The World is our Audience
Using Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts in the Classroom

Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts can be used
to meet the
Michigan Curriculum Framework
Language Arts
Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE’s)
reading
writing
speaking
listening
viewing
National Educational Technology Standards
(NETS)

Power
of an authentic audience
for the students

What is a blog?
Web Log
A blog is a user-generated
website where entries are made
in journal style and displayed in a
reverse chronological order.
(Wikipedia)

A Peek into the Classroom

Sharing what happens in the classroom

Showcasing
Student Work

Learning

Blog Hosts
Edublogs.org
Typepad
Blogspot

Podcasting

Persuasive Podcast

A Video Podcast

Voicethread

How to make it work Podcast
in your classroom Next Podcast Date:
Writing Due:
Introduction
Jokes
Poems
Student writing
Fascinating facts
Book recommendations

Wikis

What’s a Wiki?
WICK-ee or WEE-kee, Hawaiian for quick.
It’s a webpage that lets contributors easily add, remove,
edit, and change what is at the site.
A wiki can be password protected or open to any user.

Start with something motivating!
Social Networking
Hi friends welcome to my just for friends page. You are free to leave a note to me and I will be sure to respond
Kenzie
Hi Kenzie!That would be cool if we could have a play date.So Mabey I should call you sometime?Bailey
Hi Mackenzie! This is Rachel. I hope that you are not sick today. Rachel 2-13-08 HI Mckennzie Itʼs Taylor i would like
to have you over some time so if you can call me that would be great.2-18-08
Here is a page for my friends to send me messages and I will wright back as soon as I can!** PLEASE
WRITE TO ME!
Elena, cool wiki page!! Have a great day at school. - Mom.
Elena yo i am so nervis about tonight and if you want to now way ask on my wiki love Rayleigh
What does sup mean? Right me back. love,Rayley I got a hot mail and so I can still talk to you when you
move my email
HI ELENA THIS IS EMMA AND I WANTED TO SAY THAT i AM SORRY THAT I AM LATE TO GO ON YOUR
WIKI THANKS FOR GETTING IN TUCH LOVE EMMA
Hi Rachel! When will we have our next sleepover:?: -Nicole 1\\25\\08
Do you want to come to my sleepover? Taylor 2-1-08
When is your sleepover because if it is this week or next week I cannot come. Rachel
Hi Mrs. Rich my sleepover with Mckenna was great!We played some fun games,watched tv and we ate lots of snacks!:-D Bailey
Hi mrs.Rich me and my family had a great time at the hotel! How was the pizza party? Heather 02\\09\\2008

Allows easy assessment of level of understanding
of all of the students
food chains
A food chain is what some thing eats anather and eats anather.food comes from the sun.Dead things grow on things are called
decomposers what brake things down.Consumer is a plant what gets eaten by a producer .A producer is what eats plants. YUK!
Energy comes from ,trees,plants,flowers bees take the neckter for hunny.
Here is What i know About Black History
\\\\Michael Jordan Was not Always realley tall
\\\\and the slaves Fought in the REV. WAR but not for the U.S.A.
Black history was a sad thing. Black pepole where kidnapt and got put in a auktion and sold to white pepole and they had to
work for the white allday long and if they did stop they wou get wipped.Some got away by following the drinking gored to the
U.G.R but it was not really under ground it was just some white pepole that thouht slavery wasent right so they would help the
black get away to fedom some made it and some dident.
Location tells where something can be found. It can also include longitude and latitude. Location can be numbers,streets or
addresses. One relative location is that you would say Maddie lives by Rachel. And the last thing is ,you can find people by
looking in a phone book or to call them and ask them what street they live on. Pretend you are taking a trip to go to Florida.
And youʼ re lost. So you look at some different signs and one of them says this way to go to Florida. So you take that way and
then you arenʼt lost. Another one is if youʼre driving and your lost you could look in a map. And thats what I know about
location.

Shows teachers the skills that need to be targeted for
Hi,
individual and small groups of students.
my name is Thomas
a foll gron man can fitt side wase in a whale sharks maoth
Thomas, I have made the spelling errors bold. Please use the tools you have to fix them.
Donʼt forget capitals and periods too.
Thanks,Mrs. Rich
Hi,
My name is Thomas
A full grown man can fit sideways in a whale sharks mouth.
Hi
My name is Janelle! I have 12 cows. They are boy cows. They have 4 stomachs.
Janelle, Do all cows have 4 stomachs, or just your 12 boy cows? Maybe you could make that clearer.
Mrs. Rich
Yes all cows have four stomachs
Janelle, how about rewriting your original sentences to make it clearer. After you do that, you can delete all of these messages from me.
Donʼt forget to save the changes.
Hi
My name is Janelle! I have 12 cows. They are beef cows. All cows have 4 stomachs. Some are black & white. Some are red.The cows get
tall when they are butchered.
My Addition! My mom decided to add an addtion to our house and then I came up to my mom and I said, “mom I would like to move
downstairs and have my own bedroom”. And so my mom said, \" would you like to have your own bedroom?”. I said, “yes”. And so my
mom said she will think about it. So I said, “ok”. The next day I woke up and I saw mom talking to the builder and then my mom came in
and said to me, \" would you really really want your own bedroom?”. I said, “yes”.

