Blogging To Enhance Literacy

Blogging to enhance literacy

Examples from the Macedon Ranges network

Aims for the session

• Define “blogging” in an educational context

• Explore student blogs from the Macedon Ranges area

• Reflect on benefits for student learning

• Ideas for using blogs in your classroom

• Some sandpit time using blogs

What is a blog?

• Watch the video and think about– How is a blog different from a “normal”

website?– How are blog posts arranged?– How do communities of bloggers work

together?

What does the research say?

• ICT is more effective when– It isn’t the only teaching strategy– There is teacher pre-training– There are multiple opportunities for learning– The student, not the teacher, is “in control”– Peer learning is optimised– Feedback is optimised

What does the research say?

• When ICT is used in writing, students– Write more– Write of a higher quality– Do more revisions– Make fewer errors– Are more engaged and motivated

Case study – New Gisborne PS

http://newgisps.globalstudent.org.au

Why use blogs?

• Gives each student their own webspace

• Writing for an audience

• Enables peer assessment

• Enables reflection

• Share other digital media (eg audio, video)

• Over time becomes a digital portfolio

• Preparation for Ultranet (24/7 learning)

Ideas for using blogs - students

• Journals • Book reports, literature circles• Creative writing assignments, short stories, poetry• Display and discussion of student art work/photography• Student portfolios • Class discussions, current events • Class archive • Role playing• Class newsletter• Collaborative projects with another class• Science experiment notebook

Ideas for using blogs - teachers

• Post class assignments, upcoming assignments, project help, calendars and more

• Class suggestion box

• Communicate with parents

• Journal for teacher researcher projects

• Tool for collaboration with colleagues anywhere

Step 1 – Go to http://globalstudent.org.au

Step 2 – Scroll down the page and find the link “register”

Step 3 – Fill in the form using a username you’ve chosen and an email address and press “next”

Step 4– Leave the blog domain as is, and give the blog a title. Choose if you want your blog to be searchable and press “next”

Step 5 – Go to the email address you entered, there should be a confirmation email there from globalstudent

Step 6 – After clicking on the confirmation email, you will receive another email with your username and password

Step 7 – Copy the password, click on the login link to take you to the login page. Enter your username and password

Step 8 – You are now at your blog’s dashboard. Begin blogging!

Sandpit time

http://testmacblog1.globalstudent.org.au

Step 1 – Go to http://testmacblog1.globalstudent.org.au

Find the link that says “log in”

Step 2 – Your username is “testmacblog1”. Your password is also “testmacblog1”. You should now see your dashboard.