Garrison Elementary Students Create Digital Blog Portfolio
Kids Like Blog Site
This second link will take you to a page to learn about the teacher, the program, the curricular standards, as well as a link to Examples, which has links to two students blogs created with Blogger. One student's blog, The Blog of Hooverneb showcases both writing and drawings. Another student's blog, Official Blog of a Soccer Star is written by a student who writes: "There are many jobs in the world, but there is one that really catches my eye. I want to be a WRITER!"
Another exciting site to check out is one with links to find class blog sites maintained by elementary school classes. Check this page Fellow Bloggers to learn about teachers using KidBlog with their students. You can access the class blogs and even write comments on the kids' blogs.
Photo Credit by the teacher, Jon Schwartz, Garrison Elementary School Students
4 comments:
This is impressive. Now as a 5th grade teacher, can't decide if I should use KidBlog or Blogger. Guess it depends on how much response from others is important. If just for the students to write a lot, Blogger seems fine. But if for students to write responses to one another, think I will use KidBlog. What do others recommend?
I love the idea of having my students create their own blogs. I was hesitant to start up an edublog with my third graders this year, as I knew very little about blogging. It was such a success with my students, that after reviewing these examples of student made blogs, I would love to learn how to encourage and guide my students to create their own blogs. In particular, at this time of year as we are winding down, I have many students engaged with independent research projects that they will present to parents and their classmates. Althoguh I leave the final product open and offer my students many options for presenting, they almost always select PowerPoint. How fun would it be to have these students create an interactive blog that they could encourage their classmates to explore and participate in? It may be too late this year (17 days, but who's counting) but I think I will definitely implement this option for next year!
Before this year, in fact before January, I had never even thought about using a blog in my classroom. I recently created a website for my top reading group and usually posted the blog questions to get them started as it was their first time and mine using this in the classroom. The students loved responding and then responding to their peers. After reading this article and looking at the blog that Jon Schwartz created in his classroom I see even more how important and wonderful this tool can be. I like how his kids post stories they are working on or have written. In my classroom next year I can see the possibilities already. Students could use their blogs as journal entries or post drafts for their peers to comment on. I was always nervous to use blogging in my classroom for privacy and safety issues, but I now know there are safe blogs out there and they can be monitored carefully. If other teachers are using them with great success, why not? In small experimental blog and website was a hit so I think it is time to take it to the next level.
Ok, so until I took this course I knew nothing whatsoever about blogs, never mind that young kids are actually creating and using them. I find it incredible. I teach kindergarten, so my students obviously would be limited in what they could do independently, but my mind is racing with some ideas for trying next year with my students. Also,what a great way to keep parents informed about what their children are doing in school.
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