Thursday, May 13, 2010
Idea for Using a Blog in the Classroom
Although I only have three computers in my classroom I think that creating a blog collaboratively with my class would work on a subject we are going over right now. The idea is to collect student opinions on whether the NASA budget, particularly the moon program, should be cut as was proposed. This is something that my students are very interested in and I think it would serve them well to see how other students around the country, let alone around the world, feel about this. It would be a great way to interact with other people from different back grounds. I am not sure how I would get this blog well known enough to be successful but I think that just the experience of blogging and communicating through the Internet would be valuable in it self.
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Philip,
ReplyDeleteWhat an inventive idea! You could even extend your data to include student's opinion to the possible future exploration of Mars in lieu of the moon. My 6 year old little boy piped in when he heard this on the news stating 'he wanted to go to Mars instead of the moon'. Creating a cooperative group blog on such an exciting and current topic is very smart on your part. Is there a way to talk with a teacher in another school or district that you could partner with your class in this endeavor? Could your principal send out a mass email to other principals or do you have an in-service scheduled? Or last but not least, what about a google search for other classes doing the same?
Great job!
Phillip,
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great idea to try to incorporate blogs into your classroom for "group discussions". That is the same purpose I would use it for in my own classroom. As far as getting a blog as wide spread as you would like it, that may be quite difficult. I've spoken to some fellow classmates about this and have mentioned how my brother uses wikis to communicate and co-teach with a teacher out of Scotland. I feel that blogs do a great service to our students in connecting with their peers but as far as a state, national, or world-wide communication piece, I feel that involving your class into wikis would be much more beneficial for the wider range of discuss you speak of. Good luck with you NASA project. It sounds like it's off to a great start!
Phillip,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are off to a great start! I am very new to blogging and not sure how to incorporate into the kindergarten classroom. However, after reading your idea I am going to incorporate the same idea in the classroom using our story read aloud or independent reading. You found a subject that directly affect students and cross contents in science, politics and writing. I hope to do the same that’s for the jump start.
What a great idea! Even if you could just connect and compare with a few classes in different areas of the country- maybe a link to Social Studies?
ReplyDeleteKimberly,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement. Your ideas of having the principle e-mail other schools might work. Also I think googling other teachers or schools doing this is a great idea. Thanks. Phil P.
Although your lack of computers in the classroom may present some problems at school, I think you have a great idea for a topic to blog. Being able to communicate with other students around the globe should prove to be very benificial. I'm not experienced enough to give you ideas about how to make your blog well known, but I am sure the experience itself will be benificial to your students even if they communicate with just a few classes from different places.
ReplyDeletePhil,
ReplyDeleteI think you have a great topic to blog about, particularly because you have a subject that your students are already very interested in. In addition to your student buy in, I think the idea of getting opinions from all across the county will excite your students. Finally, I agree with you in that just getting your students communicating online will be new and exciting for them. Best of luck!