Is anyone else beginning to notice the end of the year craziness in your students? As the weather continues to get warmer their behavior seems to get worse. Since we finished state testing last week, every time I give an instruction I hear moans and groans. Sometimes even yelling, "why do we have to still write? The NJASK is OVER!!" As I try to stay calm and explain that is not the only reason we are in school - I can't help but wonder how many students are actually listening to my thought provoking explanation of the importance of school.
I think now would be a great time to introduce the word BLOG to my students and I hope I can evoke a positive reaction from them. Since this is the first time I am talking about weblogs with my students, I will create a rubric similar to the rubric discussed in the DVD for this week, Spotlight on Education:Blogging. I thought it was a great way to lay out the rules for blogs as well as a starting point to explaining their purpose.
I have to admit, I am a bit apprehensive about beginning to blog with my class. It will be a challenge, but one I am willing to take. Since we don't have access to computers in the school, they will have to be done at home, which in some cases prevents me from making this assignment mandatory.
The first blogging assignment will be in response to Writing. Starting next week(tomorrow is our field trip and Friday is testing) I will have a Writer's Box. In the box will be various writing prompts to do done during writing workshop. The prompts vary in length and topic. On certain days we do not get to writing during school and those will be the days I would like students to utilize the class blog. A student will pick a prompt and the class will write it down for homework. At home they will respond to the prompt. I am hoping they will put more effort into the work, considering it will be on display. To follow up students will be required to respond to two of their classmate's posts.
This blog will help students with their writing skills because it requires them to think before they write. Student's proofreading skills will also be strengthened while they are reading their classmate's work. By responding to others, they are working on their communication skills.
I teach Language Arts and Social Studies to two sixth grade classes. My concerns are if I should use the blog with both classes, or just start with my homeroom and see how it goes before introducing it to my afternoon class. However, by introducing it two both classes, it could increase the conversation between the two. My other concern is the students not taking the blog seriously and using it more of a social networking took like Facebook. How can I make the distinction so they know this is more serious?
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Crazy is an understatement! I think once state testing is done, the kids are done (and maybe even the teachers!!) I think it is a great time to try out some blogging. Just be sure to notify parents first.
ReplyDeleteGetting students to take blogging seriously has been a challenge for me. My 5th grade students needed a lot of guidance when it came to commenting. I had to do a lot of examples so they didn't just respond with the usual "cool", "I agree", or the :). We have done a few assignments this year using blogging and I have found that they get better and better with each one. Some of them don't even realize that they are writing! I love it! Best of luck!
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI think that blogging in your sixth grade classes is a great idea! I'm jealous of many students in our course because I teach Kindergarten, and there are limited activities I can do with my students in regard to blogging, or any higher level technology for that matter. A suggestion that I can give you concerning this activity is to model, model, model first. It is very important that you review the blogging rules and rubric, but I think that before you even introduce that, you should model how to blog (some students may not know what that is), as well as how to blog appropriately first. If you do not model the assignment numerous times prior to the activity, I can forsee negative performances from students (such as using the weblog as a social networking tool, posting "I agree" or "I disagree" - as you said - but also, posting to the weblog in the incorrect manner in general). Just a thought!
I like a lot of the comments so far. I have some reservations about intoducing blogging this late in the year to my 7th grade math students. I guess I need to work it out in my mind first and learn a little more about blogging before I even suggest that my students try it for an assignment. I mentioned on another blog that many of my students do not have computers or internet access at home. Since you do not have computers at school, do some of your students not have them at home either? If not, how would you rectify that situation? That is where I would have a problem having them do the assignment at home. The other concern I would have too, is like Kristina mentioned is that they use it like Facebook. Modeling and giving them a copy of the rubric that their grade is based on would be a very strong start to the project. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteYes. My kids are going bonkers. The whining is reaching a fevor pitch. Which is why I think year round schools would be a nightmare. But, I digress.
Sarah,
I think that you should stick with just homeroom at first for a week and see how it goes. If it feels productive than branch out. that will also give you a chance to work some of the kinks out one variable at a time. I am sort of a coward I suppose. But, I would want to make sure that if my plan backfires it is only with the fewest number of children. And, if it works great, it is easy to expand once you've worked out the mechanics. Good luck.