Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Aspiring Bloggers
We hope that the Google Tools For Schools project inspires you to start your own blog. And of course you'll want to share your blog with us so we can read and comment. So to all you Aspiring bloggers out there, please share your blog address in the comments below. And of course, you will want to give your fellow bloggers some blog love by commenting on their blogs. Looking forward to the conversation that emerges.
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I have a blog right now for my math class. It is nancydanielsmath.blogspot.com.
ReplyDeleteNancy D.
I have also just created my new blog for this course which is
Deletehttp://nanced802.blogspot.com
I've started blogging on my website for the Travelers!
ReplyDeleteTom
I want to design a blogger for my Driver Ed classes
ReplyDeleteCheryl
I created a blog: iseede.blogspot.com The videos we use can be discussed under differ threads then there will be a record of student responses. The format of "What is the Big Idea, who cares, and so what" usually works to motivate students to provide thoughtful contributions. This format allows for different levels of learning depending on student needs. I copied this format from a math teacher (Karen Weise)when she taught at U32 about 15 yrs ago. The wording seemed very strange at first, but it does work as students explain why they and other people care.
DeleteMy students will be using blogger to post writing work for my class.
ReplyDeleteI want to learn how to help people when strange things happen in Blogger!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping to start a blog for our Health Office to get current information out to parents faster.
ReplyDeleteI currently use a blog for personal use. I have a blog for school, that I haven't gotten around to use yet. Maybe this course will push me to do that!
ReplyDeleteCheck out It Matters to Maguire!
ReplyDeletehttp://itmatterstomaguire.blogspot.com/
As an art teacher, the use of a blog can really be a powerful thing. A blog not only helps show the environment students learn in but it also shows the connections not seen when you look at the end project. Using a blog might be time consuming but this would be a great assessment tool at the beginning or end of a unit of study.
ReplyDelete-biL
As a school, I think it is really important for us to collaborate on these types of experiences for students. For example, instead of having students write blogs and post comment for multiple classes, there may be ways to connect our classrooms with student writing. Of course, there may be times when students many want to develop separate posts, but this could be a rich experience to bring our school community together.
DeleteI have never blogged before. Blogging in my opinion should have rules. Each district should have policies and procedures as to appropriate blogging.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Linda. I think districts need to set guidelines of some sort for how blogs might be used. It could be as simple as letting your administrator know you are setting up a blog, giving them the URL, and the purpose of the blog.
DeleteLinda and Gail I think you are both on the right track. I would hate to see school districts have bad experiences with blogging because they failed to recognize that they need to develop 'rules' that reflect their school culture and values.
DeleteI really like how when you make presentations using google docs my teaching partner can add and make changes to our presentation without me having to e-mail it to her. I am beginning to see how much easier google docs is than microsoft.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I have been pretty resistant up until now to make the Microsoft shift. This is so much more convenient (and free)!
DeleteI am going to have my students blog when using writing so they can comment on each others work. I will have to teach them how to politely give feedback to better their work.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Heather! And YES, it will take a lot of modeling, huh?? Not only to be polite, but to give useful feedback, not just, "I like it" or "It's cool".
DeleteI am starting a bog for each of the courses I will teach in 2012-2013.
ReplyDeleteI will be trying out blogging about various books by authors,and genres for my middle school readers. I will link it to my school web page. I am looking for ways to help students discover titles they will want to read and learn more about themselves as readers.
ReplyDeleteI have created a blog. Check it out at
ReplyDeleteemsozzy.blogspot.com
Ozzy (the eagle) is out school mascot. I am hoping the name of the blog will entice my students to read it.
This is my blog for the high school library at which I work - libraryrefsgalore.blogspot.com. It and I obviously have an on again off again relationship. Maybe this class will help me find a consistent means for using it.
ReplyDeleteI have a knitting blog that I started a few years ago (sometimes more active than others) and have a blog I started for our family parties. Since blogs are tied to your email address (and at the moment my person gmail), I would need to remove my “profile” to avoid my personal life spilling into my professional life. I have been playing with different options and if I decide to use either of the blogs I created for this class, I will remove it.
