B.A. Social Studies
The second of my goals for this year is to successfully implement student blogging into my classroom (for the first see this link: http://basocialstudies.weebly.com/blog/infusing-inquiry-into-pbl-week-1). Three weeks in, I am excited to share that it is going better than expected! Heads up though, it takes a little extra time every week to first assign and allow students to create posts, and a little more time to read through and respond to students’ thoughts, reflections, and learning. Coming into the year, I wanted to offer my students more authentic voice in my class and a way to connect their learning with the “real world.” Across the board the benefits have outweighed the drawbacks. Here are my thoughts on the challenges of the implementation of student blogs to this point. What are the Challenges and Benefits that Outweigh Them?Choosing a Platform:
Two weeks into the year, I can tell you that it took a bit of prep time deciding on the blogging platform to use. There are 10+ great options out there with each offering a bit different options and price points. Eventually, I settled on Edublogs due to the options that it offers for the price ($39.99/year, which seems to be the lowest cost for any student blogging platform) which includes classroom management options that allow the teacher to control all aspects of the blogs/websites but will still allow me to release my students blogs back to them to turn into a portfolio that they can take with them and build on when they leave my class--also a long-term goal of mine. Time: It takes a lot of time to work through 90+ separate blog posts per week, which I will elaborate on below, but If you’re looking to include more student voice in your classrooms, provide an opportunity to informally formatively and summatively assess, and offer more authentic feedback to your students, there seems to be no better way to go. The connections that I’ve made with my students up to this point have been positively affected by introducing blogging to my classroom. The blogs provide a way to get to know students as individuals better than I have ever been able to. Also, I feel that they take their writing seriously due to the authentic audience provided by the opportunity. Grading: This is not the most simple thing to do with the platform that I chose as all pending posts are displayed from most recent submission to least recent. I’ve done a ton of flipping between gradebooks in my SIS system, and at first, when I wasn’t familiar with the students and which class periods they were it, it took a ton of time to get those in. Also, there is the challenge of balancing providing students with the opportunity to write without squashing their excitement to do so. Across the board, my simple explanation and emphasis for my students when they are writing blog posts is that their job is to communicate effectively by using proper writing skills along with proving that they are learning by including specific details. I often remind students that I am using their posts in lieu of other assessments, which typically provides them with the understanding of the purpose and intent of their blogs. Feedback: As I mentioned previously, it is time consuming to provide feedback to students, but the gains in connecting with my students have made it worth it. As we know, learner autonomy and buy in is huge in getting students intrinsically motivated. The only grades that Ihave entered into the grade book at this point in the year are for these blog posts. Nothing else has been necessary, as my students are getting the purpose of activities due to the reflections that I have been asking them to write on a weekly basis. I think that it is helping them understand learning as a process and that they are learning along the way. Participation in class activities has been as close to 100% as it has ever been (in fact, I can’t think of a time when I’ve really had to get after a student to this point to join an activity--just the typical, “make sure the conversation that you’re having is on task” stuff). I attribute this to the fact that my students have received feedback which proves that I’m reading what they write. Reflection and Thoughts After Three Weeks: I’m excited! I was a bit nervous that the students would not take it seriously, but they’ve proven that they are happy to have the responsibility to become digital citizens and understand the power of having a positive public place to share their work. I think that they understand the long-term implications that their blogs can have and their value. It’s exciting to see them take the next step in taking control of their learning and understanding the intent of the blogs as a reflection and public display of their learning. Finally, be sure to stop by fhssocialstudies.edublogs.org and comment on my students posts and work! Leave a Reply. |
AuthorBrian Anton currently serves the Purdy R-II (Missouri) School District as the 7-12 Principal after working in the PK-12 Assistant Principal and Athletic Director roles for two years. In the 12 years prior to moving into administration, he served as an award-winning high school social studies teacher. Archives
September 2018
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