Through the course of my Web 2.0 Tools graduate class, I explored many technologies with exciting potential for classroom integration. Wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, podcasting, photo sharing, social bookmarking… my head is spinning! All of these tools have amazing potential for reforming the classroom experience, but the one I will be focusing on right away is blogs.
My school district’s main initiative this year is Literacy Across the Curriculum, and I see blogs as the perfect technology tool to forward this goal. The integration possibilities for English and social studies are readily apparent, but I also see wonderful potential for math, science, and related arts teachers, as well. Blogs seem like the perfect way to get kids reading and writing across all areas of the curriculum, while also developing 21st Century skills.
Over the last few weeks I have managed to convince on English teacher and one social studies teacher to begin using blogs with their students. The English teacher has set up a class blog at 21Classes.com to use with her literature circles. Every book that students are reading has its own blog page where the teacher posts assignments. Each student reading that book logs onto their book’s blog page and answers the assignment in the form of a comment on the post. This allows all of the students reading the same book to discuss and debate the story elements with each other, even if they are not in class at the same time, or have never even met. The social studies teacher has started a central blog where she posts assignments and debate topics, and students respond and rebut each others' arguments in the form of comments.
Both teachers are very excited about their use of blogs so far, and I am hoping to “use” them as cheerleaders to get their colleagues excited about trying blogs, too. I have many integration ideas for other teachers, if I can only convince them to give it a try. I think blogs would be a great way to get AP calculus students to write about the math they are learning and enlist comments from people in the “real world” who use calculus everyday. Blogs would also be great for Bioethics students who are researching many of today’s hot-button issues (cloning, nuclear energy, genetic research), to track their research, reflect on their learning, and make connections with others who are studying the same topics.
The integration possibilities for blogging are practically endless. As a technology coach, I’ve officially adopted blogs as my tool-of-choice for this year, and will be working to get as many teachers and students on board as I possibly can!
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