Week 4 Blog: Preparing for blogging, Classroom Activity, and Blog Posting Concerns

Before starting a blog, it would be beneficial to research and look at examples of different types of classroom blogs. Mrs. Yollis would be a great example of the positive impact blogging can have. Even finding blogs that did not succeed may help in identifying what didn’t work or what could have been done better. Another step I would take is informing the head teacher from your grade level of the idea and having information that supports peer learning through the blog. Finally, sending home a letter to the parent’s with the specifics and the purpose of the blog. I would also plan on emailing them resources and videos once it is decided which platform will be used.


I was thinking of ways to introduce blogging in a first grade classroom. Before moving towards an online blog, I would start off with a few in class examples of blog posts and comments. I would look for or create a handout that provides students with a section for their response and several smaller boxes for comments. I would write a topic that pertains to our lesson on the board and give the students time to construct a response. After they have finished, I would have a student from each table collect their papers and pass their responses to the next table. That way each student receives a comment. I would repeat this two more times if time permits. I think this would be a good starting point to blogging. It would give the teacher an idea of what needs to be addressed more in depth before starting an online blog. Perhaps the students need more clarification on what a comment should contain or they might need additional encouragement to expand on their thoughts. . 


Another topic that came to mind while reading about blogging was the different factors that may affect the student’s ability to collaborate in the blog. There are some schools that are in low socioeconomic communities that may not have technology available for all students.There may not be a computer or tablet in every household. Now with distance learning, the majority of student’s have been provided with a means to attend class and do their online assignments. This would facilitate running a blog in the classroom. If there was an instance where several students did not have access to a computer, I would provide the students with the opportunity to post in class. I think it would also be a good incentive to have students who finish their work comment on their peers blogs if they did not have the means to do so at home. I also thought of those students who are English Language Learners. Some of these students have parents who don't speak English and may not be able to assist them with proofreading or blog assignments. I would make time in class or after school to help them with any questions they may have. English Language Learners may not feel comfortable posting because they are still learning the language. I would try to encourage these students and help them build confidence in their writing abilities. In addition, it's important to model and explain the different aspects of blogging so that all types of learners can understand.


I found this article and thought it had some great points on blogging for classrooms that have English Language Learners.


Blogging for English Language Learners

Comments

  1. EmFebruary 28, 2021 at 3:09 PM

    I missed this article the first time, Bethany! I love this, thank you. I was looking for something similar for Blog #5.

    ReplyDelete

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