ReplyDeletewrsdcf.blogspot.com
wrsreads.blogspot.com
-- the new Blogger is like a whole new program. I feel like I’m starting from scratch. I know what it can do but it is a hunt to find it.
-- I see the DCF blog as kids responding to the different books, possibly to a question. Our new automation system, Atriuum, has some options for kids responding to literature so I think this blog is probably redundant. I am researching using book jackets on the blog but there are different opinions on whether it is a copyright violation. Keep you posted on that subject.
-- WRS Reads is a reading blog giving students pieces of information (through writing, video, or other link) and then have them post a comment to a posed question about the book they are reading.
Awesome Gail! I made a classroom blog for my other tech class, but I think I try a professional (ie teacher oriented) blog for this class... Still trying to figure out the public/private line. Do you think you will have students respond from classrooms to your blog or the library or both?
DeleteI am not sure how the blogs would work. I see the WRS Reads as an online literacy group. One idea: It could be cloned and just used by a classroom teacher at a station in their room or for students that have finished their work or perhaps as a motivator for students.
DeleteLet's talk about how that might work with my class or at least part of it to start. I think they would need to see some good comment models - specifics, adding to the conversation, polite even if disagreeing... That in itself is a lesson (ongoing). There is a cool "flat classroom" project I have been looking at in the other class and there are student videos explaining what constitutes a good comment from a previous year. I'll share it with you...
DeleteI started a blog to follow our latest project - flipping a house to either sell or rent. I do have all summer "off" right? LOL The address is:
ReplyDeletethisisaprojecthouse.blogspot.com
I want to check this out. We have been doing a house renovation too, however, I had not considered a blog about it. I imagine that it is a good way to document the changes over time in your project house.
DeleteI have created a blog for this class and thinking of how I could use one in the classroom next year for students and parent communication.
ReplyDeletehttp://evansgoogletools.blogspot.com/
I am waiting for confirmation from an administrator to begin a blogging site! Excited to begin!Lots of ideas!
ReplyDeleteI am trying to figure out how to incorporate a blog being a special educator. I am not sure if I should I should have students and parents access it for special ed regulations, explanations of them, the IEP process etc. I would like some ideas and suggestions on what would work best in my situation. As a side note, I do not have a classroom, but a case load of students in 9-10th grade.
ReplyDeleteTerra, I have been thinking about this too. I wonder how often people would access the blog and if it would be useful to parents and students for all of that dry special education stuff. I was thinking about how to use the blog with general ed teachers or support staff. I would like to check out some other blogs and see what makes a blog "active" or "effective."
DeleteI have started a classroom blog this summer in its early stages. I am playing with adding pages in different styles or perhaps just moving to a classroom site and then leaving the blog as more of a professional thoughts and resources blog- seems a lot to keep track of. Part of me thinks it would be helpful for parents and students who visit the blog to see my educational practice thoughts, but on the other hand I prefer the "teacher's lounge" idea of a professional learning blog and other professionals who follow may not want to be bothered with the classroom updates. No identifying info for students either way on my blog. My classroom blog as it stands is http://msdriscollsclassvt.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteOn one of our many blogs/groups someone asked about folders in blogs. Maryann did some cool tabs (see her blog URL above). Maybe that is something useful to whomever asked that question.
ReplyDeleteI've never blogged before, but see a potential for using it as an organization tool for my class. I tend to be very organized, but find that I spend a lot of time in separate areas - agenda on the board, electronically posted HW as well as hand written on the board, and then detailed descriptions or emails for kiddos who have been absent. I've been limited in my ability to post worksheets or resources. I'm hoping that a class blog can condense all of this and make it easily accessible to students and families.
ReplyDeleteCarol, I wonder about keeping all of the worksheets and resources organized in folders for various themes, topics, sections and grades. I wonder too if a blog with threads is more worthwhile to keep commenting and discussions organized on a general blogging site or if having announcement pages on a Google Site would keep things organized over the course of an entire school year. To get all of this very organized you might have to try it out and troubleshoot the best way for your classes.
