1. I could use my blog as a place to keep my teaching journals. I am still a student teacher and I don’t have much teaching experience so far. Therefore, keeping journals to reflect my own teaching is a great way for me to keep record of my progress. I could write down events and ideas for the purpose of later reflection. In the process of writing, it might trigger some insights about teaching. Therefore, writing blogs about my own teaching experience could serve as a discovery process. Also, I could post some problems which I cannot solve on my blogs. Other teachers might give me some constructive suggestions. Blog is a great place to share, discuss and discover.
2. I could also use the blog as a part of the teaching and learning. I could post class-related information such as syllabus, homework and other materials on the blog for students to refer to. It’s just like the UB-Learns we are using right now.
3. Blogs can be used to make the classroom more collaborative and interactive. I can post not only class-related information, but also activities, discussion topics, links to additional information about topics students are studying in class, and readings to inspire learning. Students would be asked to post their reponses and ideas to questons and topics. They could also be asked to comment on each others’ respones just as we did in this class. This commenting feature will help students to develop language skills and also promote group learning.Besides the above ways of using blogs in the classroom, there are other ways also. For example, I could involve parents into the teaching and learning process. They could monitor their children’s learning and give me some suggestions at the same time.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Using Blogs to Promote Authentic Learning in the Classroom
http://anne.teachesme.com/2007/01/17/rationale-for-educational-blogging/
Rationale for educational blogging
I was recently asked to give a rationale for educational blogging. I thought I’d share what I wrote and invite comment.
Blogs are reshaping our environment. They are beginning to emerge in large numbers in the educational field and offer great potential to transform learning and teaching. It is about new literacies appropriate for this time. The quote below comes from Don Leu, to be published soon in a book by the International Reading Association (http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~djleu/newlit.html) I feel it is a very appropriate focus as relates to the new literacies and blogging for educators. Donald Leu of Syracuse University expresses it far better than I ever could.
There are many skills and concepts that need to be addressed to effectively help teachers learn to use blogs throughout their curriculum to foster these new literacies. It is not just a matter of transferring classroom writing into digital spaces. Teachers need to address writing for a public audience, how to cite and link and why, how to use the comment tool in pedagogical ways, how to read web materials more efficiently as well as explore other ways to consider pedagogical uses of blogs. Blogging requires us to teach students to critically engage media. Students need instruction on how to become efficient navigators in these digital spaces where they will be obtaining a majority of their information.Blogging is educationally sound for teaching students because:
Blogs provide a space for sharing opinions and learning in order to grow communities of discourse and knowledge — a space where students and teachers can learn from each other.
Blogs help learners to see knowledge as interconnected as opposed to a set of discrete facts.
Blogs can give students a totally new perspective on the meaning of voice. As students explore their own learning and thinking and their distinctive voices emerge. Student voices are essential to the conversations we need to have about learning.
Blogs foster ownership and choice. They help lead us away from students trying to find what the teacher wants in terms of an answer.
The worldwide audience provides recognition for students that can be quite profound. Students feel more compelled to write when they believe many others may read and respond. It gives them motivation to excel. Students need to be taught skills to foster a contributing audience on their blog.
The archive feature of blogging records ongoing learning. It facilitates reflection and evaluation. One student told me that he could easily find his thoughts on a matter and he could see how his thinking had changed and why.
The opportunity for collective and collaborative learning is enormous. Students have the opportunity to read their classmates̢۪ blogs and those of others. This is not possible in a regular classroom setting.
Blogging provides the possibility of connecting with experts on the topic students are writing.
The interactive nature of blogging creates enthusiasm for writing and communication.
Blogging engages students in conversation and learning.
Blogging encourages global conversations about learning–conversations not previously possible in our classrooms.
Blogging provides the opportunity for our students to learn to write for life-long learning.
Blogging affords us the opportunity to teach responsible public writing. Students can learn about the power of the published word and the responsibilities involved with public writing.
Rationale for educational blogging
I was recently asked to give a rationale for educational blogging. I thought I’d share what I wrote and invite comment.
