Blogging in the classroom, I would start off simple. I would use the blog for homework. Allowing it to be a place where students could interact with one another to obtain help on their homework. They would also be able to get the assignment off the blog page if they lost the assignment or just didn’t write it down. I would put examples done in class on the blog for them to use as a second resource other than their classmates or myself. My main intention would be to spark some interaction between my students outside the classroom. So often, students do not want to talk or discuss problems face to face because they are afraid of getting the wrong answer. By using this blog, it will expand the walls of my classroom (Richardson, 2006, pg. 27) and allow students to get help with their math around the clock.
I currently teach 10th grade mathematics and I feel that a blog for my class would be a great tool in which it would get my students interacting; students would be able to get help if they were to get stuck on a homework problem, and hopefully it would enhance quiz and test grades if students are able to obtain answers to their questions right away. With research still being gathered it is my hope that my students will show more interest in their work, they will enhance their ability to locate and reflect upon their work, and expand opportunities for collaborative learning (Richardson, 2006, pg. 28). I love teaching, I love technology, and together I can and will produce successful students of tomorrow.
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I agree with your observation that middle school students do not always enjoy face to face encounters. The use of blogging allows them to have a voice without actually requiring them to speak in front of their peers. Blogs can be a powerful tool which allows students a chance to voice their opinions in a forum where they might feel more comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great way to use a weblog. We have a math website that our 8th grade students use to view notes, examples of problems, homework assignments, etc. Your idea takes it a step further by allowing students to interact with each other and help each other out. They are using their math skills and their collaborative skills. Unfortunately, we have a few students who do not have computers at home. I always remind them that the public library, which is next door to our school has computers that they can use until 9:00 p.m.
ReplyDeleteJust by reading what you plan to do with blogs, I can see that you will indeed produce successful students of tomorrow! That is true that students do tend to internalize their feelings and thoughts at times and especially during class discussion. You may see another side to students who usually are timid face to face. Have you thought about trying voicethreads or podcasts on the blog?
ReplyDeleteThese are great ideas to use for your classroom blog. I agree that students are sometimes afraid to be incorrect "in person". I think that a blog could be a great way to get some students out of their shells.
ReplyDeleteMy only concern with blogs, any blog - not our's specifically, is what to do with kids that do not have internet access at home. Typically, all students do, but I teach in a low-income district and each year I have 2 or 3 kids without access to a computer at home. What adaptations can we, as teachers, make to blogging assignments to accomodate these kids?