Welcome!

Welcome to New Kids on the Blog! While we wait for everyone to arrive and sign-in, we would like to encourage you to take a look at the following video… http://video.about.com/weblogs/What-is-a-Blog-.htm. After you watch the video, click the back arrow at the top of the page to return to the New Kids on the Blog workshop.

We are glad that you are here, and we hope that you find today’s training valuable and enjoyable!

What is a Blog?

Definition: Blog is short for a web log. A web log or “blog” is a series of chronological posts. Most of the time, these posts are made by a single person. People write blogs for many different reasons, but people usually write blog entries with readers in mind. Whether the purpose is to educate, promote, inform, or entertain, blogs are excellent collaboration tools. Still wondering, "what's the big deal with blogs?" Watch this video below.

Parts of a Blog

A basic blog contains:

• A Title
• Titled/Dated posts or entries
• Comments
• Labels or tags
• Blog Archive
  

The blog title is often part of the Blog's URL, but not always. Each blog post/entry has a title and a date and time stamp. The date most often appears just above the blog post/entry title and the time appears just beneath the post. The most current blog entries appear at the top of the blog.

Below each entry, you will see a comments link. Readers can click on the link to leave a comment about a particular blog post or entry. Along with the comments, you will find a label or tag below each blog post. If the blog writer chooses, he/she can label or tag the entry with a key word or phrase. Labels or tags allow readers to quickly search for topics and themes that have been posted on the blog.

In the right hand column of this blog, you will see two sections: Labels and Blog Archive. Labels organize blog posts/entries by topic or theme, while the blog archive organizes blog posts/entries by year, month, date, and time.

Let's get the collaboration started!

Click on the word comments just below this post. In your comment, please type your name, grade level, and the subject(s) that you teach. Then, briefly share what drew you to this workshop and how you plan to use blogging in your classroom.

As you comment, you will begin to see the comments of others. Feel free to comment on other participant's comments. This will begin the collaboration and establish our blogger community!

Blogs in Plain English

Blogs in Plain English (link to video on TeacherTube) - http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=12423

Blogging in the Classroom

Frisco ISD Blog examples - https://wiki.friscoisd.org/groups/justbraggin/wiki/eb776/Blogging.html

Talented Texans–elementary students sharing writing. Student interaction is constructive and congenial.

Wockets - Year Three and Four class from Russell Street School, New Zealand, with 28 students 7-9 years of age. The first few posts do not have any comments, but scroll down to Loopin Lizards with Kirsten for a great post idea. Review post & comments.

Nicole Gleason on Blogmeister - 2nd grade students - Review the posts on the left under Teacher Assignments. Here, you will see the assignment post along with the student's comments. Also, review the Student Entries section.

Miss Ross–elementary teacher’s blog used as class portal. Lots of useful resources, such as curriculum information, calendars, instructional videos, etc.

Team Simmons–another elementary teacher’s home site. Uses home page to facilitate literature discussions.

Marvelous Math–elementary blog used as extension of in-class math lessons and assignments. Students solve weekly problems.

Mr. Martin's 5th grade class - http://mrmartinsclass.blogspot.com/

Rikard Blog, 3^rd grade class - http://itc.blogs.com/rikard/

Molecules in Motion, kinder blog - http://jsriley.typepad.com/science_focus_school_room/

Mr. C’s Class Blog, 5^th Grade - http://mrcsclassblog.blogspot.com/

Best Practices for Teachers

Be mindful of what you are posting

Be professional

Obtain permission from parents before allowing students to blog.

Do not post student pictures with names attached.

Use ONLY 1st names on your blog, if you use real names at all.

Do not give students or parents access to your password so that they can upload/edit your blog posts.

Moderate ALL comments! Do not allow unmoderated comments to appear on your blog.

If possible, require that students log-in to your blog in order to post comments.

Best Practices for Students

Be respectful of others.

Use proper grammar – complete sentences, NO text lingo.

Never post anything on line that you would not say to someone in person.

Spelling does not have to be perfect, but please do your best.

Sign posts with initials or code name (assign to students), not your real name.

Never share your user name or password with anyone.

Communicating … What Are Your Students Going to Blog About?

Here are a few ideas …

Language Arts

• Using your blog to continue classroom discussion is fantastic. When studying character development in writing, could you ask the class to discuss what they are doing to develop the character they create for their story? Students could ask for feedback or suggest ideas that may help improve their writing.
• In some elementary grades, blogging can be cumbersome because students are focused on writing mechanics. A teacher could remove some roadblocks by changing the blog environment for the week. “This week, don’t worry about spelling” may be used to just get student ideas down without fear of reprimand. The teacher could get more writing from the student and gets a more honest assessment of spelling at the same time. Pick some of the frequently misspelled words for the next week’s spelling list.
• Instead of a paper assignment for collecting sentences using the grammar skill taught that day, have the students write their sentences in their blog comment. See if they can migrate from random grammar practice sets to meaningful statements which also show the grammar lesson for that week.

