May G., (2011). A teacher s experience of using blogs. Computers in New Zealand Schools: Learning, teaching, technology. Vol. 23, No. 2. pp 153-158 A teacher s experience using blogs Gillian May Lawrence Area School Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No 2, pp 153-158.
A teacher s experience using blogs Gillian May Lawrence Area School I recently read on a facebook status My 5 year old just asked Can I go on the blog Mum? not a question I would have asked when I was five!!! How true this statement is. The world has changed dramatically since we were all five; for many of us photocopiers were a novelty and computers were only used to run complex machinery for companies. However, this is the world our five-year-olds live in and we should celebrate the ease at which they use the technologies available to them. Our world is changing at a pace that most of us are struggling to keep up with. Technology is progressing at an alarming rate and due to an amazing amount of competition many of the newest technological devices are becoming out-dated within months of production. This is the world that our five-year-olds live in. Their understanding of technology is far greater than ours, and they fear it far less than we do, for they know no different. The children of the future need to be set up to use technology to its greatest potential, and they need to be able to see that potential for themselves. As teachers, it is our job to embrace the technologies available to us and to make them a useful part of our classroom so that our students can fully appreciate the world that is open to them. When I was five my parents were notified of the goings-on at school by a notice printed on newsprint, having been fed through the banda-machine. If they asked us what we had been learning about at school they got the standard reply: Nothing. If they wanted to see the sort of work we had been doing they would have had to drive to our school and visit the classroom. My grandparents would never have seen any of my schoolwork and they would not have seen any of the classmates that I spoke of. Oh how our world has changed! Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No 2, pp 153-158. 154
Our class blog has changed the way our classroom operates and it has improved the link between home and school beyond our wildest dreams. Getting started Prior to June 2010 I had no experience with blogging. I was introduced to the idea at a professional development session, and decided that I might have a play with setting up my own class blog. Fortunately it was the school holidays, and with it being winter an indoor project was just perfect. I spent a good portion of the holidays setting up a class site that I could present at the beginning of term three. I was advised to set up a number of posts before letting children and parents know of the blog site, so that it was of interest from the first visit. I spent the holidays photographing work and publishing photos, taking care to include something from every student, so that on their initial visit they would have ownership of the site. I loved every minute of it. It felt like I was setting up something really special, that our class could take immense pride in. While setting up the blog, I was conscious that I was creating a showcase for the students, a place where they could display their work and share their learning with the world. I wanted to show parents and extended family how much fun we have in our classroom and the quality of learning that their children were experiencing. I also wanted the students to be able to publish their work in a variety of ways that could eventually be loaded onto the blog for sharing, such as powerpoints, videos and photographs. I wanted to create a desire in the students to proudly share their learning with the world. Sharing learning with families Every time our children produce a piece of artwork, publish a piece of writing, receive a special award, or take part in an important event we report it on the blog. At the end of a day at school when the children from our class go home to their families and their parents ask them What did you do at school today? our students can go straight to the blog and show their parents exactly what they they Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No 2, pp 153-158. 155
have been doing. Our blog is a window into the classroom for all of our families, no matter where in the world they are and no matter what time of the day they want to visit. It is such a valuable link between home and school. They can share photos, videos and reports. When we studied kitchen chemistry we videoed each experiment and loaded it onto the blog so that children could share their learning with their family. The more times they see the experiment and talk about the experience the greater their learning. It also gets families really excited about the child s learning and it makes them more aware of what is happening in our classroom. Many of the children in our classroom share the blog link with their extended families, especially grandparents and particularly family overseas. It is a lovely way to share learning and achievements with families. Classroom use We have set up subject specific tabs on our blog that we direct students to on a regular basis. We have created links to educational websites for maths, reading, spelling and homework and we regularly include these in our group rotations during learning time. This way no time is wasted searching for websites and we know that the activities the students are engaged in are educational and beneficial to the learning programme. These tabs have also proven very useful for parents when they are trying to guide their children to more educational games at home, particularly during the school holidays. In setting up our class blog I have gained a lot personally, as it has definitely broadened my own skills in information technology. I have learnt a lot in the setting up of our site, and I continue to learn as the journey evolves, especially now that others have been inspired to set up their own blogs and now come to me for advice. One of the most valuable lessons I have found is that you can find the answer to almost any blogging question on the internet. Our blog has given purpose to a lot of our learning within the classroom. Children have written explanations that have been used specifically for the blog, Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No 2, pp 153-158. 156
but that tie in completely with our current writing and topic programmes. We have spent a lot of time teaching the skills associated with digital photography so that the students can be responsible for capturing events and classmates in action. It gives the students ownership but more importantly it gives their learning real-life purpose that means something to them. We use the blog to introduce new students to our wider classroom community, and it allows our new students to show their families who all of their new friends are. We are very conscious of privacy and use only the first names of our students. Parents must give written permission for their child and their work to be included on the blog at the beginning of the year. We use the blog as a sharing tool at our assemblies, as it gives us the opportunity to show all of our photos, learning and achievements to the rest of our school. It also gives parents of children in other classes a chance to see what we have been up to. Having seen what an important learning tool our blog is, other classes within our school have now started their own blog. Can I go on the blog? is a question heard most frequently in our classroom, as it has become one of our most useful teaching tools and forms of communication. This is not a question we could possibly have asked as children, but it is a question that we now encourage with a passion. We are thrilled that our class and their families have embraced the concept of blogging our classroom, and it is a tool that we will continue to use. Our classroom blog can be found at http://r4las2011.blogspot.com School use We have recently developed a writer s extension group consisting of nine students ranging in age from 7 to 13 years. This group has been created to extend students who have shown a passion and talent for writing. The group meets twice a week for 45 minutes at a time. As a major tool for connecting these students, who come from four different classes, we have created a group blog. The purpose of the blog is to showcase our work, inform our families Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No 2, pp 153-158. 157
and provide ideas for teachers. Each session is being posted on the blog so that students, parents and other teachers can see what we are doing to help our student s develop their writing skills. Each student has their own page, which they have used to create a bio and add a photo. They have all explained what it is that they like about writing and what they hope to achieve by being involved in the group. They have also included a photo of themselves. Their pages are their own, and they have full blogging rights, to add and make changes as they see fit, providing they abide by the rules. Reminders are posted on the blog, as are the writing tasks. This is to allow students to visit and catch up if they miss a session, or to check in if they need a reminder. It is also a great tool for any other teacher who might be looking to run their own group in another school. As students complete work it will be posted to the blog and as students have access to the blog they will be able to publish their own work, and upload any illustrations. We will also include photos of events and sessions. We have planned author visits, which will most definitely be added to the blog. The students came up with the name of the group, which also then became the name of the blog site, which further cemented their ownership. In this instance our blog is a way of uniting the group and giving them a common place something that they all own and that is unique to their group. Already it has become a vital tool within this special learning environment. Our school new writer s blog is at http://lascraftycrew.blogspot.com Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No 2, pp 153-158. 158