Allows parents to compare their child’s work to classmates.
Matter is anything that takes up space.Volume is how much space that matter takes up. Mass is kind of like weight. It is how much
matter that there is. Evaporation and vapor are alike because vapor forms when things evaporate. Freezing and melting happens
when an ice cube melts or water freezes. That is what happens when physical changes happens. The four states of matter are solids,
liquids, and gas. A liquid doesnʼt stay in the same shape. It can move on its own sometimes. A solid has its own shape because if you
leave it there then it will do nothing. A gas can move around anywhere. A gas can be as free as it wants to be. Plasma is not found on
earth because it is too hot. Plasma is found in space. The sun is plasma because it is so hot. The three states of matter are made up
of atoms. When atoms join together they are called molecules. The three forms of matter are very important. Condensation is when
vapor turns to a liquid.
vs.
Liquid, solid and gas are all states. Evaporation and vapor come from the same type. molecules and atoms work together to
make things. loss and gains

Brainstorm a word bank on a topic of
study, and the kids can use it to
summarize their learning.
Mass,means how much Matter is inside something. Matter, means how much space the object takes up.Volume, means how
big is the object. Atom, is very little and it builds up to a Molecules. Solid,is something that if you put it in a container it does not
form a new shape. Liquid, if you put in a container it changes to a new shape. Gas,is most likely is invisible but the is some that
are not invisible. Properties,is like how something feels,smells,looks,sounds and taste. Evaporate,evaporate means when
something goes invisible. Melting,when something is melting it means it is gaining heat. Freezing,freezing means something is
loosing heat.
When hot water gets mixed with even more hot water it evaporation. A solid can tern in to a liquid when the solid
melts.Stem is water vapor.A solid has more mas then a liquid.A liquid can tern into a gas.A liquid can tern in to a solid when
the molecules slow done.A solid takes more space then a liquid.
Black history was a sad thing. Black pepole where kidnapt and got put in a auktion and sold to white pepole and they had to
work for the white allday long and if they did stop they wou get wipped.Some got away by following the drinking gored to the
U.G.R but it was not really under ground it was just some white pepole that thouht slavery wasent right so they would help the
black get away to fedom some made it and some dident.
Writerʼs workshop is a very important thing you have to do.You need to practice and practice that way you can learn how to do
it better!!!Like my teacher always saids is you need to try to do your best.That is the most important thing you need to do!And
also I love to write personal narratives about me and what happened in my life.And you can ask questions and if you are
reading someone elses work then you can give them comments or ask them some questions that you think are good to help
there stories get better because that is very important to them if you donʼt like a part.So those are some writing tips that you
can use!!!!!

Allows peers to collaborate with each other.
In content areas:
Matter is anything that takes up space.Volume is how much space that matter takes up. Mass is kind of like weight. It is
how much matter that there is. Evaporation and vapor are alike because vapor forms when things evaporate. Freezing
Rachel’s and melting happens when an ice cube melts or water freezes. The three states of matter are solids, liquids, and gas. A
original liquid doesnʼt stay in the same shape. It can move on its own sometimes. A solid has its own shape because if you leave
it there then it will do nothing. A gas can move around anywhere. A gas can be as free as it wants to be. The three states
ideas of matter are made up of atoms. When atoms join together they are called molecules. The three forms of matter are very
important. Condensation is when vapor turns to a liquid.
a peer’s VERY NICE RACHEL BUT REMEMBER THAT MATTER HAS FOUR STATES SOLID, LIQUID, GAS AND PLASMA.I
REALLY LIKED HOW YOU TALKED ABOUT VAPOR, CONDENSATION, EVAPORATION, FREEZING AND MELTING
comment BECAUSE THEY EXPLAIN PHYSICAL CHANGES. YOUʼRE RIGHT ABOUT MASS BEING LIKE WEIGHT BECAUSE IT
s IS LIKE WEIGHT A LOT. BAILEY
Matter is anything that takes up space.Volume is how much space that matter takes up. Mass is kind of like weight. It is
how much matter that there is. Evaporation and vapor are alike because vapor forms when things evaporate. Freezing
Rachel’s and melting happens when an ice cube melts or water freezes. That is what happens when physical changes happens.
updated The four states of matter are solids, liquids, and gas. A liquid doesnʼt stay in the same shape. It can move on its own
sometimes. A solid has its own shape because if you leave it there then it will do nothing. A gas can move around
version anywhere. A gas can be as free as it wants to be. Plasma is not found on earth because it is too hot. Plasma is found in
space. The sun is plasma because it is so hot. The three states of matter are made up of atoms. When atoms join
together they are called molecules. The three forms of matter are very important. Condensation is when vapor turns to a
liquid.