Science

• Used as a pre-assessment, the blog comments can gather prior knowledge before you undertake a new unit. Gather student predictions about a lab you will do the next week. Students can predict the outcome before doing the lab. Encourage students to review other students' predictions and then to comment on why they agree/disagree with their predictions.
  
• Data collection is easy to teach with fictional data. Increase student ownership and have the students comment about a topic that will include data. “How many of you watched a ‘reality TV’ show last week? Who would watch a reality show take from inside our classroom? How many weeks would you follow the class and why?” There could be significant number generation from their data and you would have real data collection from a source that your students own and value.
• Find classes in other parts of the country. Convince them to comment about their weather every Thursday. All of the classes involved would not only have a record of their own weather, but would be able to compare weather histories across the country.

Math

• Math is often seen as a ‘one right answer’ class. But we know that there is usually more than one way to answer most problem situations. Pose the weekly math problem and have students or small groups create their solutions in their comment. Students will have a record of the possible answers that they can retrieve from home or elsewhere in school. Additional comments can discuss why the other groups’ answers were or were not correct. The teacher can give a historical perspective of how groups have been using a particular method of the past so many weeks.
• There are many online videos that demonstrate a mathematical method. Include a video in your post. Have the students comment on how they used that method in their solutions that week.
• A weekly challenge problem can be designed to have many answers. Students can post their solutions and get points for correct answers. Other students can respectfully discuss errors in other students’ solutions or confirm a solution and get points that way. Using descriptive words without the ability to add graphics to ‘show’ an answer helps build written language skills and reinforces the use of math vocabulary.

Social Studies

• What text book doesn’t have open-ended questions at the end of the chapter? These questions can be great discussion starters.
• What if questions were never my favorites as a teacher, but students sometimes feed off of them like candy. “What if Abraham Lincoln didn’t get elected?” “What if Thomas Jefferson were president today?” Students can bring in primary sources or reinforcing websites as links in their comment to show that they are really thinking their answers through.
• Biography studies can show commonalities between historically important people from across the time line. “Name a person in history who was a failure during his lifetime, but who later became ‘successful’ due to his previous achievements.”

It is important to keep in mind that some blog comments can be impromptu thoughts while others may require problem-solving or research before a comment is possible. Your class blog can be whatever you want it to be. The possibilities are endless, so let those imaginative juices flow!

Creating a Blog

FISD Wiki Server

To create a blog, log on to https://fisd-wiki01.ads.friscoisd.org/users/.

Once your blog is created, you will access your blog from https://fisd-wiki01.ads.friscoisd.org/users/ (insert your FISDusername_here)

Here are some "free" blogging sites on the web ...

http://www.blogger.com/

http://www.wetpaint.com/

http://www.wordpress.com/

http://edublogs.org/

Should you decide to use one of the free sites above rather than the FISD Wiki Server, one issue that you will face is students not having email addresses.

Here is one possible solution for the email address issue ... http://www.tammyworcester.com/TipOfWeek/TammyWTechTipOfWeek/Entries/2009/4/6_Tip_67_-_Student_Response_Journals.html-- Warning! Your students could use another student's username and pose as him/her to comment. Be sure to establish a clear consequence and to let students know that this will "not" be tolerated.

Communicating: More Than Words

Fun Stuff

ImageChef - http://www.imagechef.com

Word Mosaic

Poetry Blender

ImageChef.com Poetry Blender

Photos
PicasaWeb– http://www.picasaweb.com/
Good Widgets – http://www.goodwidgets.com/
Snapfish – http://www.snapfish.com/
Bubble Share - http://bubbleshare.com/

SlideShows
Slideshare - upload powerpoint and add mp3 over to make slidecast - http://www.slideshare.net/ -- Student Sample

Smilebox - http://www.smilebox.com/slideshows/?partner=google&campaign=content_slideshow&gclid=CNfPx6ys0ZQCFQYdswodwxMWlA

Scrapblog - http://www.scrapblog.com/

Presentation Tools with Audio Recording
Voicethread - add voice over your images; others can leave voiced comments, too - http://voicethread.com -- Cool Demo for Educators

Blabberize - 2 minute audio recordings over single image with caricature function. These are weird but fun for short intros to an assignment - http://blabberize.com/ -- Student Sample

Video Tools other than YouTube

Animoto - make music videos with your images - http://animoto.com/

TeacherTube - teacher and student creations - http://teachertube.com/

Backgrounds for your Blog

Shabby Blog - http://www.shabbyblogs.com/

Cutest Blog on the Block - www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/

Collaborating

• Send your class blog link to your student’s parents, other teachers in your building, and to teachers across the district. Students will feel “published” if others are reading their posts.
• Encourage students to comment on other student’s comments. This creates a collaborative community within your own classroom (on a different level). Shy students may begin to communicate with others in the classroom through the blog.
• Connect with a grade level teacher on the other side of the district and establish “blog pals”. Encourage the students at another campus to comment on your student’s posts.