Learn Tech with LeFever: Get Blogging! Summer 2015

Friday, June 26, 2015

Get Blogging! Summer 2015

Introduction

Simply put, blogs are web journals, websites on which an individual or group of users record opinions, information, etc. on a regular basis. Blogs are means of providing students with opportunities for digital communication and collaboration in and out of the school building and day. With the available security options, teachers can control both the participants and the content. Blogs are one of the easiest options for creating a classroom Web presence, but can be even more powerful when combined with your classroom website and used for student interaction and communication.

Wonder

To blog or not to blog? How can I effectively integrate blogging in my instruction?

Explore/Investigate

Watch Blogs in Plain English

Read The Guardian: Class blogs: a better way to teach?
Explore Kathleen Morris' Five Steps to Starting a Class Blog

Learn more about classroom blogs from expert Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

Sample a few classroom blogs:

Not enough? Search the Internet for even more ideas you can use in your classroom!

Communicate

What are your ideas for effectively integrating blogs in your classroom? Share your grade level and/or content area along with your ideas. Click the "comment" link below to get started. Remember, your post will not be visible until approved by the instructor, so don't panic when you cannot see it right away!

Create

You will create a blog and a lesson plan to go along with it. Your lesson should incorporate the introduction and/or use of your blog in the classroom. Let's begin:

Watch the tutorials to help you decide which to use:

Blogger (for older students) has a great help section that will answer many of your questions. This section will help you set up the moderation of comments to avoid worry over inappropriate posts.
Kidblog (for younger students) allows you to create student blogs without email addresses.
Edublogs are great all around and have a great help section as well.

Register for an account with one of the blog sites: Blogger, Kidblog or Edublogs.
Create a blog you can share with others.
Design and write-up your lesson (in whatever format works best for you).
Email/share your lesson to the instructor: Laurie LeFever (laurielefever@gmail.com). Make sure to include a link to your blog on your lesson plan.
Share the link to your blog in a second comment posting on this blog for others to see.

Reflect

Now, on your own blog, reflect on the process of choosing and creating a blog for your classroom. Predict and plan for any hurdles you might need to surmount when you implement your blog in your instruction. What questions do you still have about blogging? Please complete this short feedback form.

All components are due by Monday, August 3, unless you have made other arrangements.

If at any time you have questions, contact me for support. I can help you via email, phone or Google Hangout or we can set up an in-person support session at your convenience:

Instructor Contact Information:

Laurie LeFever, LMS

CNYRIC

6075 E. Molloy Road

Syracuse, New York 13221

llefever@cnyric.org

88 comments:

Tracy BradyJuly 2, 2015 at 3:08 PM
So, here's the class blog I launched for last year: http://esmspanish.blogspot.com/ As you can see, it never really got off the ground (last post October). I encountered some resistance from students (why can't you just give me a textbook?!?!) which was disheartening. I'm glad you included Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano, because it's a good reminder to me to catch up with her blog. I'm very much hoping others in this class are in touch periodically via this comments section so there's some sort of dialogue going on!!
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AnonymousJuly 12, 2015 at 11:06 AM
Hello!
My name is Lisa Lasinski. I teach 4th grade at Palmer Elementary in Baldwinsville. I have wanted to set up a class blog but just felt overwhelmed at managing it. After reading some of the blogging sites it now seems a lot easier. I am hoping to set up one for this coming school year to use during Book Clubs.
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Mrs. LaChanceJuly 13, 2015 at 7:41 AM
Hi there! I teach 9th grade Living Environment at the North Syracuse Junior high school. My initial goal when entering this class was to create a blog around a current events activity that we revisit throughout the school year. After viewing some of the blog examples above, I get excited about using a blog as a tool to hopefully motivate my students to become lifelong learners!
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AnonymousJuly 14, 2015 at 7:13 AM
My idea for using a blog this year is to replace the weekly "Week in Review" that I type and print, the kids comment on and take home in their Friday folders. Instead, I am envisioning a weekly blog post for each student in which they write a reflection on the things they learned during the week… and my summary of what we accomplished during the week as well as the calendar of upcoming events for parents. It would be great to be able to have the kids post an example of the work they did during the week, but I am trying to remind myself to start small. I think this idea appeals to me because a. it's something I do weekly already and b. it will be useful for parents and students.
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UnknownJuly 14, 2015 at 4:31 PM
I am a little nervous about a blog but think that it is another way that students can express their thoughts and communicate what they learned with the class and their teacher. I thought I would start out small with my blog. One of the things I do with my students is current events relating to health topics. I thought a blog would a good place to share and have students comment on these topics. I would have a few items they must do and also questions to include in their blog. Excited to see how it works. I would be doing this with my high school classes, not sure how middle school would or if they could handle this.
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7062717726003010156#editor/target=post;postID=5339933947551963507;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname
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UnknownJuly 15, 2015 at 10:26 AM
Hello everyone!
My name is Elizabeth Reilly. I work at Syracuse City School district as a 9th grade English teacher. I finished my first year of teaching (whew) and am headed in to the 2nd year bravely attempting to implement more technology into the classroom.

