Using+your+own+blog


 * Starting a Classroom Blog**

For information on the process of setting up a blog, see Getting Started. For ideas on using other people's blogs in your class, click here.

There are several different ways that you can use a blog that you have set up for your class. Keep in mind that many of these can potentially be combined as well. toc

=Teacher Posts, Students Comment= First of all, you can simply use a blog to post your own thoughts and reactions to the material you have been covering in class. This is the method that I have used, with a certain amount of success, in my AP Latin class. I begin by making some observations about a passage we’ve recently read, essentially trying to model the sort of analytical and critical thinking that I am hoping they will develop. I then try to finish every post with some sort of open-ended question that they can respond to in the comments, and of course I always invite them to disagree with or expand upon the ideas that I have proposed. I have told my students that commenting in an intelligent manner on the blog can help their classroom participation grade (it’s almost like extra credit), but one could certainly require students to comment or not as desired.

Advantages: I’ve found this actually engages me with the text more, and it is often intellectually rewarding. Some students get very interested in the ideas, which can lead back into class discussion.

Disadvantages: It requires frequent and somewhat lengthy posting on the teacher’s part, and therefore can be more time-consuming, making it easier to fall out of the habit of blogging (as I have done for long intervals). It does not engage the students as actively as other methods. For some subjects and levels, the material simply may not lend itself to blogging in this way.

Examples:

=Teacher Posts Questions, Students Respond= Secondly, you can use a blog to pose questions for your class that you then require them to answer in the comments section. There are a few directions to take this. One option is to ask students to answer the question for themselves, essentially without reference to what other students have said; another option is to have each student present a piece of the answer (depending, presumably, on the order that they post in), so that the class is building its answer together through the comments section. Finally, one could have the students respond to each other’s comments, whether by expanding previous ideas, providing constructive criticism, or taking an opposing viewpoint.

//Advantages//: Less time-consuming for the teacher in terms of posting (as long as you’ve got a ready store of thought-provoking questions!); requires more student involvement and potentially encourages a greater amount of peer reading and constructive criticism.

//Disadvantages//: Again, may not be relevant for all material; requires careful moderation to make sure everyone is commenting and doing so in a productive, respectful manner.

Examples:

=Scribe Posts= Third, you can base the blog around “scribe posts.” This is when a different student has the responsibility, each night, to transcribe their notes from class that day onto the blog for the rest of the class. Other students can then comment with questions, additions, or clarifications, which could be answered either by the scribe of the day, by another student, or by the teacher. Essentially, it is meant to make sure that everyone has the notes for the day and understands the material. N.B. In order for this to work, every student must be made a member/author of the blog, so that they can write their own posts. See Blog Settings for how to do this.

//Advantages//: The teacher doesn’t have to write posts; ensures everyone has notes for the class and provides a forum for asking for help besides the classroom. Allows the teacher to check on the understanding of the scribe, at the least, for each lesson.

//Disadvantages//: Requires the teacher to review the scribe post and any comments on it on a nightly basis. Does not use blogging as a creative/writing tool as much.

Examples:

=Classroom overview (for students or parents)= Blogs can also be used to connect the teacher to either students or parents. They can be a forum for posting homework and/or the general activities of the class (more for students – essentially a less fettered version of the school portal). Alternately, one can describe (or even post video of) activities that were conducted in class, along with explanations of the goal or benefits of those activities, so that the parents are aware of what is going on in the class and why.

//Advantages//: Provides a forum for questions and interaction, whether between teacher and students or teacher and parents (the latter seems more productive for this type of blog). Parents may love the extra insight into your classroom.

//Disadvantages//: Requires frequent updating to be effective; may lead to added risk of parent over-involvement; does not engage the students actively in the blog.

Examples:

=Student Blogs= Students can each have their own blog on which they are required to write regularly; this can be handled either with one class blog on which everyone can post, or with each student getting their own unique blog. The former situation may be simpler to manage, but it gives less of an individual sense of ownership of the blog (and may be more complicated to read through, depending on number of posters). Students can be given specific assignments for their writing or simply be required to write about whatever they choose (or a combination – regular specified assignments, but additional writing on one’s own is encouraged).

//Advantages//: Allows students to work on their writing in a setting they might find more rewarding than a typical essay; allows for peer feedback. Sets up a place for students to write as regularly as they want.

//Disadvantages//: Especially with a blog per student, requires moderation on a wide level (Google Reader, discussed in more depth __here__, is highly recommended to help keep track of all blogs. Needs to be a constant aspect of class curriculum, or else many of the student blogs are apt to die.