44-Blogging+with+5th+Graders

Blogging with 5th Graders

Drue Robertson

Laura Stevens

Okoboji Middle School

Monday, June 21, 13:00-13:50

This session will show how the 5th graders at Okoboji blogged this year. We created a blog on Word Press, and our students are contributors to the blog. We will show how we use it with students in Language Arts and Math classes. We use it for activating their thinking, showing final projects, defining terms, promoting literacy, sharing thoughts about books, and discussing what we are reading.


 * Why Blog?**

save time

student sharing of essays*

journal

a wider audience

collaboration with other classrooms

parents and siblings

on the web (still experimenting with this)

during the summer*

good use of free time

keep kids informed

lesson plans***

More Reasons to Blog**

explore topics deeper

character quotes*

discuss some things on blog only

revisit topics

redo quizzes*

24/7 learning*

different way to do writing

keep students engaged

have fun

pictures***

activate thinking**

when we start a new unit, book, etc.*

everyone has a chance to contribute on topic

good way to reach the quiet students

informal assessment to see what they know about a topic

saves time again


 * show final products***

math graph projects

storybooks

writing

portfolio

pictures from projects

Students take more pride in their work.


 * define terms**

math terms*

use to take notes

have students write definitions

access at home


 * promote literacy**

read each others work*(dang)

peer editing

allowed mistakes at first

peers informed each other about mistakes

eventually expected more accuracy before publishing

storybooks*

made storybooks and read to 1st graders

promote books


 * discuss what we are reading**

small group

preview questions*

comprehension questions

post when teacher is gone*

quizzes: further develop answers

share books

book talks

polls about books*(Shades of Gray)

next year: video tape book talks


 * Hurdles**

linking or uploading things to the blog

parents who are wary

sometimes the technology doesn't work

plagiarism: too easy to cut and paste

grading conventions in their work


 * Unforeseen benefits**

social networking - encourage or discourage?

fluency

24/7 learning(snow days)

show plans for the week

use as launchpad for other sites

pictures of fun days

place to put notes

parents and siblings get involved

students become problem solvers

easy grading at home

revision is easier


 * Getting Started**

get permission slips signed

googling a question about wordpress really helps

wordpress accounts (no age requirement)

do it with one student first

your dashboard is your best friend*

try uploading and linking before you do the project

start small (first blog)*

the students will trouble shoot their own problems eventually


 * Some addresses**

www.wordpress.com

www.okoboji5.wordpress.com

www.okobojiread.wordpress.com

www.robertsonboji.wordpress.com

lstevens@okoboji.k12.ia.us d.robertson4@gmail.com

__**Parent Blog Letter**__

Dear Parents, Here at Okoboji Middle School, we are doing more and more with technology in an effort to make sure our students have those 21st century skills they will surely need as they move through high school, college and the world of work. In 5th grade we are interested in blogging. Blogging is when an individual writes a web log. I have a blog about 5th grade at [|www.okobojireads.wordpress.com]. You are welcome to visit it. The idea is to have the students contribute to the blog and each other's written work and projects on the blog. They can comment on each other's contributions. All material will be screened by me before it is published to the web. The idea is to promote the skills of: reading, writing, and technology use. We will not be putting personal information on the blog. We will of course honor any //no media or technology forms// you have filed with us.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please sign below and have your child return this form to school as soon as possible.

Yes, I give my child permission to contribute to a blog__.__ No, I do not give my child permission to contribute to a blog, but he/she can read other students' blogging. No, I do not want my child involved in blogging at all.