I am hoping that in doing this PD will not only feel more comfortable about blogging, but that I can implement more 21st century learning techniques into my teaching practice.

Looking forward to getting started!
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Mrs. LaChanceJuly 15, 2015 at 3:19 PM
I have created a blog (lachancele.blogspot.com) that requires my students to respond. i believe that with this blog I could transform my current Sciece Literacy activity into a much more interactive assignment. This should also give me more control over upholding some literary standards since only posts that I accept (complette sentences, follow directives, not copied etc) would be posted.
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UnknownJuly 15, 2015 at 6:42 PM
I have a few different ideas for incorporating blogging into my English 8 classroom this year. I would like it to be something that pushes the students with the content outside the classroom and also helps them push each other. I am hoping I can use it as a reflection of the learning that goes on in the room, but also a place where students who generally are too shy to participate will feel comfortable having something to say. I would like it to be a weekly homework assignment that they must complete. Something like a weekly wrap-up! My only fear is trying to keep up with all of it. From looking at all of the material, I was surprised at all of the creativity and use of pictures. It really opened my mind! I can't wait to get started!
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AnonymousJuly 16, 2015 at 10:03 AM
I have been playing around with the blogs and hope to be able to use them for my writing lessons, ticket out the door conversations and any questions or comments that the students just want to have. I hope that it is an open door and the students feel comfortable to use it whenever. Hopefully, I can have the students incorporate blogging into their computer time. They have limited access to the internet at times, so it would be resourceful if built into their computer curriculum. It would help communication and typing and building a knowledge of technology.

The two blogs that I have signed up for and starting playing with are:

Kid blog: kidblog.org/mrs.lockes-class(I have only posted a welcome back)

edublog: http://critellilocke.edublogs.org
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AnonymousJuly 16, 2015 at 2:07 PM
Kidblog ID: 7jl4kxdw04o8zv7ao5s7rrvf8

http://critellilocke.edublogs.org--- I have posted a lesson for the first week. I hope it works well :) It would be awesome to see their learning right away, and what a creative way to work during ELA. I think it would keep them on their toes
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AnonymousJuly 19, 2015 at 3:31 PM
Using blogger, I created

http://teachingtalking.blogspot.com/

This will be a blog to share teaching ideas. I plan to blog about - special education, innovation and technology practices, different grade levels, national board info, student work and activities. There is so much to all of our jobs, but little time to share. Hopefully this will be a resource for myself and other teachers.
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AnonymousJuly 19, 2015 at 6:01 PM
Hello! Just posting the information on how to get to my blog on kidblog. Just go to the kidblog site and put in my email address: llasinski@bville.org. Click on Mrs. Lasinski's Life Long Learners and select the guest user. The password is Laurie1
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awilderJuly 21, 2015 at 9:34 AM
Wow, so many things to actually do with blogs. My initial thought was to use the blog for students to comment on a question about what we were reading, but after watching and reading the information there I so much more that can be done. I like the idea of using it as a place for parents to see what has been done during the week and about upcoming events - sort of like a Friday folder except online with student contributions. I love the idea of using videos and pictures to add as well. There are so many things to think about. I also think that I will be using kidblog because then I can control what is put up on the blog.
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awilderJuly 21, 2015 at 3:00 PM
Okay, so I created a blog for my 6th grade special class reading students. I thought it would give them an opportunity to increase their typing skills along with answering a question from the blog.
Check it out: http://kidblog.org/class/mrs-wilders-class/login
Choose Student
Password: Blogging

