Monday, November 9, 2009
Using Blogs In The Classroom
I teach middle school health and physical education and believe that using blogs could be a very important teaching tool. I would initially like to start to use a weblog in my classroom for posting class-related information such as class events, rules, homework assignments, to communicate with parents and for other pertinent class information. I would eventually like to see it blossom into a place where student could use as a forum to collaborate with others and interact with class content. It would be great to provide students with a stage to voice their opinions about class activities, discuss class topics, and share their ideas or ask questions about the class content. I feel that it is important to teach students how to use technology because it is a literacy tool that will allow them to be more productive in today’s society.
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Blogging can be a great tool to use in the classroom. I like your idea that it will begin as a place to post general information about class related material. I was curious as to whether you expect students to view this material in or out of school, or both? Will students be given time in their regular classrooms to access the information you post? I raise this issue because it is a very real concern for my students. Besides school, my students have limited access to computers, as do their parents as well. You are right however, that this is a literacy tool that they should be knowledgeable in. Now it's a matter for educators to find access for students to do so.
ReplyDeleteDanielle
Danielle,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point about students access to the internet at home. In the school I teach in 95% of my students have internet access at home. I would expect my students to blog from home or another place if they were responding to a discussion question. Greg have some great ideas on how to incorporate blogging into your PE/Health classes.
Introducing a blog through posting class related information is a good way to introduce the concept slowly to students and a great way to communicate with parents your expectations if they have a computer at home. Consider the fact that some students may not have access to a computer outside of school and plan to allow a few minutes at the beginning or end of class for them to look at your blog.
ReplyDeleteWhen students feel comfortable with the concept of a blog, then allowing them to voice their opinion would be a great way to get them more involved with their learning, especially if they think someone wants to hear/read their opinion. An issue that needs to be addressed is the appropriateness of students’ posting. Will you control what students post by reading their comments? Do you plan on discussing guidelines for posting—things to say and things not to say in a post?
I like your idea about using blogging as feedback from students. I don't have much experience in the blogging world, but you have actually given me some food for thought about how to incorporate blogging into what I teach.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of sharing all classroom content from tests and assignments to general thoughts. I think its just another avenue for students to grasp the content of what we teach. As I was thinking about issues that may arise during a time when students are blogging in their classes, I thought about potential cyber bullying. Do you think that will be a potential problem in the future?
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea of doing a gradual launch of the blog. Posting starting information will get the students to come adn then once they are used to it then you can start getting into the new things. I would also like to have class documents posted too like the syllabus. Then the kids can see what you are talking about as they read.
ReplyDeleteI think your idea for using blogs in your health and pe classes will blossom into something big. As a physical educaton teacher you could probaly even create a video with your students that teach others how to exercise properly. Your students could probaly post information about health problems facing today's society. They could probaly ask for questions and even conduct research to answer their audience. Of course it would be in conjunction with what you are teaching in your classes. Just a thought. I didn't mean to write so much....I think physical education teachers hold one of the best positions in education. I think it is important for you to take blogging in your classses step by step.
ReplyDeleteHi, Greg,
ReplyDeleteI am a little behind here, but you are wanting to start out the way I would like to start out mine by getting information out to the parents. I think that would work best for me. Letting the students work their way up from there is a great idea!! Good luck with that. I am curious to see how it works out. Are your middle schoolers excited about the possibility of getting on here or not? Mine were not. I was just curious.