The document discusses using blogs in elementary classrooms to enhance technology literacy and student writing. It provides examples of how teachers can use blogs to reflect on lessons, communicate with parents, showcase student work, and more. Students can also create individual blogs to complete assignments, express opinions, and develop an online portfolio of their writing. Setting guidelines and modeling good discussion prompts are important for successful classroom blogging.

1. Blogging with Elementary Students: YES you can! Jeff Gentner Technology Facilitator and Grade 4 Teacher Forest Elementary School Williamsville, NY

2. Technology Literacy The greatest educational challenge is to prepare our students for the new literacies that will define their future. (Leu, Mallette, Karchmer & Kara-Soteriou, 2005) Technological literacy is knowledge about what technology is, how it works, what purposes it can serve, and how it can be used efficiently and effectively to achieve specific goals. (21 st Century Skills)

3. Web sites Blogs Blogs are usually setup with a RSS feed for viewers to subscribe to. When a Website is updated there is usually no feature that automatically notifies your readers of the update . Blogs are written more like a journal that is broken up by dates. Usually the most recent entry is on top. Website pages are broken up by Static Pages and Categories …. Products, prices, articles, pictures, etc… No coding knowledge necessary . Must have a bit of technical knowledge in coding. Current - Updated several times a week if not more often. Static - For the most part websites stay the same.

4. What is a Blog? A blog is a collaboration tool. A blog is a web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer. Merriam-Webster Dictionary NOTE: Blog was the 2004 word of the year! A blog is a web site where entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Wikipedia

5. Web + log = Blog Millions of bloggers worldwide, the number grows rapidly The attraction: - speed of publishing (vs. old traditional web pages) - anyone can contribute content

6. Generation M: MEDIA in the lives of our 8-18 year-olds The Kaiser Family Foundation “ Kids are spending over 6 hours a day engaged with some type of media and that for more than a quarter of that time they are using more than one medium at a time .”

7. Why should Blogs be used in the Classroom? the Teacher can help students become better writers and thinkers creating a learning process that you will build together meeting educational goals

8. Ways to use Blogs in the Classroom Create a reflective, journal type blog to... reflect on your teaching experiences. keep a log of teacher-training experiences. write a description of a specific teaching unit. provide some teaching tips for other teachers.

9. Ways to use blogs in the Classroom Create a reflective, journal type blog to... explain teaching insights you gain from what happens in your classes. share ideas for teaching activities or language games to use in the classroom. provide some how-to's on using specific technology in the class, describing how you used this technology in your own class. explore important teaching and learning issues.

10. Start a class blog to … post class-related information such as calendars, events, homework assignments and other pertinent class information. post assignments based on literature readings and have students respond on their own weblogs, creating a kind of portfolio of their work. communicate with parents if you are teaching elementary school students. post prompts for writing.

11. Start a class blog to … provide examples of classwork, vocabulary activities, or grammar games. provide online readings for your students to read and react to. gather and organize Internet resources for a specific course, providing links to appropriate sites and annotating the links as to what is relevant about them. post photos and comment on class activities.

12. Start a class blog to … invite student comments or postings on issues in order to give them a writing voice. publish examples of good student writing done in class. show case student art, poetry, and creative stories. create a dynamic teaching site, posting not only class-related information, but also activities, discussion topics, links to additional information about topics they are studying in class, and readings to inspire learning.

13. Start a class blog to … ask students to create their own individual course blogs, where they can post their own ideas, reactions and written work. post tasks to carry out project-based learning tasks with students. build a class newsletter, using student-written articles and photos they take. link your class with another class somewhere else in the world

14. Have students create their own blogs to… learn how to blog complete class writing assignments. create an ongoing portfolio of samples of their writing. express their opinions on topics you are studying in class. write comments, opinions, or questions on daily news items or issues of interest.

15. Have students create their own blogs to… discuss activities they did in class and tell what they think about them (You, the teacher, can learn a lot this way!). write about class topics, using newly-learned vocabulary words and idioms. showcase their best writing pieces.

16. Examples of Classroom Blogging… (worth taking a look at !) Grade 1 Audiobook Blog Grade 5 class at Mamoraneck Elementary Cool Cat Teacher (very interesting blog on social networking among other topics) Sega Tech (a blog for technical support specialists, technology coordinators, teachers, administrators, and others concerned about the appropriate, effective, and efficient use of technology

17. Examples of Classroom Blogging… (worth taking a look at !) The Book Blog (reviews and comments on children’s books) David Warlick’s 2 ¢ Worth Blog (David Warlick is considered by many educators to be the “king” of blogging) Blue Skunk Blog ( an educator’s blog) Books Worth Reading ( done by elementary library media specialists) Mighty Writers (a third-grade blog)

19. A Blog Action Plan… Guidance . What guidelines will be provided to assure student/teacher success? Model Use. Think about some rich prompts that will promote good discussion. Review the rules. Give a review on internet etiquette. Build the Blog . Create a title and description. Then review possible host service plans that best suit your purpose. Think about Assessment .

20. Guidance Patience Persistence Focus Be realistic Continue Learning Respect Passion

21. Model Use Rich prompts Imagination Prompt Generator

22. Review the Rules

23. Build the Blog Class Blogmeister Edublogs Blogger

24. Think About Assessment Sample Rubric