Questions: If I want to make something for parents, do I just create a separate blog? I know that I originally had an ELA blog, which I would like to use with the teacher I co-teach with and then I decided to just make one for my special class and when I log in it shows up...is that what I would use to create a newsletter page with my parents?
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UnknownJuly 21, 2015 at 4:13 PM
I struggle with whether or not my my comment posts. So please forgive me if I am repeating myself.
My blog is kmarano@edublogs.org
I feel that I want to use the blog as a forum to discuss the novel we are reading in class. So many of our students struggle with speaking out in class and I would like to see if this is where I have can help students have a voice.
I really liked looking at all of the example blogs, they were so creative. Mine is very basic right now. I hope to advance mine to look more creative.
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AnonymousJuly 21, 2015 at 10:03 PM
My plan is to use EduBlogs to create a space for my 4th grade students to reflect on their learning, either by responding to prompts/essential questions or through free-write reflections. I would like a secure location where students would be able to share their thoughts, pictures, video, etc. with their classmates, and where we can work on positive ways to comment and critique/provide suggestions for each other (through direct instruction and modeling, with the ability for the teacher to moderate since commenting is a new skill!).
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Lisa RoffoJuly 23, 2015 at 5:23 PM
I learned quite a bit by exploring the resources and the types of blogs mentioned in this course. I also learned many new ways of incorporating blogs into the classroom. Last year I used Edmodo. I liked the way I could include links to videos, research, and other sites right into my Edmodo posts. I also liked the way the kids could comment to each other. I will probably continue with Edmodo this year. However, it can be tough keeping kids interested. I like the idea of a nice and simple blog.
I examined and experimented with all 3 blogs mentioned in this course’s research. The blog I chose to use is EDUBLOG. I chose EDUBLOG for many reasons. It is supported by our district. It was not as simple to use as Edmodo, but I did find it easier to use than the other two blogs mentioned. I liked the way I could use a simple format that my fifth graders can easily follow. I like the way kids and I can add pictures, links, etc.
A link to my blog is: https://lroffo.edublogs.org/
I posted my first assignment for my kids to introduce themselves as they are 5th graders that are brand new to middle school.

My next lessons for the blog will be:
• Responding to current events from Time For Kids articles, etc.
• Responding to lessons
• Posting research findings
• Assessing Science and Social Studies standards
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AnonymousJuly 26, 2015 at 11:20 AM
I jumped right in creating a blog which I found much easier than my web site. I chose to use edublogs since it is more user friendly than Blogspot although it became live right away so I had to learn how to edit a post. I like the tutorials available for all facets of the site. I looked through several examples before settling on one I could manage.
My site address is http://mrsmccarthy6.edublogs.org/ and I began with a conversation which I didn't like so I edited it to include an assignment for a book talk for summer reading. My goal is to morph this into responding to reading while I am investigating a new reading series as well as writing (Lucy Calkins). I am excited to see that Lisa Roffo is using the same blog site in 5th grade so when students move forward they are familiar. Hopefully, we will get to my ultimate goal of journalism!
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AnonymousJuly 28, 2015 at 11:33 PM
Although my original intention was to try out EduBlogs for use with my students, after playing with the settings, etc. (and especially realizing that the free version of EduBlogs doesn't allow for privacy, student moderation, embedding video, etc.), I decided to switch over and look again at KidBlogs. It has been several years since I have used this site, and it definitely looks like it has been updated/improved/enhanced during that time!

URL: http://kidblog.org/class/misco104
Registration Code: kfpfxkz

To begin with, I set it so that students can comment on each others' posts (with moderation), but I disabled Connections for now (at least until we get started and have practiced posting and commenting).

The first post will just be an introduction to bogging, with students doing a 3-2-1 activity. Once students have their first posts completed, we will discuss (and practice!) how to make comments on each others' blog posts.
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sbenjamiAugust 1, 2015 at 9:33 PM
My plan is to use a classroom blog as a weekly classroom news for students and parents. Instead of a weekly paper newsletter and I usually send home and the students reflect on, I will use a blog to post classroom events and highlights from the week. I hope to have the students post their own learning and examples as we move in to the year.
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sbenjamiAugust 1, 2015 at 10:24 PM
After exploring the different options, I chose edublogs to create my classroom blog. The address is http://mrbgrade5.edublogs.org.

I really liked the ease of edublogs and the tutorials. I plan to introduce the blog to my class with a quote that they will comment on. I hope this will be a way to spark a classroom presence and discussion online. From there , I hope to have a Week in Review blog similar to the one Heather Buff described in her post above.
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UnknownAugust 2, 2015 at 4:45 PM
I hope to use a blog during my science lessons and homework for the first year. I would like the students to first use the blog during class time to get experience using it. My goal is to have them be able to navigate through the site on their own and peer review videos and assignments in a positive and constructive way.