DeleteI have a couple of administrators and teachers who want to start some collaboration between students in the different elementary school in our supervisory union. I think that one project that they might consider is book groups where students blog and respond to each other.
ReplyDeleteTina--If you decide to do this, you might want to consider using a book(s) from the current Red Clover (K-4) or DCF (4-8) lists for discussion.
DeleteI have created 2 blogs this summer, 1 for this course and 1 for my physical education class. I am excited about using the blog to display students in action and keep parents informed on current happenings.
Deletehttp://mrkonrads.blogspot.com/
http://mkgoogletool.blogspot.com/
I am planning on creating a blog as part of my Library website to use, at least in part, as a place for students to participate in book discussions. My biggest concern is getting students to participate in them. I will have to, in part, keep some of the conversations generic (something anyone could talk about) as well as individual book-specific (that would be limited to those who have already read it). I am hoping that through some of the discussions, students will see that others really liked a book and will want to check it out themselves and then later add their opinions to the blog. I really fear the "blank blog." Our previous Librarian had tried this with a few posts, but had little to know outside participation. I'm not sure that the location of the blog on her site made it really visible, which I have kept in mind as part of my solution. I also plan to advertise: in the library, on the school website (which has a good following) and on a bulletin board in our Commons area where everyone goes through several times per day. Even if I can get a small core of students involved regularly, I would be really happy.
ReplyDeleteKim, I love your idea of advertising your blog! I share your fears about a library blog being ignored. In order for it to be useful it has to be popular, too! I may put a small group of students on an "ad campaign" this fall. I "hire" a group of junior librarians who are persuasive and enthusiastic - they might be the perfect students for the job!
DeleteI have begun work on a "not ready for prime time" Blog francais for use with my French class.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great opportunity this will provide for students to have authentic dialogue with each other on assigned topics or just about whatever is on their minds! Just as French is a new language for many of my students, Google tools contain a whole new set of vocabulary, a whole new language for me!
So I have renewed my appreciation for what they experience as they navigate through a second language. And I know you have to use it constantly to become skilled, no matter what the language.
Blogging will help my students develop their French language skills. Learning to effectively and competently set up and manage the blog will help me to develop my technology skills and digital literacy!
I am planning to use blogs for students to communicate their understanding and interest in each course. In this way they can personalize and individualize the course while connecting it to the core content that all students will be exposed to. I also want to see how they use their work in blogs where there is an expanded audience. My supposition is that when they realize this that it will make them think more deeply and be more creative with the final posts so they can put their best effort out for internet consumption. Finally, I see them using the blog to connect and gather other related content which will make their blogsite more interesting and informative.
ReplyDeleteI've started my blog and have been practicing with templates, inserting photos and links, etc. It's easy to blow through several hours of time without even being aware of it! I'm learning a lot, but so far I don't have much to show for it. I'm excited about the webpage my colleagues (school nurses) and I are designing and I think it will be a great resource for us. I'm not yet sure what I'll be using my own blog for.
ReplyDeleteI am completely overwhelmed by the tools I have learned about in this class. I am not sure how they all fit into my primary job as the fourth-sixth grade reading teacher. Luckily, Matt is on my team and I am sure he will be able to support my attempts at integrating technology and literature. I plan to use googledocs. as a student's personal reading journal so that I can comment and conference whenever I can find the time. I think a blog would be a good place for students to discuss the big ideas of a book we have shared together as a read aloud. I also want to pursue a way to share book reviews done by students and a way to chat about books that several students are reading at the same time (on-line book groups).
ReplyDeleteHi Folks! I've created a blog at langeharwood.blogspot.com. I'm not sure how much I will use it, since I already have class sites through EDU 2.0, but I welcome any comments or suggestions!
ReplyDeleteRachael and Ellen here! Here is the address to our new blog. Not much there right now but feel free to visit and say "hello"!
ReplyDeletehttp://gtfspfe.blogspot.com/