Blogs are reshaping our environment. They are beginning to emerge in large numbers in the educational field and offer great potential to transform learning and teaching. It is about new literacies appropriate for this time. The quote below comes from Don Leu, to be published soon in a book by the International Reading Association (http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~djleu/newlit.html) I feel it is a very appropriate focus as relates to the new literacies and blogging for educators. Donald Leu of Syracuse University expresses it far better than I ever could.
There are many skills and concepts that need to be addressed to effectively help teachers learn to use blogs throughout their curriculum to foster these new literacies. It is not just a matter of transferring classroom writing into digital spaces. Teachers need to address writing for a public audience, how to cite and link and why, how to use the comment tool in pedagogical ways, how to read web materials more efficiently as well as explore other ways to consider pedagogical uses of blogs. Blogging requires us to teach students to critically engage media. Students need instruction on how to become efficient navigators in these digital spaces where they will be obtaining a majority of their information.Blogging is educationally sound for teaching students because:
Blogs provide a space for sharing opinions and learning in order to grow communities of discourse and knowledge — a space where students and teachers can learn from each other.
Blogs help learners to see knowledge as interconnected as opposed to a set of discrete facts.
Blogs can give students a totally new perspective on the meaning of voice. As students explore their own learning and thinking and their distinctive voices emerge. Student voices are essential to the conversations we need to have about learning.
Blogs foster ownership and choice. They help lead us away from students trying to find what the teacher wants in terms of an answer.
The worldwide audience provides recognition for students that can be quite profound. Students feel more compelled to write when they believe many others may read and respond. It gives them motivation to excel. Students need to be taught skills to foster a contributing audience on their blog.
The archive feature of blogging records ongoing learning. It facilitates reflection and evaluation. One student told me that he could easily find his thoughts on a matter and he could see how his thinking had changed and why.
The opportunity for collective and collaborative learning is enormous. Students have the opportunity to read their classmates̢۪ blogs and those of others. This is not possible in a regular classroom setting.
Blogging provides the possibility of connecting with experts on the topic students are writing.
The interactive nature of blogging creates enthusiasm for writing and communication.
Blogging engages students in conversation and learning.
Blogging encourages global conversations about learning–conversations not previously possible in our classrooms.
Blogging provides the opportunity for our students to learn to write for life-long learning.
Blogging affords us the opportunity to teach responsible public writing. Students can learn about the power of the published word and the responsibilities involved with public writing.
Description of epals program
**How epals works:
Can a FREE service that promises to connect students in Texas and Taiwan be both simple to use and offer meaningful learning experiences? Yes, and here's why.
1. ePals is easy.Whether you're a student, teacher, or a district-wide administrator, all of ePals' no-cost solutions - SchoolMail™, SchoolBlog™, and Classroom Match - are easy to set up and use right away from any computer connected to the Internet. In fact, SchoolMail™ is the global leader in school-safe electronic communications.
2. ePals is safe and protected. It is managed by teachers and administrators. All interactions are policy managed by school districts and teachers, including emails, blogs, and forums, and can be monitored and filtered according to any standard. And ePals blocks SPAM, pornography, and curse words.
3. ePals is a Collaborative Learning Experience. There's a reason why schools and school districts around the world have adopted ePals: It has been specifically designed for primary-secondary use and is based on the latest research for effective Internet-based learning.
**epals is EASY!!
ePals' entirely web-based, self-contained email, blog, and classroom match technology is accessible by students working from school or from home, which:
1. Saves valuable class time and extends the learning experience.
2. Avoids the need for software installations or additional hardware.
Students simply go to the ePals web site to:
1. Enter their unique name and password.
2. Click to read and reply, view messages, or compose an email with or without attachments.
3. Read emails from global learners speaking in eight different languages using the ePals instant translation tool.
**epals is Managed by Teachers and Administrators.
ePals is unique among the dozens of free email services because its robust design is customized specifically for school district and classroom use. ePals makes it easy to keep teachers and administrators in charge and students focused on learning.
With ePals you can:
1. Review any and all messages - Automatically monitor all content to delete suspicious material using tools that can be customized for your classroom or school district.