Collaborate as peer editors:
Within our school building
It was the best day of the year! My grandpa and I went to feed the fish hot dog buns. I went by a fallen down tree.There
Casey’s was absolutely no fish on the surface, then out of no ware a black Bass like one foot. It jumped and devoured five pieces
story of hot dog buns.I could just barely see all the blue gils by the shore. We were chatting about the black Bass the hole time
we went back to his house.
A 5th I LOVE THE OPENING SENTENCE. YOU PICKED A VERY INTERESTING TOPIC TO WRITE ABOUT. :) YOU MIGHT
grader’s WANT TO ADD IN WHERE YOU WERE WHILE YOU WERE FEEDING FISH- LIKE IN THE SECOND SENTENCE YOU
comments COULD SAY MY GRANDPA AND I WENT TO FEED THE FISH HOT DOG BUNS AT _. IN THE 3RD SENTENCE, WHAT
KIND OF TREE WAS THE FALLEN DOWN TREE? OR WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE? IN THE 4TH SENTENCE, YOU
and SHOULD SAY THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO FISH ON THE SURFACE, BUT THEN OUT OF NO WHERE A BLACK
suggestion BASS WAS ONE FOOT AWAY. IN THE LAST SENTENCE, WHOSE HOUSE DID YOU GO TO? YOU SHOULD SAY WE
WERE CHATTING ABOUT THE BLACK BASS THE WHOLE TIME WE WALKED BACK TO __ʼS HOUSE.
s

Interested adults help too
Fishing With My Grandpa And Dad
Me,dad and grandpa were fishing and my dad caught a first cast. Then my grandpa brought one in then my dad. I was not
happy because I only caught two FISH. My dad and grandpa caught fifteen. The big ones were a pound or two. They
fought hard. When we got back I was mad.
Iʼd like to hear a little more about the fight they put up. Mrs. Rich
Jason, I fish with my dad, too. I canʼt believe they caught 15 fish. Cool. I think you need to tell people what a first
cast is. Who had the fighting fish? I wondered that. And did you get mad because they e? Do you want some ideas
for ading words too? Heres what I think. (in CAPs.) Me,dad and grandpa were fishing and my dad caught a FISH
ON HIS first cast. THEN TELL ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS. Then my grandpa brought A FISH IN AND
then my dad BROUGHT ANOTHER FISH IN. I was not happy because I only caught two FISH. (I LIKE THE WAY
YOU MADE FISH ALL CAPS) My dad and grandpa caught fifteen FISH. The big ones were a pound or two. They
fought hard. (TELL ABOUT THIS LIKE THE OTHER PERSON ASKED) When we got back TO SHORE I was mad.
(TELL WHY.)
Make sure the editors use a bold font or all capitals

Sixth Graders in another state
One time we were at Florida,Then one night me and my Mom went to look for something..........Then we stop so
fast,that we were as still as a flower!And guess what we saw a.............Lizard!!So we ran as fast as we could,to
try and catch it,But we missed it. We tried to catch it again,But we still messed it. Then something very strange
happen?..........It was a man in a go cart?And guess what he said,I won’t be in there if I were you because there’s
rattle snakes in there!I said sadly,oh,man. So we left,for home,Very sad. When we got home it was very dark
inside,So we went to sleepy time.
From,
Keegan
YOU MADE A FEW REPETITIVE MISTAKES FOR INSTANCE YOU USED CAPITALS AFTER SOME OF YOUR COMMAS
AND YOU NEED TO ADD A SPACE AFTER YOUR COMMAS AND QUESTION MARKS AND YOU NEED QUOTATION
MARKS AND FINALLY YOU HAVE BEEN USING QUESTION MARKS WHERE THEY DON’T BELONG SUCH AS: IT WAS
A MAN IN A GO CART? SOME OF YOUR WORD ARE ALSO MIXED UP AND YOU NEED TO PUT THEM IN PAST TENSE
BECAUSE YOU ARE TELLING A STORY THAT ALREADY HAPPENED. OTHERWISE YOUR STORY WAS QUITE FUNNY
AND EASY TO FOLLOW AND REALLY LAID OUT I LIKED YOUR ANALOGIES AS WELL, THE ONLY THING WAS THAT
YOU COULD HAVE USED SOME MORE DISCRIPTIVE WORDS TO TELL PEOPLE WHO YOU ARE AND THAT YOUR
WRITING IT,BUT STILL, GOOD JOB!!!!!!!!

Wiki Hosts
http://www.wikispaces.com
http://pbwiki.com
http://mediawiki.com
WikiMatrix to compare

Homework

Be sure to keep a watch on wiki activity
Bloglines
Google Reader

Collaboration
The power of the wiki lies in the authentic audience that
allows interaction with people other than the teacher.
Questions to ponder:
What grades to go to for collaboration?
How to find tech savvy teachers to collaborate with?

Other Ideas
For Students to Try
ABCs of your town
Cooperative stories
“Textbook” pages
Teaching others
Book clubs-at home or with other classes
Edit other people’s work for no-excuse words
for proofreading practice

...For Teachers to Try
Connect with experts in the field
county/city government
scientists
writers
Volunteer mentors from school/community to
read and respond to students’ work
Teacher collaboration-lessons, ideas

Start Collaborating Now!
http://connectingkids.wikispaces.com/