Blogging, blogging, blogging..
So, was my reply to a query on classroom2.0 recently about the best tool for online student publishing. The lively discussion has centred primarily around blogs, wikis and nings but I would like to justify in this post, the use of blogging as the number 1 tool.
A student blog is a far more personal interactive website than any of the others. It may be used for journal entries and for publishing school work across many subject areas. It becomes the student’s own webpage, a page that will not be lost in lockers, school bags, left in the classroom, on the table, forgotten about etc.
Students love to have their own space and love to make it look good. On their personal blogs, they can feature and publish:-
- their class work eg English stories (chacha, year 7) LOTE sample 1 (voki by fluorgreen, year 9) sample 2 (Shezza yr8), home economics (leecie yr 10) and school work in general (skippy, grade 6)
- Display work eg MS Office documents (Jade, year 8 student)
- Spreadsheet work
- art work eg sample 1 (Che grade 5) and sample 2 (Tadfish, year 8)
- digital storytelling
- podcasts
- photography (yr 7 honka) and
- mind mapping (grade 6 skippy)
- Show extracurricula activities eg school camps sample 1 and sample 2
- Record outside school involvement
- reflections (yr 9 flurogreen)
- work students just want to publish sample by grade 6 student
The list could go on, but publishing by this means gives parents, grandparents and other teachers’ access. It allows students to connect, communicate and collaborate with the globe. What greater audience could students have for their work. Comments allow feedback, communication, reflection etc/
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I love this. Great ideas and samples!! Our 7 year old wants to start a blog, but I am hesitant because of her very weak typing skills.
She plays piano and violin, so has exceptional dexterity, but resistance to typing as she sees it as a chore.
I am waiting until the point where she can do it all on her own. What age do you think is best to start?
Thanks, Anne, for all the links to student work, which really make visible the case for blogging as a powerful learning tool. I’m going to include your post in a workshop I’ll be doing soon for teachers.
I’m curious about the “globalstudent.org.au” domain. Is that something James setup for your (Aussie) sites?
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. 🙂 Cheers! Sandra. R.
May be a question you could ask our group and join if you feel relevent, we have many experts on hand who will be happy to share opinions and views.
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=46740&trk=anet_ug_hm&goback=%2Egdr_1275038847240_2
Hope to see you there.