Utilizing Blogging for Weekly Journals

As an English teacher, I know and appreciate the importance of writing and writing often.  And like other LA educators, I have my students respond to weekly prompts that connect to ideas or assess the skill discussed in class that week.

In the past, I have used the old-fashioned pen and paper notebooks to accomplish this task, but this year, I am trying something new.

This year, each of my students is going to keep their own blog for their weekly responses.  Every week, I will pose a question to the class on Tuesday and the students will have until Friday night to answer the question.

Once I have all of the blogs, I put students into Blog Buddy groups of approximately 4-6 students.  I scatter students from all of my classes into heterogeneous groups that will change each marking period.  Every weekend, the students have until that Monday night to read and comment on the blog posts of their Blog Buddies.

So far, the students love it!  They have been busy creating their webpages, designing them to reflect their personalities... and honestly, I don't think I'm going back!

The students are excited because they now have an audience to read their work!  A purpose to do their best!  Before, I was the only one giving the students feedback about their writing, but now, it's different and I can tell by their writing!

The students are excited to write, read, and BLOG!

I highly recommend using this!

Want to try blogging in your classroom?

Try these sites below!

Blogger
Edublogs
Word Press

*Note:  I use Blogger in my classroom because it connects with the Google account the students are required to have!

Before Using the Tech...

I know when I get back to school, especially after events like TeachMeet and EdCamp that I attend over the summer, I want to use tech!!!!  After waiting for so long and brainstorming so many ideas, I just want to get the kids on the computer.

But the truth is... they're not ready yet.

Think about the first few days of school.  Regardless what grade we teach, we start the first week of school walking through our class expectations, basic rules, and practicing procedures and routines.  Even with my middle school students who have been in school for years, I start with the basics.  I review how to enter the classroom, how I want them seated, where I want their books, I even show them my expectations for discussions!

Using technology in class is no different!  The kids need to be trained on your routines, procedures, and expectations for their behavior and work produced.

Before my students use the computers or any type of technology in the classroom, I have a few things I review.

1. What computer/device to get:  Unless you have a BYOD program at your school, you probably use a laptop cart.  Make sure students are assigned a number for a device.  This way students will know which computer to get every time they work with tech, and you can monitor the devices!
2. How they will be getting the computers:  My laptops are in a cart in the back of my classroom. I can't just have my 7th graders run to the back of the classroom to get them... it would be madness!  The kids know they are called over by groups.  They wait until I give them the signal.
3. How to put the computers away:  Believe it or not, some students don't know what to do when they're done using a computer!  Show the students how to hibernate, sleep, or shut down the computer.  Show them how to plug-in the computer using the appropriate wire, which way you want the computers facing.  Take this seriously so it's done well!

And MOST IMPORTANTLY... Netiquette

Netiquette is proper etiquette online.  The lessons you teach about this can be some of the most powerful you will teach all year!

Explicitly tell students what type of writing is expected, how they are expected to post or comment to  each other, and how they are to write an email to their teachers!  These are little things, but they must be Taught! Modeled! Discussed!

There are some great videos that explain this on Youtube if you're stuck or you can see what I use with my students on my Techy Tuesday blog!

Teaching Netiquette!

What are some other things you teach students before using tech in the classroom???

An Idea for Welcoming Students Back to School!

I've been doing a lot of thinking about how I'm going to welcome to students back to school.

I want to incorporate technology, but I don't want to overwhelm them.  

I want to do something fun, but I don't want them to think my class is a breeze.

Decisions, decisions!

Finally, I decided to use video to set the tone of my class on the first day... but which program do I use?!

At TeachMeet NJ, I was introduced to PowToon, an online movie-making/presentation tool that uses fun animation, images, and templates to convey information.  Yes, this is currently in Beta mode, and you need to apply to get access to the site, I honestly think I waited less than an hour for log-in information!
Once I logged onto the site, I found it very easy to navigate.  It prompted me with, "Presentation or Movie", then gave me different templates to choose from to get started.

I selected a Mission template!  I think the students will like it!

Then, I literally went through and filled in the blanks.  They had a pre-made movie and I just changed the text and the images to fit my class.  The only issue was the timing.  If a sentence I typed was longer than the one prior, it messed up the animation and I needed to fix it.

But it was easy!  There is a timeline on the bottom of the screen and users can scroll through each second of the movie clip making edits as needed.

Overall, it took me about 20-30 minutes to make the video, but at the end of the day, I like the video, I like PowToon, and I definitely will be using it again!

Preparing for September: Creating a Home Base

I hope I'm not alone when I say this.

My Back to School nightmares have begun!!!!!!  As usual they consist of children swinging from unswingable lights, boisterous students insisting on sharpening their pencils mid-lesson, and worst of all, soda spilling on my iPad!  Say it ain't so!

To relieve my Back to School worries, I like to nest like an expecting mother.  I go to the place I'll be spending the most time this year.  A place I like to call Home Base.

Similar to baseball players who routinely head to home plate at the start of their turn, students need a place to routinely head at the start of class.  And for my students, that place is Wikispaces.

For those of my readers that are unfamiliar with wikis, please watch the video below!

In my class, our wiki is key!  The wiki allows students to be co-contributors to the site; they create as we create!  The students can post helpful links, share ideas, comment on each other's work, and also show off what they've been working on in class!

Whether it be embedding a Glog, a podcast, or simply a text-based story, Wikispaces is the container for all things Ms. Spiezio English.  Hence, it is the first thing I create for the new school year.

In September, the wiki is pretty blank.  (See my latest wiki here!)  But by the end of the year, it is OVERFLOWING with student work!!!  (See last year's site!)

So, before starting the school year, decide for yourself.... what platform will be your HOME BASE?


More Suggestions for Home Base!

PB Wiki (Another wiki platform!)
Blogger
Edublogs
Edmodo
Schoology

WIKIS IN PLAIN ENGLISH!