I created a blog for my school. http://gibsonlibrary.blogspot.com/
The first few postings are examples of how I would use it for the Library and the rest are some postings for my colleagues at school. I really think I would like to give a mini workshop for my colleagues that are interested. I am not an expert, (Please don’t laugh), but I would like to get them started. I know that once our kids start to blog, we will probably apply more features, but for now, it would be great to get them connected. This is a great incentive for kids to think others will read and respond to their writing. If I teach the students and my staff the tool, then I am sure that blogging will happen at Gibson Elementary.
As the school year progresses, I would hope that students will initiate some interesting discussions and comments. Who knows where it will lead us? I think that blogging will be an integral aspect of the library. I hope that the library monitors will lead the way. Here are some possibilities as suggested from this site:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/blog/openingdoorsblog.cfm
Find the facts: Post a statement with no supporting facts. Ask students to find facts to support or refute the opinion, using links to reliable web sites and their own persuasive explanations. This could work well for environmental issues, political issues, or any topic that is debatable.
Critique a web site: Post a link to a web site related to a topic your are studying and invite students to give their personal evaluation: Does the site show bias? Does it seem well-researched? Is it a reliable source?
Reporting or Virtual Reporting: Have students act as reporters telling about a field trip or special event. They can pretend to have interviewed a cow at the farm they visited or be straightforward in reporting the real events of the trip. Students could also write up a virtual field trip they took online in class.Write a neighborhood or community tour with pictures (gr 1-12)As a culmination of a unit on your community or local historycreate a neighborhood or community tour blog. Each student (or pair) can take and upload a picture and tell about it. Then invite others in the school or parents to make comments about their favorite locations. Be sure that you do not include any picture of students, for safety’s sake.
The first few postings are examples of how I would use it for the Library and the rest are some postings for my colleagues at school. I really think I would like to give a mini workshop for my colleagues that are interested. I am not an expert, (Please don’t laugh), but I would like to get them started. I know that once our kids start to blog, we will probably apply more features, but for now, it would be great to get them connected. This is a great incentive for kids to think others will read and respond to their writing. If I teach the students and my staff the tool, then I am sure that blogging will happen at Gibson Elementary.
As the school year progresses, I would hope that students will initiate some interesting discussions and comments. Who knows where it will lead us? I think that blogging will be an integral aspect of the library. I hope that the library monitors will lead the way. Here are some possibilities as suggested from this site:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/blog/openingdoorsblog.cfm
Find the facts: Post a statement with no supporting facts. Ask students to find facts to support or refute the opinion, using links to reliable web sites and their own persuasive explanations. This could work well for environmental issues, political issues, or any topic that is debatable.
Critique a web site: Post a link to a web site related to a topic your are studying and invite students to give their personal evaluation: Does the site show bias? Does it seem well-researched? Is it a reliable source?
Reporting or Virtual Reporting: Have students act as reporters telling about a field trip or special event. They can pretend to have interviewed a cow at the farm they visited or be straightforward in reporting the real events of the trip. Students could also write up a virtual field trip they took online in class.Write a neighborhood or community tour with pictures (gr 1-12)As a culmination of a unit on your community or local historycreate a neighborhood or community tour blog. Each student (or pair) can take and upload a picture and tell about it. Then invite others in the school or parents to make comments about their favorite locations. Be sure that you do not include any picture of students, for safety’s sake.
The important consideration that I have gleamed from all the readings on using blogs was that the ground rules had to be taught and established. This was discussed in our class and Lana, who teaches at the high school level, explained how as an educator it is important to discuss this aspect with the students from the start. In class she showed us her Wiki and the page about the rules. Students had made comments and all them understood the importance. I agree that in everything one must build trust and mutual respect. I haven’t being teaching for almost twenty-five years without realizing that is such an important aspect. When one models the expected behaviours and uses them with his/ her own students, then fewer problems seem to arise.
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