Now that you've decided to incorporate blogs into your classroom, it's time to decide how you want to utilize this tool. This blog will include helpful tips and some ideas to make your blogs be more than just words on a website. Here's the top ten ideas to make the most out of your blogs.
1. First, determine your purpose. How will your students use this? Will it serve as a general comment to a blog you begin or their own blog page so others can comment them? Find a site that provides what you’re looking for. Make sure the site you choose isn’t blocked in your district.
2. Plan how you will assess. Thoughtful conversations will be taking place on your blog. This might be the best way to determine if your students really “get it” or not. What do you want to assess? Detailed explanations? Thinking skills? Problem and solution? Grammar? Find the most important areas to assess and allow your students to create the scoring guide. This allows them to carry the tools and purpose personally. Copy the scoring guide so every student has one available to check when writing their blog. Model to your students how to use the program and provide some practice time with it. Younger students will need some experience before they’re ready for assessment. Fifth grade and up might only need one practice session
3. Find another teacher to collaborate with and discuss your expectations with them. This could be someone in your own district or from farther away. Assign each student a “blog buddy” based on ability or interests. This will allow for consistent comments instead of one student receiving an onslaught of comments while someone else doesn’t receive any.
Need some help finding teachers?
- Use the collaborator tool on Blogmeister
- Join Classroom2.0 to network with other teachers
4. Make students aware of their audience. When they realize the entire world is reading their classwork, they’re more motivated and thoughtful.
5. Use multimedia. Pictures, slideshows, and movies within your blog will engage students and provide visual literacy skills to reach higher order thinking. Slide.com or Picasa Web Albums are great tools to store your pictures online. Simply copy and paste the html code into the bottom of your post and your picture will appear upon publishing.
Keep in mind, though, multimedia should be used to enhance learning. Parents and community members love to see class pictures, however, your main job is to enrich the learning experience.
6. The purpose of comments are to make both the reader and the writer think. Meris Stansbury explained it well in the linked article. Students will learn more from adding information, providing challenges or asking questions. Cheerleading, or general praise from students regarding the initial post, only serve purpose to more cheerleading.
7. Include more types of collaboration than just the blog. If you have the capabilities, hold a virtual field trip to study with your collaborating class. Students can write their own questions and then quiz the participating class. Skype is a great way to communicate with others either via chat or through a live call. If a webcam or digital camcorder is available, use it to provide a visual for students.
8. Reflection is an important part of the learning experience so that students can learn from mistakes, look at what they've done well, and plan for future experiences. In order to encourage student reflection, provide prompts. In the prompt, list what needs to be included in the blog. Ask students to use details, examples, and evidence to back up their ideas and thoughts.
9. As stated in Stansbury's article, questioning and challenging provide the most opportunity for student growth. When commenting, pull up an example blog and model how to question for understanding, clarification, or even to challenge the writer with different ideas. At the beginning of a lesson, provide an essential question for the students. Often, questioning an essential question is a great way to get students motivated, engaged, and thinking critically about the lesson.
10. Use the tools frequently and consistently. After using the blogs on a regular basis, students will treat it like a discussion. They will form bonds with their partners and provide a great learning experience for them.
