Well, we are back from the soccer tournament and after 5 games our team walked away with their medals and t-shirts verifying that they are U10 Champions. It was a long, hot weekend with the girls playing 2 games on Sat and Sun and the Championship game on today. It was so exciting. The girls played some great competition and the played so hard!
As far as class goes I am one of those students that gets so excited when we learn something we can bring to the classroom! I think blogs have an great place in the curriculum. However, I am leary of putting a lot of personal information on the net. I do realize that the Digital Natives do not have the same fears, perhaps it is their naivte. Next year I would think it would be great if English students could discuss novels and stories read in class through a blog. I think blogs are going to be a great way to get students to want to extend their learning beyond the 8 hour day and the 4 classroom walls. Won't it be exciting when the students log in late at night or early in the morning to write their thoughts about a novel, short story or poem they have read, perhaps they could take on the role of a publisher and give suggestions of alternate endings for a novel, or maybe they could be a test audience for a novel and give feedback about what they liked and what they did not. I was also thinking that science and history students could use them whe discussing concepts, perhaps as a review of what was discusssed in class on that day.
Just some thoughts!
6 comments:
K, great idea for the English students to blog about their thoughts on a novel. Now we just have to figure out how to get them to actually read a novel. Sorry, it's not really that bad. It is an exciting prospect, and I'm eager to try it out myself.
Those are great ideas. I think students are excited about using this platform to express their ideas instead of writing an essay.
K, super ideas.
Isn't it fun being a soccer mom, ever wonder what you did before soccer?
Can't believe that we have learned all this already this summer!
I think blogs make it easier to discuss topics in class. Especially for the shy or "not so well spoken" student. They could post anonymously and still be able to participate but not feel threatened by comments from other students. Another thought is that blogs could be a confidence builder for some students. The comments that get posted could not only expand their thinking, but encourage their involvement in future activities.
I, too, find myself wanting to use something as soon as I learn it. I can see my students loving the computer aspect of blogging, but am worried that they will not enjoy writing... more! My students aren't fond of reading or writing. Maybe if we collaborated with another class they would be interested. Or, maybe if I let them edit each other's work first, then they would have more confidence about putting themselves out there...
Blogging about a novel that students are reading in class is a superb use of this technology. It might be nice for the students to take on pseudonyms. This could serve two purposes: a source of freedom from their own persona, and the pseudonym might be tied to a favorite character in the novel.
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