Room: 106A Presenter: Lyn Hilt, ELANCO Audience: K-6 Description: Blogging is a fantastic way to encourage your students to publish their writing digitally to share with an authentic audience. Through blogging, students will not only enhance their writing and reading skills, but will practice essential elements of digital literacy and citizenship. Learn how to get started using the very friendly and safe platform Kidblog with your elementary students, as well as explore other blog platforms (Edublogs, Wordpress, Blogger). We will also look at the benefits of blogging for teachers and administrators and ways to engage parents and the school community!
Communication tool - two-way communication encouraged
Writing shared with an authentic audience- students want to put their best work out there
Digital citizenship and digital footprint building -they are in control
Collaborative opportunities and Global connections
Who should blog?
Students!
Teachers!
Administrators!
Parents!
Types of blogs
Classroom blogs
School blogs
Student blogs
ePortfolios
2) Platforms to use
Kidblog - free accounts for classrooms and kids; easy to use; many protective features in place; embedding options; links to Google accounts
Edublogs - free accounts for teachers and students; easy to get started with use; excellent customer support; designed for education use only, so no exposure to other blogs with adult content - see comparisons here
Wordpress - highly customizable and feature-rich; a learning curve to get started
Blogger - integrated with Google Apps; easy to use, many templates available; some districts block this platform due to possible exposure to other non-educational blogs
Sue Waters is another go-to resource for all things blogging; Here are some resources to help teachers get started- challenge yourself! http://suewaters.com/blogging-challenges/
4) Points to Consider Before Beginning
Accounts and passwords - who will create and manage accounts? What levels of access and permissions will teachers and students have?
Sharing permissions - will readers need to sign in to read posts? Comment?
Approval processes for posts and comments - do posts go through the teacher for approval before going “live?” Comments? Will students moderate? Teachers? Both?
Tip: Set up and use a Google Reader/other RSS reader feed to keep track of the feeds coming in so you can devote some time to commenting and sharing student work!
5) Blog Uses/Examples
Student reflective writing and portfolio development
Presenter:
Lyn Hilt, ELANCO
Audience: K-6
Description:
Blogging is a fantastic way to encourage your students to publish their writing digitally to share with an authentic audience. Through blogging, students will not only enhance their writing and reading skills, but will practice essential elements of digital literacy and citizenship. Learn how to get started using the very friendly and safe platform Kidblog with your elementary students, as well as explore other blog platforms (Edublogs, Wordpress, Blogger). We will also look at the benefits of blogging for teachers and administrators and ways to engage parents and the school community!
1) What is a blog? Why blog? Who should blog?
2) Platforms to use
3) Setting the stage/getting started
4) Points to Consider Before Beginning
5) Blog Uses/Examples
Additional ResourcesI highly recommend everyone read **this series of posts from Silvia Tolisano - Learning about blogging //for// your students** - with the focus on the teacher as reader, writer, learner. View the slide set here. Graphic organizer with this info here.
__Blogging Framework from Silvia Tolisano__ - ideas for student “blogfolios” uses K-6
Blogging Unit
Stepping it up: Learning about blogs for your students
Blogging Skills, Not Tools Graphic
__Thirteen Thoughts on Student Blogging__
__Getting more out of student blogging__
__Blogging with students__
14 steps to meaningful student blogging
20 ways to think about your class blog
Blogging is the new persuasive essay
Blogging
Blogging as Portfolio Creation - Student example
Digital Portfolio reflection prompts for students
Using blogs with students-resources from Sue Waters - all of the resources she shared in her PD sessions here and getting more out of student blogging
Blogging in the classroom
Ideas for classroom blogs
PhotoPin and Compfight__ and Pics4Learning- free photos for bloggers
5 steps to starting a class blog in 2012
Educational blogging
14 new features in KidblogHow blogging can improve student writing
Six reasons why kids should know how to blog
Making time for reflection - lower elementary studentsThink before you post online Tips and topics for student bloggersWrite to learn: how blogging can inspire
The Influence of Classroom Blogging on Elementary Student WritingGive students a voice: how blogging changes education Blogging commenting rubric
Example commenting guidelines
Preparing students for commenting with wall blogging
Global classroom wiki Comments 4 kids My Kidblog settings for ultimate global collaborationStudent Blogging Resources from Pernille RippMany additional blogging resources are located on our Elem. Instructional Tech Blog