Image 1. Created using MS Powerpoint Graphics (2009)
BP2_2009111_Getting Started With Blogger
Ideas on how to use blogs in a class to reinforce literacy can be to jigsaw reading assignments, whereby students are assigned a specific chapter or block of reading and they give the main idea and details while summarizing. In the article titled, “Blogs and Wikis as Instructional Tools,” (Higdon, Topaz, 2009) it is discussed that blogs are used as pre-reading questioning activities. Before students attend their class, they are to read their assignments and answer the questions on a blog. This pre-reading, and post-reading activity can be useful in any classroom setting using blogs to convey the responses for all to see.
During our technology class, we have used current articles for open discussion. Students type them in Microsoft Word, store them in their network folder, and only two people see them. In a blogging format, students could post directly on the web for others to see and engage in an active conversation. I have used articles that discuss the use of digital textbooks, or Web 2.0 technology. They type, get stuck, ponder, and don’t get excited. As a former Language Arts teacher, students loved the activity of building on each other’s stories. Blogging offers this activity electronically. What a way to get them writing and thinking! Students would pay more attention to their grammar and word choice knowing all their peers and teachers would read it.
Another use of blogging is in the images and projects that can be uploaded. Students continuously create images and projects using a variety of tools like Grafitti Maker, Paint, and all of the Microsoft Office Products. They could upload their images to share with other students, and showcase their work. Portfolio building using blogs would be most beneficial and a technology must for the 21st Century Learner. Students thrive on having an example so they can springboard their own ideas, plus, each project gets better!
The next article of interest was titled, “Hot Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking.” (Zawilinski, 2009) The article included the use of blogging starting with elementary school students. The article uses a teacher’s blogging dilemma to illustrate the pros and cons. The important issue was to keep the students interested. One way is to make the blog their personal sounding board for the interests they want to share. For instance, one student wanted to post her poem, and another wanted to talk about his own book instead of the one assigned. In this example, we can understand that to maintain the level of interest in a classroom blog, teachers need to offer variety and voice.
Another important facet of the article was the listing of the four common types of classroom blogs. They were “News Blogs to have classroom news and information with parents and students, Mirror Blogs to reflect on your own thinking, Showcase Blogs to post student generated work, and Literature Response Blogs to use as online literary response journals.” (2009, p.652) We can see how all of these types of blogs can apply to any classroom use.
The article continues with addressing Higher Order Thinking skills or “HOT.” (2009, p.655) There are four steps included which are “bolster background, prime the pump, continue conversation and make multiplicity explicit.” (2009, p.655) In the “bolster background stage,” (2009, p.656) teachers use posts for literacy enhancement, reading selections, and communication of their ideas for open discussion. The “prime the pump stage” (2009, p.657) is when students seek clarifications, summarize, and post their own thoughts on the reading, making connections to their life. The “continue conversation stage,” (2009, p.657) students look at the big picture of the blog posts, the reading, the assignments, student contributions and synthesizes the information to make connections and elaborations. The final stage, “make multiplicity explicit” (2009, p.657) students are encouraged to think about their classmates and their own thinking, and the persuasive qualities their writing possesses to validate their points. This is the metacognitive stage, an important stage in literacy development and higher order thinking.
To conclude, blogs have relevancy in an educational setting and can be used for a variety of purposes, as long as the blogger’s voice is validated.
References
Higdon, J., & Topaz, C. (2009). Blogs and Wikis as Instructional Tools: A Social Software Adaptation of Just-in-Time Teaching. College Teaching, 57(2), 105-110. http://search.ebscohost.com
Zawilinski, L. (2009). HOT Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 650-661. http://search.ebscohost.com
Ideas on how to use blogs in a class to reinforce literacy can be to jigsaw reading assignments, whereby students are assigned a specific chapter or block of reading and they give the main idea and details while summarizing. In the article titled, “Blogs and Wikis as Instructional Tools,” (Higdon, Topaz, 2009) it is discussed that blogs are used as pre-reading questioning activities. Before students attend their class, they are to read their assignments and answer the questions on a blog. This pre-reading, and post-reading activity can be useful in any classroom setting using blogs to convey the responses for all to see.
During our technology class, we have used current articles for open discussion. Students type them in Microsoft Word, store them in their network folder, and only two people see them. In a blogging format, students could post directly on the web for others to see and engage in an active conversation. I have used articles that discuss the use of digital textbooks, or Web 2.0 technology. They type, get stuck, ponder, and don’t get excited. As a former Language Arts teacher, students loved the activity of building on each other’s stories. Blogging offers this activity electronically. What a way to get them writing and thinking! Students would pay more attention to their grammar and word choice knowing all their peers and teachers would read it.
Another use of blogging is in the images and projects that can be uploaded. Students continuously create images and projects using a variety of tools like Grafitti Maker, Paint, and all of the Microsoft Office Products. They could upload their images to share with other students, and showcase their work. Portfolio building using blogs would be most beneficial and a technology must for the 21st Century Learner. Students thrive on having an example so they can springboard their own ideas, plus, each project gets better!
The next article of interest was titled, “Hot Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking.” (Zawilinski, 2009) The article included the use of blogging starting with elementary school students. The article uses a teacher’s blogging dilemma to illustrate the pros and cons. The important issue was to keep the students interested. One way is to make the blog their personal sounding board for the interests they want to share. For instance, one student wanted to post her poem, and another wanted to talk about his own book instead of the one assigned. In this example, we can understand that to maintain the level of interest in a classroom blog, teachers need to offer variety and voice.
Another important facet of the article was the listing of the four common types of classroom blogs. They were “News Blogs to have classroom news and information with parents and students, Mirror Blogs to reflect on your own thinking, Showcase Blogs to post student generated work, and Literature Response Blogs to use as online literary response journals.” (2009, p.652) We can see how all of these types of blogs can apply to any classroom use.
The article continues with addressing Higher Order Thinking skills or “HOT.” (2009, p.655) There are four steps included which are “bolster background, prime the pump, continue conversation and make multiplicity explicit.” (2009, p.655) In the “bolster background stage,” (2009, p.656) teachers use posts for literacy enhancement, reading selections, and communication of their ideas for open discussion. The “prime the pump stage” (2009, p.657) is when students seek clarifications, summarize, and post their own thoughts on the reading, making connections to their life. The “continue conversation stage,” (2009, p.657) students look at the big picture of the blog posts, the reading, the assignments, student contributions and synthesizes the information to make connections and elaborations. The final stage, “make multiplicity explicit” (2009, p.657) students are encouraged to think about their classmates and their own thinking, and the persuasive qualities their writing possesses to validate their points. This is the metacognitive stage, an important stage in literacy development and higher order thinking.
To conclude, blogs have relevancy in an educational setting and can be used for a variety of purposes, as long as the blogger’s voice is validated.
References
Higdon, J., & Topaz, C. (2009). Blogs and Wikis as Instructional Tools: A Social Software Adaptation of Just-in-Time Teaching. College Teaching, 57(2), 105-110. http://search.ebscohost.com
Zawilinski, L. (2009). HOT Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 650-661. http://search.ebscohost.com
Chris, thanks for sharing so much in this post. It is well-written and full of great information. Great choice of picture as well:) Excellent!
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