Class Blogs are the next killer app

Joel Backon

Teachers Helping Teachers

January 31, 2012

CLASS BLOGS ARE THE

NEW KILLER APP

BACKGROUND

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GROUND RULES

This class blog will replace daily in-class writing. You should post to this blog at least

once each day of a reading assignment. You may post more if you would like and at

anytime you would like as long as there is at least one post per reading assignment

prior to the class in which the assignment is discussed.

Posts should be original comments with a hypothesis explaining an event/idea we

read about or a conclusion based on an event/idea. In all cases, your thesis should

be clearly stated at the start of your post (even if it says you disagree with another

post), and should be supported by specific information either from the reading or

other sources.

Posts will be graded once per week on a rotating basis, and will be based on the

quality of your posts as well as the number of times you post. Remember that this

blog is public for all practical purposes, so what you say and how you say it is

important.

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12 Ways

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HOW BLOGGING

IMPROVES THE COURSE

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1. REGULAR WRITING

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2. COLLABORATIVE

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3. PRE-CLASS DISCUSSION

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4. COMMON COURSE JOURNAL

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5. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

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6. LOW RISK TEST OF IDEAS

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7. EGALITARIAN

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8. KNOW ALL STUDENTS BETTER

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9. VEHICLE FOR NON-SPEAKERS

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10. REGULAR TEACHER FEEDBACK

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11. REGULAR COURSE EVALUATION

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12. DEVELOP BETTER ARGUMENTS

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LESSONS LEARNED &

PLANS

Make expectations clear

Provide feedback

Make the posts count

Use them in class to stimulate discussion

Teach kids that a public voice is the voice that matters

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LESSONS LEARNED

Switch things up next term

Blog posts 3x

VoiceThread 1x

Chalk talk screencast 1x

Expand the reach of the blog outside our classroom

Involve the book authors or other notable scholars in the field

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PLANS

jbackon@

choate.edu

QUESTIONS AND

DISCUSSION

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