Why Blog? What Blog? How Blog?

Classblogs From Hamilton, NZ and Australia

Two classes from Southwell are going to look some class blogs

Learning intentions:
To be able to talk about blogging and posting on the internet with increased understanding of Layout, Use of Language, Formatting of text and connecting.

Make a comment on one of the blogs.
Make a post on either

• Layout Design
• Use of Language
• Formatting

or

• Connecting

Blogs we will visit

http://ffis.blogspot.com/ - Room 19 Fairfield Intermediate
http://melvilleroom8.blogspot.com/ -Mellville intermediate
http://room9nelsoncentral2008.blogspot.com/ - Room 9 Nelson
http://kpetv.blogspot.com/ - Pt England
http://la20.learnerblogs.org/ - Austrailian blog

Having looked at the blogs we will make one comment on a posting of interest.

The ????? we will address.










Formatting of Text
What do we think the most important elements of formatting text are while blogging?
Connecting
How do people connect to and from blogs?
What are our ideas for promoting a blog?
Language
What sort of language features are used in constructing a good post?
Design/layout
Looking at the whole layout of pages in the blogs we visited what would we say are features to use, avoid or develop?

Our posts are found here.

Introducing the tablets

The video above shows Tim Bullock with a clear path to looking at the tablet with his students. The short reflections from students from another class helps us realise that the students have little real understanding of the potential of their devices and refer to uses they make of similar technology.

Jedd Bartlett in his blog
Points to a Jisc report that indicates there is more to ICT than natural use. “New report reveals the information needs of the researchers and learners of the future: The report by the CIBER research team at University College London claims that, although young people demonstrate an ease and familiarity with computers, they rely on the most basic search tools and do not possess the critical and analytical skills to asses the information that they find on the web…”

While addressing analytical skills I feel this reinforces my belief that outside of the teachable moment we need to still scaffold student learning with some clear learning design and intentions for the technology we are adapting more and more. The term "digital native" has been somewhat used as an abdication of reponsibilty for student learning. My feeling is we cannot merely hand over technology in the hope the students will work this out for themselves.

What can we do to improve this with students.(my initial thoughts)

• Ask students to explore capabilities in some depth and work with others on them
• Have students explore some technical communications on the web
• have students post some technical communications to the web
• Look at what others have achieved
• Use co-constructed rubrics
• Lay down explicit challenges
• Be prepared to build base knowledge outside of inquiry
• (authentic learning can take place here)
• Discussion and role based group work
• Always have a learning design

Please help add to or rephrase this list