Blogging was used to help transform students' ideas and writing skills over time. Surveys and analysis of blog posts and comments from September to November showed improvements in the length, depth, and thoughtfulness of students' writing. As students provided feedback and questions to each other, their writing became more organized, detailed and developed. Continuing blogging will help students further strengthen their ideas and writing abilities.

1. Blogging to transform ideas
By Aaron Hansen
Background
Province=curriculum Methods
• Surveys
Division=literacy for life • September
• November
School=expository writing • Reflection
• November
CIT=blogging to transform • Anecdotal
• Read the blogs daily
Me=social media to collaborate • Artifact itself (blog)- #s
• Baseline = simple posts/ comments (#)
• Most recent = better posts/ comments
• Ongoing data collection and instant feedback
Theories • Teacher questions and suggestions in order to scaffold
• Vygotsky desired performance initially
• Zone of Proximal Development • Students police themselves:
• Constructivism • “need more details”
• “elaborate”
• Farmer • “that was not an appropriate response”
• Social Constructivism • “how do you feel about…?”
• Dynamic Online Communities
• Downes and Siemens
• Connectivism
Results Conclusions
• The writing’s on the blog • We will continue blogging
• Comments/ posts looked at chronologically • Survey reveals that students see an improvement in their writing
• Power of questions and clarifications through blogging
• Once organization and conventions improve, ideas will be
transformed more regularly
September Posts November Posts • Continue to blog so that a 3 that was a 2 will soon be a 4
1 1
• By January, open blog to another grade five gifted class
2 2 • Link to other blogs and references- individual RSS feed
3 3 • Reflections reveal improvement
4 4 • Students moved up at least one level (2-3, 3-4)
September Comments November Comments Scan for more information
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4