Monday, September 5, 2011
After creating my blog, I was thinking about some ways I could use it in my classroom. Because I teach first grade, my students are just now learning to use computers. Having my kids type in a blog may be difficult and time consuming (although it would be a fun activity to try and let them experiment with it!) Another way I was thinking about using a blog would be to create one to communicate with parents. I could post information on what students are working on, what our goals are, some good activities to try at home, etc. Then, parents could talk with other parents and myself about what's happening in the classroom. I just read a short post about blogs being for individual authorship and wikis being for group authorship. I'm wondering what the difference is in how they're used, and which would be better for my purpose. I'm going to continue to explore how I can use the online world to communicate and have discussions with parents. Any ideas? Oh...and I'm having a lot of fun with this...it's quick, easy, and enlightening...I'm sure my students and parents would feel the same way! :)
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Kirsten, I will be very interested in your thoughts on using blogs and other technologies with your young students. I think your idea of having the class author a blog as a group is a good one - a way for you to combine your modeling with their joint composing activity.
ReplyDeleteI would add that I have worked with one teacher in particular who used blogging with students as young as first grade. I don't want to over-state the case, but she felt it helped some students to improve their grasp of letters. Also, they were able to manipulate other tasks like inserting images. All very interesting.
Kirsten, the first thing that came to mind with blogging with really young students -- what about doing some sort of partnership with older kids -- where a middle school classroom partners with yours and the kids blog each other, and then meet. Used to do this with "book buddies". Might be fun!
ReplyDeleteKirsten
ReplyDeleteIt is funny that in your blog you were almost transitioning from someone just introduced and curious about blogging and the use of digital media in your classroom to someone who seemed pretty sold on the idea. Any time a teacher is excited about what she is teaching and using for methods, her kids benefit. Sounds like your kids will have a great time integrating this into their classwork.
Thanks for the input, everyone! Ken, I'll be looking forward to seeing how using the computers and blogging can help my students. I have a very involved computer teacher, who would be more than willing to help or contribute some of the computer class time to this type of activity. I'm going to work on creating a blog with my students and we can update it periodically when they have something they want to share or celebrate.
ReplyDeleteShelley- I love the idea of having some older students blog with my kids...they would have such a great time, and it would be a nice change to be able to write on the computer!
Brenda, I would say I am sold on the idea! After thinking about all the ways I could integrate technology in my classroom, and the benefits it could have for my students, I am more than excited to give it a try. This will have to be one of those times where I learn side-by-side with my students. This could really be fun!
Today I was talking with the second grade teacher I work with about blogging and using hypertext. Last week I was nervous about that word, hypertext. This week I'm psyched to try it with those busy little people, who find it a challenge to sit more then a minute at a time. Imagine them learning how to look up information, grab it, transfer it to their own writing to enrich a piece with sounds and sights.
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