Robin's Tech Tips

Teachers struggle with getting non-writers writing and non-readers reading.  But why should those students practice a skill they struggle with?  Why will another book and another essay help when so far it has not made a difference?  We know that more practice helps, and that you can't improve unless you work at it, but sometimes we have to approach kids and assignments from a different point of view.  We need to find out what they are doing and see if we can make that a hook into their learning.  Blogging and online communication is one of those hooks.

What does blogging do for your students:

• Provides a real world situation for kids - authentic learning.  They are no longer writing just for you, but for the world.


• "Research has long shown that students write more, write in greater detail, and take greater care with spelling, grammar, and punctuation, when they are writing to an authentic audience over the Internet." ~ David Warlick


• Encourages reflective writing - Something about seeing your work online and knowing that everyone can see and read it causes you to think harder about what you want to say.  Reading comments about that writing can spark new thoughts and new ideas that would not have been there otherwise.


• Blogs are a great equalizer.  Student's opinions and voices can be heard they same way adult voice can be heard giving weight and value to the thoughts and opinions being expressed.


• Parents can access the student writing at a moment's notice and see the progress their student's are or are not making.


• Student get feedback on their writing from more than just the teacher or a peer reviewer.

What are some ideas for using Blogs in Language Arts classes:

• Literature Circles - students can answer questions about a book the class is reading and provide insight on plot and character developments


• Original Writing - students could keep their own blogs and record their writing throughout the year.  At certain points the students would have easy access to look back over how their writing has developed over time.


• Reflective Writing - Students could reflect on class topics, lectures, novels, or discussions.


• The student that never contributes due to shyness or not wanting to look "smart" can now contribute without having to speak in front of the class.

Examples of Blogs in Language Arts:

• One of the most famous examples is the class blog "The Secret Life of Bees."


• http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/esl2/ - This blog is created for ESL students in reading.


• Parents version of Secret Life of Bees. http://weblogs.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/beesparents/


• Blogs in the Language Arts Classroom - as a Response to Literature - http://readingrevolutionk12online.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/using-blogs-in-the-language-arts-classroom/

Grading Blogs:

My solution was to design a blogging rubric that would enable me to attach a grade to something I previously had had only a gut feeling about. I assigned excellent, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory to

• How well students' blogs integrated the concepts and principles from class discussions and activities;


• How effectively students' writing conveyed their understanding of the content


• Students' use of higher-level thinking (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) in their blogging; and


• How well students' blogging entries demonstrated a personal connection with the topic and applied course readings.

Taken from" "Log on to a Blog" - http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/voice/voice123.shtml

So are you willing to give it a try?  Do you have any other ideas for using blogs in your classroom?

Word of Caution: When having student's publish online, you must remember at all times to be safe!  Using full names, posting emails, or giving out personal information must be off limits at all times.  For more information about thinking through these issues, please see:  http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech232.shtml

and talk to your campus technologist to make sure you have thought through everything!