Blogs can serve as tools for both action/creation and reflection in learning. They allow students to document their thinking and receive feedback, which supports higher-order thinking. The Professional Learning session will cover setting up blogs in Moodle and Edublogs, and how blogs can promote skills like collaboration, creativity, and empathy. It will provide examples of blogs being used in classes and discuss questions to focus student reflection.

1. Reflecting about Blogs and Journals Professional learning session, coming soon Blogs can have many versions – choose what best suits desired learning outcome - journal, forums, chats What is a blog?- it is a is website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. It may be private or public and may or may not invite comments and feedback

2. 1. This presentation will not cover this book Material from this book will be referred to in the Professional Learning session

3. 2. This slideshow will not cover how to use blogs safely or their many uses in the classroom The Professional Learning session will cover the various options in moodle, and which and where you would use these and why you might use another option like edublogs

4. This slideshow will consider 3. The role of action/creation and reflection in learning and blogs This slideshow will consider 4. Some practicalities of blogging

5. 3. The role of action/creation and reflection in learning “Reflective thinking is always more or less troublesome because it involves overcoming the inertia that inclines one to accept suggestions at their face value; it involves willingness to endure a condition of mental unrest and disturbance. Reflective thinking, in short, means judgment suspended during further inquiry; and suspense is likely to be somewhat painful. … To maintain the state of doubt and to carry on systematic and protracted inquiry—these are the essentials of thinking. ” John Dewey 1910 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/John_Dewey_lib.jpg

6. John Dewey Coined terms such as active learning, hands on learning and experiential learning John Dewey said that action and reflection are two sides of the same coin. So, reflective thinking is an essential part of constructivist and critical and higher order thinking. Without reflection there is no thinking, and knowledge is the raw material for thinking. Feedback should inform every stage of learning. The paradigm that assessment should be an integral part of learning underpins the Understanding By Design model. So, how do we get students to act/create and reflect in ways that maximise learning? Gordon, C., Scan - Raising Active Voices in School Libraries: authentic learning, information processing and guided inquiry part 2, the role of reflection, Vol. 28, No. 4, Nov 2009 pp27-33

7. Carol Gordon from Rutgers University –presenting at the Somerset Literature Festival, Jupiters Casino, 2010March 15, Ways of Knowing: Reading and Literature as Aesthetic Experience March 16 Guided Inquiry in Digital Worlds Carol suggests that Journals or blogs can be instruments of creation/action and reflection that offer snapshots of cognitive, affective and behavioural indicators that signal students’ needs that might otherwise be lost in the learning process Journals and blogs may focus on product or process http://www.somerset.qld.edu.au/conflib/programme/ Scan - Raising Active Voices in School Libraries: authentic learning, information processing and guided inquiry part 2, the role of reflection, Vol. 28, No. 4, Nov 2009 pp27-33

8. One of the problems is that reflective writing can be trivial and merely a recount or descriptive Carol suggests using questions and writing prompts to create focus and challenge Reflection in inquiry learning is a key form of intervention to help students make the information to knowledge connection and will support critical thinking and growth of metacognition if tasks are stuctured and focused

9. http://www.edutopia.org/files/existing/images/graphics/fea_collabage_walls_newskillsstat.jpg BLOGS can promote many learning outcomes Skills students need to succeed in the new age Year of Creativity Habits of Mind – Creativity, Imagining, Innovation Listening with empathy and listening

10. 4. Practicalities of bloggging. Blog by eleven-year-old community volunteer Laura Stockman about service projects Where does she got her ideas for her good work? "I ask my readers.” See the Clustrmap on Laura‘s blog She has a network of connections, people from almost every continent and country, who share their own stories of service or volunteer to assist Stockman in her work. She's sharing and learning and collaborating in ways that were unheard of just a few years ago http://twentyfivedays.wordpress.com http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2228/2534494559_88722c6f74_b.jpg http://willrichardson.wikispaces.com/page/pdf/home http://www.edutopia.org/collaboration-age-technology-will-richardson

11. Blogs – Easy Uploading Demonstration http://readingpower.edublogs.org/ http://edublogs.org/wp-login.php

12. Blogs in Moodle Show Italy trip blog in moodle

13. Later perusal Reading http://persnicketysnark.blogspot.com/2009/09/bbaw-persnickety-snark-blog.html http://lisahillschoolstuff.wordpress.com Travel http://champagnetravelonabeerbudget.com/ http://www.tripbase.com/awards/budget/ Further Reading http://www.slideshare.net/rrodgers/constructivism-and-educational-technology http://www.questiaschool.com/read/109676406

14. Example of use in class Professional Learning session will briefly refer to the theory, but spend most of the time showing how to use the journal and blog formats in moodle and how to start an edublogs page In class – blogs in Year 11 English Communications