The document discusses the benefits of having a class blog, including giving students an authentic audience for their writing, allowing learning to continue beyond lessons, and teaching online collaboration skills. It provides examples of blogging platforms teachers use and how blogs have been integrated into the curriculum, such as having students research famous people and leave comments in character or explain math game rules with photos. Reasons to start a class blog and examples of ways teachers have used blogs in their classrooms are presented.

1. March 12, 2014

4. • Uses?
• Newsletters
• Skill practice
websites?
• What ideas do
you have?
• What would be
most helpful in
your current
classroom?

5. Plickers…Just for Fun
A.Share
Newsletters &
other Info
B.Post Learning
Websites &
Homework
C.Teach
Students to
Blog
D.Share Student
Projects &
Learning

6. Why Have a Class Blog?
• “Students have an authentic audience for their writing and that has an impact
on the quality of their posts and comments.
• Students revisit and reflect upon the lessons when they read the posts on the
blog. The learning doesn't stop when the chapter or unit ends, commenting
keeps the learning alive.
• Students learn how to navigate around the Internet and how to present digital
information in a variety of ways.
• Students and parents have opportunities to participate and contribute to an
online community. Teaching this skill to students in elementary school helps
prepare students for more individualize online collaboration in the middle and
high school years.
• Students practice a letter-writing form, when they comment. Letter-writing form
is a third grade standard.
• Students learn about geography by tracking our visitors and sharing comments
with our blogging friends. Skyping and having Google HangOuts with blogging
buddies brings geography to life!”
Reasons shared by Mrs. Yollis. Retrieved from http://educational-blogging.wikispaces.com/Why+Have+a+Class+Blog%3F

7. Examples of Blogging Platforms
Ms. Yarzabek
• http://kidblog.org/Yarzabek9/
Mr. Salsich
https://jmsalsich.edublogs.org
Mrs. Yollis
http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com
Mr. Toft
http://mrtoft2014.weebly.com/

8. • The MISD offers us a
Campus site for Free.

11. Examples of Curriculum Uses
• Biographical Bonanza
During our unit on
biographies, student used
an online encyclopedia to
research a famous
person. Students then left
a comment as if there
were that person.
"Famous people" were
having conversations with
one another in the
comment section! Fun!
• Multiplication Game
Student explained the
rules for a
multiplication game
and took digital
photos to enhance
the text.

12. Examples of Curriculum Uses
Class Books to eBooks
Take pictures of class
book pages and turn
into online format.
Google Earth Geometry
• Students look for 2 and
3-dimensional figures
while touring
Washington, D.C. on
Google Earth.

16. Sqworl Resources

17. Student Blogging Challenge

18. VoiceThread

19. Animoto

20. Vimeo

21. Voki

22. EduCreations

23. ClustrMap