So I figured since we want as much hands-on experience as possible for this class, why not create a blog and then summarize what I learned in the chapter. So for this summary I want to discuss three things that really got me thinking in this chapter.
FYI the book is Web 2.0 How-to for Educators written by Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum to purchase from Amazon see here...
http://www.amazon.com/Web-2-0-How-Gwen-Solomon/dp/156484272X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307386395&sr=1-1
1.I love the collaboration idea for students to be able to comment on each other creative writing prompts.
2.I also liked that rules were given as well as a grading assessment for teachers using blogs
3.The Quote on page 26-"Blogs are a 21st-century method of communication. When students know they are writing for an audience wider than just their teacher, they tend to be more thoughtful about their writing. In addition, we felt it was important for our students to learn and recognize the difference between a social blog and a professional blog. Students were encouraged to use academic writing and part of their grade depended on the use of correct grammar and spelling."
So first I hated writing prompts when I was in school and I never felt like much time was given to them by the teacher, but by creating blogs and doing essentially the same thing you giving the opportunity for even greater feedback. It has the real world applications and when given the opportunity to blog, knowing that peers and others will be viewing your posts, I think there becomes a greater intuitive need to watch things such as grammar and spelling, because we know what peers thinks often has a greater impact than what your teachers think.
With that being said any I believe that any opportunity for student to collaborate in any form is a wonderful learning tool. When I taught in middle school we were on a collaborative model, which meant on Wednesdays the student got out of school early and we were expected to meet in various assigned groups. So one week you may meet with those teachers in the same discipline and then those teaching the same grade. We also had interdisciplinary teams who coordinated when and what was being taught across all subjects. I truly loved this experience, not only did I see the benefits for the students but having a first-year teacher working with a 30-year veteran teacher you saw collegiality at it's finest. I also saw this modeled for students and that is a skill that they can take into the workforce and personal live now and in their futures. So the simple idea of using collaborative feedback in many disciplines give them a life-long skill that will make them even more prepared for the 21st century.
On to item number two, we have all experienced as teachers that frustration of figuring out how we want and need to grade assignments, and giving the example on page 30 on how to assess a students blog was priceless. It give the basics of what to look for not only on the students writing ability but how well they are understanding the content as well. As part of my 50-minute one shot session on library research I use Bloom's taxonomy and give them a handout containing the verb or actions that many be given as part of an assignment or test question. Ironically "blogging" fall into three of the categories, on the lower order thinking end it falls under comprehension/understanding, which is the level where most bloggers work but, it can and should fall under the higher order thinking skills of Evaluate/Evaluating and even higher Synthesizing/Creating. If would could have students really evaluating thing and then create at this higher levels of thinking we are giving then a skill that they can use in everything they do and everything they can become.
Finally the amazing quote which was originally from Fern Entrekin who is the Learning Technologies Coordinator for the Milton Hershey School in August 2009. Blogs really have become a great method of communication in the 21st century, and giving students the opportunity to work with this format they may acquire a skill that gets them a job over someone who hasn't had this experience.
My final thought throughout the discussion and reading today was how much time do we devote to learning older technologies that have become obsolete. I remember my 90+ year old aunt telling me about the hours she had to spend working on her penmanship in school. Mine is not too bad my husbands is horrible, but he has a good point, anything that is of importance will be typed anyway. If we really want to have our students be successful in the 21st century we have to give them the tools that will make them successful in the 21st century.
FYI the book is Web 2.0 How-to for Educators written by Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum to purchase from Amazon see here...
http://www.amazon.com/Web-2-0-How-Gwen-Solomon/dp/156484272X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307386395&sr=1-1
1.I love the collaboration idea for students to be able to comment on each other creative writing prompts.
2.I also liked that rules were given as well as a grading assessment for teachers using blogs
3.The Quote on page 26-"Blogs are a 21st-century method of communication. When students know they are writing for an audience wider than just their teacher, they tend to be more thoughtful about their writing. In addition, we felt it was important for our students to learn and recognize the difference between a social blog and a professional blog. Students were encouraged to use academic writing and part of their grade depended on the use of correct grammar and spelling."
So first I hated writing prompts when I was in school and I never felt like much time was given to them by the teacher, but by creating blogs and doing essentially the same thing you giving the opportunity for even greater feedback. It has the real world applications and when given the opportunity to blog, knowing that peers and others will be viewing your posts, I think there becomes a greater intuitive need to watch things such as grammar and spelling, because we know what peers thinks often has a greater impact than what your teachers think.
With that being said any I believe that any opportunity for student to collaborate in any form is a wonderful learning tool. When I taught in middle school we were on a collaborative model, which meant on Wednesdays the student got out of school early and we were expected to meet in various assigned groups. So one week you may meet with those teachers in the same discipline and then those teaching the same grade. We also had interdisciplinary teams who coordinated when and what was being taught across all subjects. I truly loved this experience, not only did I see the benefits for the students but having a first-year teacher working with a 30-year veteran teacher you saw collegiality at it's finest. I also saw this modeled for students and that is a skill that they can take into the workforce and personal live now and in their futures. So the simple idea of using collaborative feedback in many disciplines give them a life-long skill that will make them even more prepared for the 21st century.
On to item number two, we have all experienced as teachers that frustration of figuring out how we want and need to grade assignments, and giving the example on page 30 on how to assess a students blog was priceless. It give the basics of what to look for not only on the students writing ability but how well they are understanding the content as well. As part of my 50-minute one shot session on library research I use Bloom's taxonomy and give them a handout containing the verb or actions that many be given as part of an assignment or test question. Ironically "blogging" fall into three of the categories, on the lower order thinking end it falls under comprehension/understanding, which is the level where most bloggers work but, it can and should fall under the higher order thinking skills of Evaluate/Evaluating and even higher Synthesizing/Creating. If would could have students really evaluating thing and then create at this higher levels of thinking we are giving then a skill that they can use in everything they do and everything they can become.
Finally the amazing quote which was originally from Fern Entrekin who is the Learning Technologies Coordinator for the Milton Hershey School in August 2009. Blogs really have become a great method of communication in the 21st century, and giving students the opportunity to work with this format they may acquire a skill that gets them a job over someone who hasn't had this experience.
My final thought throughout the discussion and reading today was how much time do we devote to learning older technologies that have become obsolete. I remember my 90+ year old aunt telling me about the hours she had to spend working on her penmanship in school. Mine is not too bad my husbands is horrible, but he has a good point, anything that is of importance will be typed anyway. If we really want to have our students be successful in the 21st century we have to give them the tools that will make them successful in the 21st century.
I like that you pointed out the collaboration that can happen during blogging, this is such a powerful 21st Century Learning skill to have for all ages.
ReplyDelete10/10