Comments on: Blogging, Classrooms, Clarence

By: Pamela Carr

Pamela Carr — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:52:35 +0000

It is such a good point. This is my first year using blogs with students and I was totally surprised that most of my students had never blogged before (I teach high school)! So my focus has really been about getting them to start a conversation. Right now, it is just with each other, online. Soon I will venture into having them share their thoughts with the world, but I want to give them some basics first. One thing I have noticed is that my students really seem to pick up on it quickly. I think it is because they use other social networks frequently, so it really does not take very long.

The pivotal moment for me was when I started commenting on blogs. I have been passively reading them for years, but this year I finally started participating. That is when I knew I had to make sure my students were doing this.

By: Natalie D

Natalie D — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:50:47 +0000

PS – you are totally right. I have gone to look for math blogs to find that people have started and then just stopped. You have to commit to the changes and follow through with them!

By: Natalie D

Natalie D — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:45:12 +0000

Jeff, I just started blogging this year. I am doing it weekly or every 2 weeks and I like it – but I’m not sure where I’m going with it. I teach high school math. Have you seen any good ideas out there?

By: Diane Quirk

Diane Quirk — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:14:19 +0000

To coin a phrase that David Jakes used recently in his blog, the use of blogs needs to be integral to the learning to be successful - learning in which our students are using thinking skills not just repeating or restating what they've learned. Yes, I do think there's some change in practice involved in order to do this.

By: Barbara Barreda

Barbara Barreda — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:03:06 +0000

Jeff – well said. We are starting to understand this on a practical level and it will be part of today’s faculty meeting. It is also interesting that this is critical to discuss with students too. At least here the students are really struggling with a shift from learning facts/content to thinking about content. They are so used to spitting out facts that they are at a complete loss when we say that it is not enough. At the Junior High Level it has been a struggle to stress understanding information and using it in part because they do not understand that school has changed.

By: Sharon Betts

Sharon Betts — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:17:56 +0000

Nice – I have started the same conversations with a group of teachers presently involved in year-long work to “change” their methods. I will be ready for your presentation tomorrow. I am also wondering if you use podpress for all your school blogs – do you have extensive wiki use?

thanks Sharon
http://sharonsshare.blogspot.com