Can I move this post?

I'm wondering

Welcome!

Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging.  "Blog" is simply a quicker way to say "web log", basically a web-based journal. 

Today's session will be very hands-on.  Teachers make crummy students, and I know you don't want to listen to me pontificate (my current favourite word:  I have a number of pontificaters (sp?) in my new semester).

First, you need a Google account, unless you already have one.  Yesterday I sent you an invitation to join this blog.  Open your email, respond to that invitation, and create an account.  Then you're online with me, and off we go. 

(Note that other blog tools do exist online, but this one works well for me.  Experiment at will!)

Why Blog?

The "blogosphere" is exploding for a number of different reasons.  Some people just like seeing their name in print, and this is way easier than it used to be.  Blogging also allows multiple perspectives on issues of major importance (Libya cnn.com) as well as those of much less importance (Charlie Sheen livethesheendream.com )

In terms of classroom use, any task that focuses on discussion and exchange of ideas can work for a blog.  You can also easily incorporate other curricular aspects, such as research, writing, editing, current affairs, and, of course, technology.  Be sure you know what your goal is when you begin:  blogs are a great "hook" but you want to make sure you don't lose the fish. (See the bottom of my blog:  that's just for fun :)

My first blog was inspired by a wish to have students experience semi-authentic discussions about good books.  My book club doesn't do chapter questions, we talk about the book, compare it to others we have read, connect it to our own experiences, learn about historical events.  We argue, yell at characters, deride authors.  (We also drink fair quantities of wine, but that's a different topic altogether.) 

For students, creating this in classrooms can be very difficult.  We all know who will dominate these kinds of "real time" discussions, and who will be perfectly happy to let them.

When we blog, we ALL have an equal voice.

Your task:  post below how YOU might use a blog in your classroom.  Read the ideas of your colleagues.

Blog Samples

I have created a number of blogs since starting my Book Thief blog last year.  Each has its own purpose and so it's own look.  Rhonda has also set up a blog for her class, which has a different feel than mine (I like her's better!)

Do a little "click around" here and leave me some feedback in the comment box.  Which look do you like best?  What content interests you?  Read the student work:  what do you notice?

Ms. McMaster's Book Thief Blog
Spitfires Basketball (my son's team)
Ms. Beebe's Catcher in the Rye Blog
North Star Outdoor Education (my husband's fledgling business)

Assessing your Blog

Students will have (hopefully!) put sufficient effort and time into their blog posts that they will want you to read them and to reward their work with a grade, rather than only focusing on formative or process-based asessment. 

This is tough stuff.

My grade 10 IB class produced literally thousands of posts.  Did I read them all?  Yes, I did.  Did I mark them all?  Well, I tried.  It was a fool's errand indeed.

In class, we fought our way through numerous drafts of a rubric for the blog. Here's the first one:  see if you can figure out why it wouldn't work.  When you're done, add your comment.

CATEGORY	4-Above Level	3-At Level	2-Below Level	1-Out of Range
Ideas	The student has many ideas and expresses them clearly. The great majority of ideas are related to literature and specifically the novel.	The student expresses some ideas. The majority of ideas are related to literature and specifically the novel.	The ideas expressed are not usually connected to discussions around literature or the novel.	The ideas expressed are often confused and are not connected to discussions around literature or the novel.
Post Frequency	The post frequency exceeds course expectations.	The post frequency is average:  3 posts per section, including both original posts and responses to others.	The post frequency is below average.	The post frequency is well below course expectations.
Writing Quality	Posts demonstrate a strong writing style. The content demonstrates that the student reads thoughtfully, synthesizes content and constructs new meaning.	Posts demonstrate clear writing style. The content demonstrates that the student reads carefully, and attempts to synthesize information and form new meaning.	Posts show a below average, overly casual writing style with a lack of attention to style. Students may not have completed the readings reading and mostly regurgitate previous personal views.	Posts are of very poor quality. There is little to no evidence of reading In order to form new meaning of the topics at-hand.
Community	The student participated actively in the blogging community including responding to others to clarify and extend ideas, particularly in literary sections.	The student participated in the blogging community including some responses to others to clarify and extend of ideas, particularly in literary sections.	The student participated infrequently in the blogging community with few responses to others and few attempts to clarify or extend ideas.	The student participated rarely in the blogging community and did not respond to others or attempt to clarify or extend ideas.
Literary Understanding	Student shows clear understanding of key literary concepts being explored, including point of view, character development, theme, plot structure, setting, as well as historical and pictorial connections.	Student shows understanding of key literary concepts being explored, including point of view, character development, theme, plot structure, setting, as well as historical and pictorial connections.	Student shows emerging understanding of key literary concepts being explored, including point of view, character development, theme, plot structure, setting, as well as historical and pictorial connections.	Student shows little or no understanding of key literary concepts being explored, including point of view, character development, theme, plot structure setting, as well as historical and pictorial connections.

This was my second draft:  does it look better?
 

BASICS	4-Above Level	3-At Level	2-Below Level	1-Out of Range
Community	The student participated actively in the blogging community including responding to others to clarify and extending ideas.	The student participated in the blogging community including some responses to others to clarify and extend of ideas.	The student participated infrequently in the blogging community with few responses to others and few attempts to clarify or extend ideas.	The student participated rarely in the blogging community and did not respond to others or attempt to clarify or extend ideas.
WRITING	4-Above Level	3-At Level	2-Below Level	1-Out of Range
Writing Quality	Posts demonstrate a strong writing style. The content demonstrates that the student reads thoughtfully, synthesizes content and constructs new meaning.	Posts demonstrate clear writing style. The content demonstrates that the student reads carefully, and attempts to synthesize information and form new meaning.	Posts show a below average, overly casual writing style with a lack of attention to style. Students may not have completed the readings reading and mostly regurgitate previous personal views.	Posts are of very poor quality. There is little to no evidence of reading In order to form new meaning of the topics at-hand.
Literary Understanding	Student shows clear understanding of key literary concepts being explored, including point of view, character development, theme, plot structure, setting, as well as historical and pictorial connections.	Student shows understanding of key literary concepts being explored, including point of view, character development, theme, plot structure, setting, as well as historical and pictorial connections.	Student shows emerging understanding of key literary concepts being explored, including point of view, character development, theme, plot structure, setting, as well as historical and pictorial connections.	Student shows little or no understanding of key literary concepts being explored, including point of view, character development, theme, plot structure setting, as well as historical and pictorial connections.

Start Blogging!

Now it's time for you to create your own blog.  Go to the top right corner of your screen, and click on "Dashboard".  You'll see a link to create your own blog.  Play around with design, look, feel.  The rest of the changes you might want to make are simply "click arounds".  Click on each tab and experiment.  It's hard to screw up, and it's just for fun. 

If you like things to be "pretty", check out external template sources like deluxetemplates.net

Thanks for coming, bloggers!