2. Create tailored blocking solutions - Select from a suggested list of inappropriate words or add new ones.
3. Grant or deny student usage - Suspend or change student account passwords to guarantee safe, productive student email use.
4. Control incoming messages - Block incoming messages, domains, or all outside content, including unwanted marketing messages (SPAM), pornographic mail, etc.
**epals is a Collaborative Learning Experience
ePals is centered on the principle of authentic learning, a pedagogical approach that allows young people to understand concepts and relationships in "real world" contexts.
Research by Doctoral candidate David Huffaker* shows that weblogs and other computer-mediated communications tools - such as ePals SchoolMail™ and SchoolBlog™:
1. Enable school and district communication and collaboration to build 21st Century skills
2. Promote verbal and visual literacy through dialogue and storytelling
3. Are accessible and equitable to a variety of age groups and developmental stages in education.
ePals' classroom match takes online learning to a new level by linking classrooms across the world to form the largest and fastest growing interactive, web-based learning community. School instructors and administrators use ePals classroom match to:
1. Promote cross-cultural collaborations such as foreign language learning
2. Foster class-to-class projects on diverse subjects
3. Swap inspiring ideas with schools and teachers from around the globe.
So, let students email, blog, and interact with their peers worldwide - and watch them flourish.
Can a FREE service that promises to connect students in Texas and Taiwan be both simple to use and offer meaningful learning experiences? Yes, and here's why.
1. ePals is easy.Whether you're a student, teacher, or a district-wide administrator, all of ePals' no-cost solutions - SchoolMail™, SchoolBlog™, and Classroom Match - are easy to set up and use right away from any computer connected to the Internet. In fact, SchoolMail™ is the global leader in school-safe electronic communications.
2. ePals is safe and protected. It is managed by teachers and administrators. All interactions are policy managed by school districts and teachers, including emails, blogs, and forums, and can be monitored and filtered according to any standard. And ePals blocks SPAM, pornography, and curse words.
3. ePals is a Collaborative Learning Experience. There's a reason why schools and school districts around the world have adopted ePals: It has been specifically designed for primary-secondary use and is based on the latest research for effective Internet-based learning.
**epals is EASY!!
ePals' entirely web-based, self-contained email, blog, and classroom match technology is accessible by students working from school or from home, which:
1. Saves valuable class time and extends the learning experience.
2. Avoids the need for software installations or additional hardware.
Students simply go to the ePals web site to:
1. Enter their unique name and password.
2. Click to read and reply, view messages, or compose an email with or without attachments.
3. Read emails from global learners speaking in eight different languages using the ePals instant translation tool.
**epals is Managed by Teachers and Administrators.
ePals is unique among the dozens of free email services because its robust design is customized specifically for school district and classroom use. ePals makes it easy to keep teachers and administrators in charge and students focused on learning.
With ePals you can:
1. Review any and all messages - Automatically monitor all content to delete suspicious material using tools that can be customized for your classroom or school district.
2. Create tailored blocking solutions - Select from a suggested list of inappropriate words or add new ones.
3. Grant or deny student usage - Suspend or change student account passwords to guarantee safe, productive student email use.
4. Control incoming messages - Block incoming messages, domains, or all outside content, including unwanted marketing messages (SPAM), pornographic mail, etc.
**epals is a Collaborative Learning Experience
ePals is centered on the principle of authentic learning, a pedagogical approach that allows young people to understand concepts and relationships in "real world" contexts.
Research by Doctoral candidate David Huffaker* shows that weblogs and other computer-mediated communications tools - such as ePals SchoolMail™ and SchoolBlog™:
1. Enable school and district communication and collaboration to build 21st Century skills
2. Promote verbal and visual literacy through dialogue and storytelling
3. Are accessible and equitable to a variety of age groups and developmental stages in education.
ePals' classroom match takes online learning to a new level by linking classrooms across the world to form the largest and fastest growing interactive, web-based learning community. School instructors and administrators use ePals classroom match to:
1. Promote cross-cultural collaborations such as foreign language learning
2. Foster class-to-class projects on diverse subjects
3. Swap inspiring ideas with schools and teachers from around the globe.
So, let students email, blog, and interact with their peers worldwide - and watch them flourish.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
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