I do this though, I really want my focus to be on finding sources that are appropriate and most importantly legitimate! Teaching students to cite sources and understand copyright is a valuable lesson that they can use later in life!

I am going to continue to work with some of the technology savvy teachers and those who know the SmartBoard “ropes” so to speak. They are more than willing to help and share different things they do with their students. I have been given some templates that I can use in class and some games that can be played on the SmartBoard. I am also on the lookout for any professional development opportunities that come across to us in the district.

Resources:

NETS Standards

http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Evaluatinb my GAME plan...

This week I talked with my “team” of teachers, the Math, ELA and SS teachers and discussed trying to implement the use of blogs in our classrooms. We all thought that having a team blog with simple things for now, like classroom expectations, upcoming events, ect would be best! We will then have the opportunity for parent/student feedback to see how the blog works. I think this was a good way to go about bringing the blog “to life” because it is introducing the idea and I can see where it takes me.

I hope that with the feedback of parents and students I can get an idea of how I could use it next year in my classroom. Many students are thrilled that they are going to be given this opportunity to use the computers for blogging and sharing their ideas. As far as assessing students, I am not to that point yet since we are just doing the trial blog for now. Next year though when I want to use it in my class, I will need to come up with a good way to assess or grade students on participation.

The other part of my GAME plan was dealing with using technology more frequently in the classroom. My room is equipped with a SMART board and projector, so I have technology at my full disposal. However, the SMART board can be very tricky to use. Some of the applications are hard to follow and can be slow at times. I am attending a workshop on our next professional development day to try and gain some ideas on what others are using their SMART boards for. I have started using them for playing Jeopardy and other interactive games and students have loved it! I think I just need to continue to ask my colleagues questions about the program and continue to work at it until I feel confident!

Attending the workshops and installing the latest software on my SMART board will definitely make me feel better about using it. It’s my first year using it, so I am still “in training”. However, I know how important it is for student learning to have the use of technology in the classroom, so I am going to do whatever it takes to keep my students happy and engaged in the lessons!

Monitoring my GAME plan!

As I continue to assess my GAME plan I am finding new and fun ways to use technology. I have been focusing a lot of finding ways to have students assess themselves. I hate that they do not get instant feedback when we do activities in class that need to be graded, so I have been searching for quick games to check student understanding. We have started studying human body systems and with learning the function of the system, students must also identify organs. When we are working on a body system I have students work in groups and rotate around to different stations. I have incorporated a station that uses the classroom computers to "test" students on their labeling/naming organs! They get instant feedback and really enjoy the time spent on the computer.

My other part of the GAME plan dealt with having students begin blogging. Next week I am planning to show students how blogging works. I have spoken with my principal about unblocking a website so I can set up a classroom blog. I am hoping that showing students how the classroom blog works as a whole group and then having them start out posting once a week from the classroom can get the ball rolling!

I would like to try and network with some other teachers that have used blogs in the classroom so I can see how they go about grading and assessing the student work. We had an opportunity last week to sit down with all of the 7th grade science teachers in the district and they had a wealth of information when it came to using technology tools. Many of them are using Flip cameras and having students do podcasts. I would really like to use these tools in my classroom, so that would be a modification I would make to my GAME plan. Allowing students to learn and show what they are learning through the integration of technology (video, ect) is an awesome experience for the students and me!

At this point in my GAME plan I would like to see how others assess students when using technology, like blogs, podcasts, flip camera videos, ect. It would be interesting to see if students are given a rubric of some sort or just a simple set of directions. Regardless of how you assess students it is more important to make sure that what students are doing with technology is meaningful and a positive learning experience!