Blogging in a primary classroom

Blogging In A Primary ClassroomBy Aviva DunsigerTwitter – @grade1

Email – [email protected] – http://avivadunsiger.wikispaces.com

Not An Add-On• You will blog more with your students if it’s

not an additional activity to do, but instead, a tool to meet curriculum expectations.

Post on Community Helpers – Social Studies Expectation

Blogging In MathSuggested Math Topics To Blog About:

1) Counting

2) Growing Patterns and Shrinking Patterns OR Repeating Patterns

3) 2-D Shapes

4) 3-D Solids

5) Math Problems – Create their own and answer them too!

http://grade1.litcircuits.com/author/mafa3718/

http://grade1.litcircuits.com/2011/01/12/patterns-2/

http://kidblog.org/MissDsClass2/author/Avery35/page/3/

http://kidblog.org/MissDsClass2/ Avery35/shapes-4/

Embed On Your Blog

• The ability to embed allows your students to use a number of different tools and then store all of the information in one spot.

• Great for differentiation (e.g., a student that might have difficulty writing, could create an “audio” blog, or add in a slideshow instead).

http://kidblog.org/missdunsigersclass/leanne3/3d-solid-slideshow/

http://dunsiger.posterous.com/3d-solids

http://grade1.litcircuits.com/page/31/

http://grade1.litcircuits.com/page/47/

Blogging In Health

• Did this blog post on medicine (health expectation).

http://grade1.litcircuits.com/page/49/

Blogging In Social Studieshttp://grade1.litcircuits.com/2010/05/04/our-community-maps/

Created maps in Notebook software, exported as a jpeg, and uploaded here.

More Blogging In Social Studieshttp://grade1.litcircuits.com/page/7/

Wrote about traditions and celebrations (Grade 2 expectation).

Blogging In Sciencehttp://kidblog.org/MissDsClass2/cristiano2/liquids-and-solids-3/

Discussing the properties of liquids and solids – Grade 2 Science Expectation

More Blogging In Sciencehttp://grade1.litcircuits.com/2010/12/02/grade-1-glog-on-living-things-2/

Used Glogster to show learning about Living Things – Grade 1 Science Expectation

The Arts

• VoiceThread is great for reflecting on art work (a curriculum expectation). You can then embed the VoiceThread into a class blog.

http://avivadunsiger.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html

More on The Arts

• Lino or Wallwisher can also be great for reflecting. We did this reflection after a school musical.

http://avivadunsiger.blogspot.com/2010/12/reflecting-on-our-musical.html

The Logistics of Blogging• We blog up in the computer lab. I often

give students “free writing time” when we go to the lab. They can blog on any topic that interests them. We often brainstorm ideas first to help them with their blogging.

Blogging During Centres• Students often blog in groups of three or

four during literacy centres or math centres. This is when they have a more specific topic (often related to a content area).

Blogging On The SMART Board• Students write the post together in

GoogleDocs, and we add the post to our group blog. There is also a more specific topic for these posts.

http://grade1.litcircuits.com/2010/11/03/the-paper-bag-princess-grade-2-literacy-centre-activity/

Blogger’s Café: A Backchannel

• Students blogged on the iPod Touches to write “notes” during Literacy Centre and Math Centre Review. Now blog using the Livescribe Pen. Could also do this on a single computer or laptop in the classroom.

http://grade1.litcircuits.com/page/10/

Final Words of Advice

• The more opportunities to blog, the better. Students will then be far more independent at this task, and produce far better work too.

• Don’t give up! Blogging can be difficult at the beginning, but really does produce an excellent digital portfolio of a student’s work.