I am going to use kidblogs because I feel it best suits my students age group. I think the site is easy to navigate and add new materials.
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UnknownAugust 2, 2015 at 4:49 PM
I forgot to add my web page address. My blog can be found at http://kidblog.org/class/mr-nashs-class/posts.
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UnknownAugust 2, 2015 at 11:17 PM
I hope to use blogging as a weekly newsletter for students to reflect on their learning. In my classroom I have a student helper each week to complete class jobs and help me pass out papers, etc. I would like this helper to also be my blogger of the week. It will be their job to update the class blog on what we have been learning in the content areas and any other important events that happened during the week or are coming up. I am going to let the helper pick a classmate to help them update the blog because two heads are better than one! :-) I am going to let the helper take pictures of our learning throughout the week and upload the pictures to our blog.

My blog is: http://kidblog.org/MissWallace/
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UnknownAugust 2, 2015 at 11:53 PM
My blog reflection is password protected. The password is: blog105.

Here is the link to my blog: http://kidblog.org/MissWallace/
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UnknownAugust 3, 2015 at 7:31 AM
The first day of my Academic Support class, I plan to use my blog to introduce myself as well as have my students introduce themselves. This will give me a very quick formative assessment to use as a starting point for attacking each students IEP writing goal. During the second week of school, we will begin to read the novel Wonder, by R.J.Palacio, and will use the blog as a forum to respond to the literature. Over the next few weeks, I will be getting this format set up. My co-teacher and I have linked our blogs to the website we created this summer using Google Sites to give our students a "one stop shopping" experience to access course materials for both Living Environment and for Academic support.
http://mrscannella7.blogspot.com/
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Michelle CurrierAugust 3, 2015 at 8:52 PM
I'm still working through exactly how I will use my blog with 6 grade levels, 2 choruses and a drama club. My intention when I began this workshop was to use it as a newsletter/informational site. Keeping up with 400 sets of parents is very tedious! At this point that is still my plan, although I very much want to move towards encouraging more parent/student involvement in the blog. I created a sample Peek At The Week which is posted and will continue to build those and post them weekly. I will also use the blog to keep parents updated about grade level performances, assemblies and extra curricular opportunities.

mrscurriermusic@edublogs.org
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Laurie LeFeverAugust 3, 2015 at 9:06 PM
Sounds like a good plan Michelle. FYI the link should be:
http://mrscurriermusic.edublogs.org/
(replace @ with a period)
It looks good. Please let me know if I can support you as you continue working on it!
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UnknownAugust 4, 2015 at 1:45 AM
I’d like to use blogging in my English 8 classroom as a way of extending learning outside of the class for students who need more of a challenge. I intend to use the blog as a forum for an extended English challenge where students can receive extra credit for discussing higher-level issues and content, beyond what we’re learning in class.
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UnknownAugust 4, 2015 at 2:44 AM
My blog is an Extended English challenge and can be found at http://holmesenglishchallenge.blogspot.com/. This is not a blog that will be used for my entire population of students, but rather those who need an extended challenge, beyond the "regular" classroom. They can elect to participate in Extended English Challenges throughout the year for extra credit opportunities.
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UnknownAugust 4, 2015 at 2:55 AM
For me, blogging seemed like a daunting task to keep up with for all 100+ of the students I have each school year. I did, however, still want to utilize blogs to allow a population of students to discuss things beyond what we have time for in class. Because of this, I decided to offer an extension of classroom discussions to students who participate in Extended English Challenges. I’m excited to try this and think that the group of students who choose to participate will be excited to use this forum to discuss and extend their learning.

As far choosing which blog platform to use, it was a no-brainer to me, as we will be a Google School next year, and all students will have Gmail accounts. Additionally, I’ll be using Google Classroom. Blogger was an obvious choice, as it syncs with all of this.

The main hurdle I may need to surmount is how to guide students in DISCUSSing with each other instead of simply posting their own ideas, but I think the guidelines I’ve created for “points will be given for…” will help this.

Overall, I’m super excited!
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Laurie LeFeverAugust 4, 2015 at 6:21 AM
Agreed. Getting them discussing is the challenge. Your guidelines are clear, and definitely should help. One option for keeping up with the blog would be to select trustworthy students to be blog monitors for selected time periods. I have tried this with older students and it seems to encourage discussion and keep the ball rolling. Good luck Kimberly!
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Add comment

First, sign into your Google account in a separate tab. Then, type your reflection in the text box below. Comment using your Google account. Click Publish once you have completed your thoughts. If you don't see a message that says " your comment will be visible after approval," it probably did not go through. Your post will appear once Laurie LeFever approves it. If you have any issues, please email Laurie: llefever@cnyric.org or laurielefever@gmail.com