Thursday, March 4, 2010

3 ways to utilize BLOGS

I love the idea of the Internet in the classroom. Even though I hope to teach in an under-privileged district, I am hopeful that I will be able to incorporate Internet usage and provide opportunities that may not otherwise be available to students.

I have thought about three ways that blogging would be useful in the classroom; I came up with these ideas: as a communication for book reviews; as a communication for students working on group projects; and as a homework guide.

If students are reading a book they could carry on conversations about the book as they read, so when assessment comes up the children will have thought out questions or possibly answered another student's questions. The teacher will be able to see who is participating and who is not, therefore will know who is doing the reading and who is not.

Students working on group projects could communicate easily with other group members and the teacher could follow who is working and how the project is going.

The teacher could place the homework assignments on the blog, or long term assignments on the blog which will allow students, as well as the parents to have a written record of the assignments and due dates. In addition to this the students could have an after hours homework help, from another student or the teacher if online, and the teacher would have a record of the questions that are being asked. These are just a few of my ideas.

4 comments:

  1. Working in an under-privledged school would definitely provide some difficulties in terms of using technology in the classroom. Luckily, even access to one computer can allow you to include technology. Basic computing and research skills are so essential in the work place anymore that I think it is crucial to incorporate computer and tech use in any way you can.

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  2. Although you might work in an under-privileged school, you and your students can still access technology in a public library, for it is usually free. You can take your students twice a week depending on how you plan with the parents. I believe that teaching is not limited to a classroom but any conducive environment where students are not distracted. There is always a section set apart for children in public libraries. Otherwise the idea of incorporating the use of internet in your classroom will be a good idea because parents will have the opportunity to read the same books their children will be reading and therefore they will stand a better chance of helping their children to read a head.

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  3. During my student teaching, I was able to see the difference money made in a school districts ability to provide technology. Going from Edison to Harbor Creek was a wake up call! At Harbor Creek, they had smart boards in every room and a study island with computers right in the classroom. I can see how incorporating blogs in the classrooms would be so much easier in a school with the resources.

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  4. I really liked your idea for using blogs as a dialog between the students while they are reading books. It is a great way for the students to talk about what is going on in the story and if they like the book or not. It is also a great way for teachers to monitor how all the students are doing.

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