Blogging Resources
Moving beyond the notebook begins with a single post, and intentional, clear expectations. Here are some resources to support your blogging journey.
Getting Started with Paper
Teacher/Blogger Karen McMillian shares how she introduced blogging to her students through literally creating paper blogs. Paper blogs provide students, especially primary students, with a concrete example of a digital learning space. Commenting on paper blogs using sticky notes is another great way for students to see how commenting works and the purpose of threaded comments (a comment to a comment). Other ideas for first encounters with digital learning spaces include hosting a class conversation in Today's Meet. Each of these experiences allow for digital etiquette and digital citizenship discussions and expectations prior to first blog posts.
Earning the License to Blog
With some classroom settings, the anticipation and practice of earning a blogging license may excite student motivation for blogging. Here are some ideas for earning the license as well as a blogging license template.
Take it Step by Step
Kidblog is the world's largest blogging platform and quite simple for teachers and students to use. Establishing a teacher account, class blog, and student accounts takes only minutes. Pernille Ripp is transparent in her practice as a teacher and frequently writes about the importance and the process of student blogging in her classroom. 14 Steps to Meaningful Student Blogging may seem like a lot of steps, but just as with any new procedures, as teachers we want to establish a positive culture and clear expectations.
How Blogging Can Improve Student Writing
In this article, Ben Curran succinctly responds to the question most teachers wonder while on this journey: Will my students become better writers? Providing students with an authentic audience develops intrinsic motivation to write well and write more often. Blogging has a direct connection to Common Core ELA standards in writing for a specific audience, opinion pieces to spark commenting discussions, and student reflection of concepts and learning experiences. Here is a great resource with weekly blogging ideas.
Digital Etiquette and Digital Citizenship
Our students need to know that everything they post on the internet is creating the beginnings of their digital footprint. We have a responsibility to educate them not only about crafting a well-written and thought-provking post, but also about how to engaging in these digital learning spaces. There is also a parent education piece that comes along with digital learning spaces, how their child is participating, what is being shared, how we are keeping private information private. Pernille Ripp has a great letter that I've modified to meet the needs of my school, Technology Information and Permission. Having the conversations with students is essential, take a note from Pernille again on discussing Why the Internet is like the Mall.
Teacher/Blogger Karen McMillian shares how she introduced blogging to her students through literally creating paper blogs. Paper blogs provide students, especially primary students, with a concrete example of a digital learning space. Commenting on paper blogs using sticky notes is another great way for students to see how commenting works and the purpose of threaded comments (a comment to a comment). Other ideas for first encounters with digital learning spaces include hosting a class conversation in Today's Meet. Each of these experiences allow for digital etiquette and digital citizenship discussions and expectations prior to first blog posts.
Earning the License to Blog
With some classroom settings, the anticipation and practice of earning a blogging license may excite student motivation for blogging. Here are some ideas for earning the license as well as a blogging license template.
Take it Step by Step
Kidblog is the world's largest blogging platform and quite simple for teachers and students to use. Establishing a teacher account, class blog, and student accounts takes only minutes. Pernille Ripp is transparent in her practice as a teacher and frequently writes about the importance and the process of student blogging in her classroom. 14 Steps to Meaningful Student Blogging may seem like a lot of steps, but just as with any new procedures, as teachers we want to establish a positive culture and clear expectations.
How Blogging Can Improve Student Writing
In this article, Ben Curran succinctly responds to the question most teachers wonder while on this journey: Will my students become better writers? Providing students with an authentic audience develops intrinsic motivation to write well and write more often. Blogging has a direct connection to Common Core ELA standards in writing for a specific audience, opinion pieces to spark commenting discussions, and student reflection of concepts and learning experiences. Here is a great resource with weekly blogging ideas.
Digital Etiquette and Digital Citizenship
Our students need to know that everything they post on the internet is creating the beginnings of their digital footprint. We have a responsibility to educate them not only about crafting a well-written and thought-provking post, but also about how to engaging in these digital learning spaces. There is also a parent education piece that comes along with digital learning spaces, how their child is participating, what is being shared, how we are keeping private information private. Pernille Ripp has a great letter that I've modified to meet the needs of my school, Technology Information and Permission. Having the conversations with students is essential, take a note from Pernille again on discussing Why the Internet is like the Mall.